Sen. Shane Jett

Maddy summarySB 917 restricts retirement benefits for state and education employees who face a felony charge. It requires immediate suspension of retirement benefits upon a felony charge, with the prosecutor notifying the retirement system within three days. Employees can request a hearing to challenge whether the charge justifies benefit loss, and benefits are reinstated if the employee is found not guilty. The bill does not affect employees who are cleared of charges or convicted of non-felony offenses.

Maddy summarySB 1018 creates a "CO2 victim lien" for individuals or entities affected by CO2 pipeline ruptures or releases within a defined 25-mile "kill zone." It directly affects residents, property owners, farmers, and water source users in the affected area, granting them a legal claim against the pipeline owner for all damages (including punitive damages) incurred. To enforce this claim, victims must file a UCC-1 financing statement with the county clerk within one year of the incident, giving the lien retroactive priority to the release date. The lien remains valid until a termination statement is filed upon payment or the victim's relinquishment, and bankruptcy proceedings must temporarily hold owner assets for lienholders for up to one year. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1214 requires Oklahoma's Human Trafficking Response Unit to submit a report by December 2026 documenting trafficking cases involving noncitizen minors (under 16) between 2021-2025. The bill defines "minor child trafficking organizations" as entities that transport unaccompanied noncitizen minors without performing thorough checks on sponsors, including background checks and verifying family relationships. The Attorney General must establish standards for collecting and preserving evidence to ensure data is admissible in court for future civil cases. This bill directly affects noncitizen minors who may have been trafficked and organizations handling their placement, aiming to create a documented evidence base for victims seeking justice.

Maddy summarySB 665, the "Medical Ethics Defense Act," grants medical practitioners (like doctors and nurses), healthcare institutions (hospitals, clinics), and healthcare payers (insurance companies, employers) the right to refuse participation in or payment for medical procedures that conflict with their ethical, moral, or religious beliefs. It prohibits discrimination against these entities for such refusals - including termination, loss of licensure, or denial of contracts - and requires healthcare providers to "opt-in" for abortion services specifically. The law explicitly limits this right to conscience-based objections against particular procedures (e.g., abortion), not general medical duties, and protects against civil liability for exercising this right. It applies directly to all covered healthcare workers, facilities, and payers across Oklahoma.

Maddy summarySB 825 requires the Oklahoma Tax Commission to prioritize helping taxpayers comply with tax laws instead of focusing on revenue generation. It mandates a 20% reduction in all existing fees, fines, penalties, and interest charged by the Commission for tax noncompliance. If the Commission incorrectly charges a taxpayer (due to wrong amounts or erroneous noncompliance determinations), it must return the full amount plus double the interest it would have collected. The bill takes effect January 1, 2026, and applies directly to all Oklahoma taxpayers subject to Commission enforcement actions.

Maddy summarySB 620 requires businesses selling agricultural products (like compost, fertilizer, or soil amendments) to clearly label if they contain biosolids from wastewater treatment. It also mandates visible signage on properties where biosolids are applied, disclosure to buyers when selling/leasing such land, and annual public mapping by the Department of Environmental Quality showing application sites, dates, and landowner details. Agritourism businesses must receive 60-day written notice if biosolids are applied within four miles. The law applies to all businesses using biosolids in Oklahoma and takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 386 prohibits Oklahoma state and local governments (including counties, cities, and school boards) from using ranked choice voting systems, which allow voters to rank candidates by preference and tabulate results in multiple rounds until a majority is achieved. The bill declares any existing local ordinances permitting such voting methods void and exempts political party internal processes (like conventions) from the ban. It authorizes the Attorney General to enforce the law and allows affected voters, candidates, or election officials to file civil lawsuits for violations, with courts able to award costs and attorney fees to the winning party. The law takes immediate effect as an emergency measure.

Maddy summarySB 420 requires Oklahoma judicial election ballots to include the name of the governor who appointed the judge and the date of that appointment, if the judge was appointed. This applies to ballots for retention elections of Supreme Court Justices, Court of Criminal Appeals Judges, Court of Appeals Judges, district judges, and associate district judges. The requirement will take effect on November 1, 2025, providing voters with additional information about a judge's appointment history. The bill does not change voting procedures or party affiliations on ballots.

Maddy summarySB 477 amends Oklahoma's Milk and Milk Products Act to remove an existing exemption for donkey milk sales. The bill updates Section 7-414 by deleting provisions that previously allowed incidental sales of donkey milk (up to 100 gallons monthly) under the same rules as goat milk. This change means donkey milk producers will no longer be exempt from the full act's regulations, unlike goat milk which retains its exemption. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 230 eliminates fees for transcripts required in criminal appeals when defendants cannot afford them. The bill amends Oklahoma law to require district courts to cover transcript costs from court funds instead of charging indigent defendants, directly affecting low-income individuals facing criminal appeals. Key provisions clarify that judges must order these transcripts at no cost to defendants who demonstrate financial hardship, ensuring access to appeal records without payment barriers. The change applies specifically to criminal cases and takes effect November 1, 2025.