Prisons and reformatories; granting elected state officials the right to access facilities operated by the Department of Corrections without prior notification; codification; effective date.

HB 3198 grants elected state officials (such as legislators and the governor) the right to visit all Oklahoma Department of Corrections facilities without needing to notify the department in advance, effective November 1, 2026. The bill requires the Department of Corrections to establish security protocols to manage these unannounced visits while maintaining facility safety for inmates, staff, and correctional officers. This change directly affects state officials seeking facility access and the Department’s operational procedures. The law codifies this access right into Oklahoma Statutes (Section 509.8 of Title 57) without altering existing security standards.