HB 3581: Riots; penalties for participating; making certain acts unlawful; Governmental Tort Claims Act; exception; effective date. - Oklahoma

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

MODERATE

The bill was amended to transition from a House floor version to a Senate floor version, updating the legislative session dates and sponsor list to include additional House members. The substantive legal text regarding riot penalties and government liability exemptions remains identical between the two versions, with no changes to penalties, definitions, or effective dates.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the differences are purely procedural updates reflecting the bill's progression through the legislative process.

TECHNICAL

Updated the header to reflect the Senate floor version and April 21, 2026 date, replacing the House floor version header.

Added 'Woolley, and Adams' to the list of House sponsors, indicating additional co-sponsors compared to the previous version.

Adjusted the act description text slightly to use 'crimes and punishment' instead of 'riots' and 'punishment for riot' instead of 'penalties for participating in riots', though the legal effect is identical.

Reformatted page headers and footer notes to match Senate floor conventions, including the date and sponsor list.

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated from a 'Committee Substitute' draft to the 'House Floor' version, incorporating amendments from the Senate. The substantive legal content regarding riot penalties and tort liability exemptions remains identical to the previous version, with no changes to fines, sentencing guidelines, or effective dates.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's applicability and the specific legal penalties defined within it have not changed.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to reflect that this is the 'House of Representatives - Floor Version' rather than the original 'Committee Substitute' draft.

The byline was updated to include 'Gollihare of the Senate', indicating that Senate amendments have been incorporated into the text.

Page numbering and internal formatting markers were adjusted to reflect the new version of the document.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill completely replaced the previous text with a new version that significantly expanded penalties for rioting and altered government liability rules. The new version imposes harsher felony charges for specific riot actions, such as directing others to use violence or damaging property, and introduces a new exception to government immunity for claims arising from civil disobedience or riots.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from standard riot penalties to include specific provisions for leaders who incite violence and property damage, while also narrowing the scope of government immunity in riot-related lawsuits.

REQUIREMENT

New penalties were added for individuals who direct, advise, encourage, or solicit others to use force or violence during a riot, elevating this to a Class B1 felony.

A new provision was added stating that wearing a mask or disguise to conceal identity during a riot and committing a felony will result in a Class D3 felony charge.

A new exception was created to the Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act, removing immunity for the state or local governments when they are sued for losses resulting from civil disobedience, riots, insurrections, or rebellions.

ENFORCEMENT

Penalties for damaging property during a riot were modified to be based on the dollar amount of damage, with higher fines and longer prison terms for damages exceeding $1,000.

TECHNICAL

The previous text, which included a separate amendment to Section 1101 regarding bail for certain offenses, was removed and replaced entirely by the new riot and liability provisions.

Engrossed → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten from scratch by the Policy Committee, replacing the original text with a new version that significantly alters penalties for riot-related offenses and modifies the state's liability protections. The new version introduces stricter felony classifications for certain acts, adjusts fine amounts, and expands the scope of protected government functions from which the state is exempt from liability claims.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include additional amendments to state statutes regarding bailable offenses and governmental tort claims, whereas the original version focused primarily on riot penalties and a single tort claims amendment.

ENFORCEMENT

Penalties for riot-related offenses were restructured with new felony classifications and adjusted sentencing guidelines, including changes to fines and imprisonment terms for offenses like property damage and obstruction.

REQUIREMENT

The definition of 'obstruct' in the riot statute was narrowed to remove the phrase 'render passage unreasonably inconvenient,' potentially changing what actions constitute a crime.

The list of government functions exempt from liability claims was updated, specifically removing the exemption for 'civil disobedience, riot, insurrection or rebellion' under certain conditions and adding new categories for tax assessments and natural conditions.

ELIGIBILITY

New amendments were added to the bill to modify 22 O.S. 2021, Section 1101 regarding bailable offenses and 51 O.S. 2021, Section 155 regarding governmental liability exemptions.

FISCAL

Maximum fine amounts for certain riot-related offenses were reduced from $5,000 to $2,500 in the new version.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 3 edits · Apr 28, 2026

MINOR

The bill was amended to restore its original title and add House co-authors. The core policy text was modified to explicitly include 'civil disobedience, riot, insurrection, or rebellion' as a specific exemption from government liability, clarifying that the state is not responsible for damages resulting from these activities unless the state knowingly allowed them.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed regarding government liability by adding specific exemptions for civil disobedience and riots, limiting when the state can be held financially responsible for such events.

EXEMPTIONS

Added a specific exemption clause stating the state is not liable for damages caused by civil disobedience, riots, insurrections, or rebellion, unless the state affirmatively allowed the dangerous condition.

TECHNICAL

Restored the bill's title to its original text and added two new House co-authors to the authorship list.

Adjusted the formatting of the penalty sections for riots, including minor spacing changes in the text describing punishments for carrying weapons or directing others.

Enrolled (final version) → Amended And Engrossed · 2 edits · Apr 28, 2026

MINOR

The bill was amended to correct the authorship list and restore the original title after a previous version incorrectly labeled it as a Senate amendment. The substantive legal text regarding riot penalties and government liability exemptions remains unchanged.

TECHNICAL

The authorship section was updated to correctly list House co-authors Woolley and Adams, removing the erroneous 'Senate' designation found in the previous version.

The bill title was restored to its original text, reversing a previous change that had incorrectly inserted bracketed placeholder text.

Introduced → Enrolled (final version) · 4 edits · Mar 12, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was finalized and enrolled after passing both legislative chambers, with the sponsor list updated to include additional co-sponsors. The substantive text of the riot and tort liability sections remains identical to the introduced version, though the enrolled version includes a new subject line and slightly different formatting for the statute citations.

Scope change

The bill's scope and applicability remain unchanged; the only differences are procedural updates reflecting the bill's passage and enrollment.

TECHNICAL

The sponsor list was updated to include Woolley and Adams as co-sponsors, and the bill title was changed from 'An Act relating to riots' to 'An Act relating to crimes and punishments' to reflect the broader statutory amendments.

The header information was updated from 'AS INTRODUCED' to 'ENROLLED HOUSE BILL' to indicate the bill has been signed into law.

A new subject line 'SUBJECT: Crimes and punishments' was added to the enrolled version for clarity.

Minor formatting adjustments were made to the statutory citations and page headers to conform to the final enrolled format.

Riots; penalties for participating; making certain acts unlawful; Governmental Tort Claims Act; exception; effective date.

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