HB 1356: Agriculture; livestock gates; requiring gates to be closed at all times; exceptions; penalties; rules; codification; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was moved from the House to the Senate, resulting in a complete rewrite of the law's content. The original version, 'Kenny's Law,' focused on keeping livestock gates closed to prevent escapes. The Senate version removes the livestock focus entirely, replacing it with a requirement for anyone entering a property easement to keep gates in their current position. It also significantly reduced the maximum fine for a first offense from $1,000 to $500 and changed the effective date to November 1, 2025.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from protecting livestock owners by mandating closed gates to regulating general gate maintenance for property easements.

SCOPE

Removed all provisions related to 'Kenny's Law' and the specific requirement that livestock gates must remain closed at all times.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement that any individual entering through gates on a property easement must maintain the gate's position upon use.

ENFORCEMENT

Reduced the maximum fine for a first offense from $1,000 to $500 and reduced the maximum jail time from 180 days to 90 days.

TIMELINE

The effective date was set to November 1, 2025, replacing the previous effective date of November 1, 2025 (no change in date, but the context of the law changed).

Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill → Floor (House) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from a House Bill to a Committee Substitute and updated to reflect its floor version. The most significant change is the renaming of the act to 'Kenny's Law' and the addition of a specific intent to protect against malicious acts and negligence. The penalties for violations were increased, with fines and jail time now escalating based on whether it is a first/second or third/subsequent offense. The scope of the law was expanded to explicitly define prohibited actions, such as leaving gates open or allowing livestock to escape, and to authorize the Department of Agriculture to promulgate rules.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to include specific prohibitions against malicious acts and negligence, and the enforcement mechanism was strengthened by introducing tiered penalties based on the number of offenses.

DEFINITION

Added formal definitions for 'Livestock' and 'Maintenance' to clarify the bill's terms.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new section titled 'Kenny's Law' with a stated intent to protect farmers and the public from malicious acts and negligence.

Added specific prohibitions against leaving gates open, damaging gates, or allowing livestock to escape.

ENFORCEMENT

Modified penalties to be tiered, increasing fines and potential jail time for third and subsequent offenses compared to first and second offenses.

TECHNICAL

Changed the bill type from 'House Bill' to 'Committee Substitute' and updated the effective date to November 1, 2025.

House Committee Substitute → Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to rename the legislation from 'Kenny's Law' to 'Engrossed House Bill 1356' and fundamentally changed its purpose. The original version focused on requiring livestock gates to remain closed at all times to prevent escapes, while the new version shifts the focus to requiring individuals entering specific easement areas to maintain the gate's position after use. Additionally, the penalties for violations were significantly reduced, with fines and jail time lowered for all offense levels.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a general mandate for all livestock enclosures to a specific requirement for individuals entering designated easement areas.

REQUIREMENT

The core requirement changed from keeping gates closed at all times to maintaining the gate's position upon use when entering an easement.

ENFORCEMENT

Penalties were reduced across the board; the maximum fine dropped from $2,500 to $1,500 for third offenses, and maximum jail time was reduced from one year to one year (unchanged) but fines and first/second offense jail time were lowered.

DEFINITION

The specific definition of prohibited conduct was replaced, removing references to livestock, landowners, and malicious acts in favor of a general rule for easement users.

SCOPE

The applicability of the law was narrowed from all livestock enclosures to only those gates used for ingress or egress to properties designated as easements.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → House Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to change the title from 'Proposed Oversight Committee Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute,' reflecting its current status in the legislative process. The text of the act was updated to remove a specific requirement for gates to remain closed at all times, replacing it with a general mandate to prescribe penalties for violations and authorize the creation of rules to implement the law. Additionally, the stated intent of the law was expanded to include protecting the public, alongside farmers and landowners, from malicious acts and negligence.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding gate management was narrowed by removing a specific 'closed at all times' requirement, shifting the focus to penalty prescription and rule-making authority.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the specific requirement that gates must remain closed at all times.

Added authorization for the Department of Agriculture to promulgate rules necessary to implement the act.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed the text regarding penalties to focus on prescribing penalties for violations rather than detailing specific gate conditions.

INTENT

Expanded the stated intent of the law to explicitly include protecting the public from malicious acts and negligence.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document title and header to reflect the change from a proposed substitute to the official committee substitute.

Enrolled (final version) → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 7 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to rename the measure 'Kenny's Law' and significantly expand its scope from simply requiring people to close gates to actively prohibiting malicious acts like damaging gates or allowing livestock to escape. The penalties were increased for repeat offenders, and the law now explicitly includes intent and liability for damages caused by violations.

Scope change

The bill's scope broadened from a passive requirement to close gates to an active prohibition against malicious damage, gate tampering, and allowing livestock to escape, with specific exceptions for maintenance and livestock movement.

DEFINITION

Added a formal definition for 'Livestock' referencing existing state statutes.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement that all gates containing livestock must remain closed at all times, with specific exceptions for ingress/egress, maintenance, moving livestock, or functional access needs.

ENFORCEMENT

Added new prohibitions against knowingly and maliciously leaving gates open, damaging gates, or allowing livestock to escape.

Increased maximum fines and jail time for third and subsequent offenses from $1,500/1 year to $2,500/1 year.

Added explicit liability for financial damages caused by violations.

INTENT

Added a section stating the law's intent is to protect farmers and landowners from malicious acts and negligence.

TECHNICAL

Changed the codification status from 'to be codified' to 'not to be codified' for the new title section.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 4 edits · May 21, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was finalized and approved by the Governor, changing its title to focus on requiring individuals to maintain gate positions rather than broadly prohibiting open gates. The scope was narrowed to apply only to gates on properties designated as easements, rather than all livestock enclosures. Penalties were significantly reduced, with maximum fines dropping from $2,500 to $1,500 and jail time capped at one year instead of two. The effective date was set for November 1, 2025.

Scope change

The bill's applicability was narrowed from all livestock enclosures to only gates on properties designated as easements.

REQUIREMENT

The core requirement changed from keeping gates closed at all times to maintaining the gate's position while entering or exiting an easement property.

ENFORCEMENT

Penalties were reduced, with maximum fines lowered from $2,500 to $1,500 and maximum jail time reduced from two years to one year.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'livestock' and the broad list of exceptions for open gates were removed, limiting the law's reach.

TIMELINE

A specific effective date of November 1, 2025, was added to the final version.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 4 edits · Apr 29, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered to align with a new structure that separates the effective date from the substantive law. The most significant change is the removal of 'Kenny's Law' as the official title and the deletion of the requirement to create a new section in the Oklahoma Statutes, meaning the law will not be codified in the permanent code. The penalty schedule for violating gate maintenance rules remains unchanged, and the effective date was moved to the final section of the bill.

Scope change

The bill's scope regarding the creation of permanent statutes changed; it is no longer intended to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes, though the substantive rules and penalties for gate maintenance remain in effect.

TECHNICAL

The bill was renumbered from Sections 3, 4, and 5 to Sections 1, 2, and 3 to accommodate the removal of the codification clause.

DEFINITION

The official name 'Kenny's Law' was removed from the text.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement to codify the new law into the Oklahoma Statutes was deleted, making it a non-codified act.

TIMELINE

The effective date provision was moved from the middle of the bill to the final section (Section 3).

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 5 edits · Apr 29, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to rename the legislation from the 'Oklahoma Agriculture Act of 2025' to 'Kenny's Law' and significantly expanded its scope. The original version focused only on requiring individuals to maintain gate positions, while the new version explicitly defines 'livestock,' mandates that all livestock containment gates remain closed at all times (with specific exceptions), and outlines penalties for maliciously leaving gates open, damaging gates, or allowing livestock to escape.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a narrow focus on gate maintenance to a comprehensive law protecting livestock containment, including specific definitions of livestock and detailed exemptions for ingress, egress, maintenance, and livestock movement.

DEFINITION

Added a new section defining 'livestock' by referencing existing state statutes.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new requirement that all gates designed to contain livestock must remain closed at all times, with specific exceptions for ingress, egress, maintenance, and livestock movement.

ENFORCEMENT

Added specific prohibitions against knowingly and maliciously leaving gates open, damaging gates, or allowing livestock to escape, along with corresponding misdemeanor penalties.

INTENT

Added a statement of intent clarifying that the law aims to protect farmers, livestock owners, and the public from malicious acts and negligence.

TITLE

Changed the bill title from 'Oklahoma Agriculture Act of 2025' to 'Kenny's Law'.

Agriculture; livestock gates; requiring gates to be closed at all times; exceptions; penalties; rules; codification; effective date.

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors