HB 2131: Criminal procedure; procedures for advising grand juries; transcripts; hearings; witnesses; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted from a House floor version to a Senate floor version, with minor wording adjustments to improve clarity and consistency. The substantive policy content regarding grand jury procedures, transcript access, and disclosure restrictions remains unchanged.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; only formatting and minor text refinements were made.

TECHNICAL

Header text changed from 'HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' to 'SENATE FLOOR VERSION' with updated date and versioning information.

Minor wording adjustments in the title and section text to improve readability and consistency, such as changing 'an the attorney' to 'the attorney' and rephrasing some clauses for clarity.

Page numbering and formatting markers were updated to reflect Senate floor version standards.

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

This bill version transitioned from a House Committee Substitute to the Floor version, primarily changing the header information to reflect it as the official House Floor version. The substantive legislative text regarding grand jury procedures, transcript access, disclosure restrictions, and effective dates appears unchanged in content, though formatting and page numbering were adjusted for the floor version.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; this is a formatting update for floor presentation.

TECHNICAL

Header changed from 'COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' to 'HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION' to indicate the bill is ready for floor consideration.

Page numbering and formatting were adjusted to reflect the floor version layout, including adding 'BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments' notes.

Minor formatting changes to spacing and line breaks throughout the document for floor presentation purposes.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to replace the entire text with a new version that clarifies grand jury procedures, transcript handling, and restrictions on who can access or use grand jury information. The changes add specific rules about when prosecutors can be present during grand jury sessions, how transcripts are shared with witnesses, and penalties for unauthorized disclosure.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on grand jury procedures but now includes clearer restrictions on prosecutor participation in certain investigations and more detailed rules about witness testimony preparation.

REQUIREMENT

Restrictions on prosecutor presence during grand jury sessions were expanded to prevent participation in investigations of the prosecutor's own office or associated personnel.

New provisions allow prosecutors to provide transcribed testimony to witnesses solely for trial preparation, with matching disclosure restrictions for those witnesses.

ENFORCEMENT

Updated language clarifies that unauthorized disclosure of grand jury transcripts remains a misdemeanor and punishable as contempt.

TECHNICAL

Minor formatting and numbering adjustments were made throughout the document to conform to committee substitute standards.

Enrolled (final version) → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill text was completely replaced with a committee substitute version that retains the same substantive policy provisions regarding grand jury transcript confidentiality and use. The primary change is formatting and procedural - the bill moved from its enrolled final version to a proposed policy committee substitute version, which is an intermediate legislative stage.

TECHNICAL

Removed enrolled bill header information including Senate and House passage dates, Governor approval lines, and Secretary of State certification

Added committee amendment header with sponsor information, adoption signature line, and reading clerk designation

Changed bill title from 'An Act' to 'HB2131 POLPCS1' with committee substitute designation

Reorganized page numbering and formatting from enrolled version to committee substitute format with page headers

POLICY

All substantive policy language regarding grand jury procedures, transcript confidentiality, disclosure restrictions, and penalties remains identical to the enrolled version

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 3 edits · May 12, 2025

MINOR

The bill was converted from an Engrossed version to an Enrolled final version, which is the official version signed by the Governor. The substantive policy content of the bill, including grand jury procedures, transcript disclosure rules, and effective dates, remained unchanged between versions. The primary differences are formatting, page numbering, and the addition of signature lines for the House, Senate, and Governor.

TECHNICAL

Page headers and footers were updated from 'ENGROSSED' to 'ENROLLED' to reflect the bill's final approved status.

Signature lines for the House, Senate, and Governor were added to the final enrolled version for official approval documentation.

Drafting and formatting lines specific to the Engrossed version were removed in the Enrolled version.

Introduced → Engrossed · 7 edits · May 8, 2025

MODERATE

This bill significantly expands grand jury procedures by adding detailed rules for transcript access, public hearing restrictions, and witness protections. It replaces a brief introductory act with comprehensive amendments to Oklahoma's criminal procedure laws, establishing clear guidelines for when transcripts can be released and who may access them.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from a general criminal procedure act to specific amendments of 22 O.S. 2021, Section 340, focusing exclusively on grand jury procedures rather than creating entirely new law.

REQUIREMENT

Added detailed procedures for requesting and obtaining grand jury transcripts, including expense allocation rules for indigent accused persons.

Established new restrictions on who may disclose grand jury transcript contents, limiting access primarily to attorneys and court officials involved in related proceedings.

Added requirements for closed hearings when transcript release is requested, with exceptions only for compelling public interest.

Modified grand jury session rules to restrict who may be present during proceedings, with specific exceptions for witnesses and their attorneys.

ENFORCEMENT

Created misdemeanor penalties and contempt provisions for unauthorized disclosure of grand jury information.

ELIGIBILITY

Established limitations on attorneys who obtain transcripts from representing parties in related civil cases.

MODIFIED

Changed bill title from 'Oklahoma Criminal Procedure Act of 2025' to standard legislative format with specific amendment references.

Criminal procedure; procedures for advising grand juries; transcripts; hearings; witnesses; effective date.

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