HB 3695: Motor vehicles; personal injury accidents; modifying scope of certain defined term; effective date. - Oklahoma

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

MODERATE

The bill was revised from the House to the Senate floor, resulting in significant changes to penalties for driving violations. The most critical change is the redefinition of 'great bodily injury' to include a broader range of serious injuries, such as protracted loss of function or mental faculty, rather than just bone fractures. Additionally, the penalties for repeat offenders were escalated from a misdemeanor to a Class B5 felony, and penalties for causing accidents resulting in great bodily injury were increased from a Class B1 felony to a Class B1 felony with a higher maximum sentence range.

Scope change

The scope of the bill expanded regarding the definition of 'great bodily injury,' now covering a wider variety of serious physical and mental impairments.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'great bodily injury' was broadened to include protracted loss or impairment of the function of a body part, organ, or mental faculty, in addition to serious bone fractures and disfigurement.

ENFORCEMENT

Penalties for repeat offenders violating the driving provisions were increased from a misdemeanor to a Class B5 felony, punishable by 1 to 5 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

Penalties for causing an accident resulting in great bodily injury were adjusted to a Class B1 felony with a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a $5,000 fine.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated from 'House of Representatives' to 'Senate Floor Version' and the committee report attribution was changed from the Judiciary and Public Safety committee to the Public Safety committee.

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was updated to reflect its status as the House Floor version, replacing the original Committee Substitute header. The core legal provisions regarding penalties for traffic violations and the definition of 'great bodily injury' remain substantively unchanged, with no new policies, funding, or eligibility criteria introduced.

TECHNICAL

The document header was changed from 'Committee Substitute' to 'House of Representatives - Floor Version' to indicate the bill has been approved by the committee and is now ready for floor debate.

The sponsor attribution line was updated to include both the House sponsor (Gise) and the Senate co-sponsor (Hamilton).

Page numbering and internal formatting markers were adjusted to align with the new floor version layout.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was converted from a proposed policy substitute to a final House Committee substitute, incorporating specific amendments to Oklahoma's motor vehicle accident laws. The most significant change is the introduction of a 'second offense' penalty, which elevates the punishment for repeat violators from a misdemeanor to a Class B5 felony with stricter prison terms. Additionally, the definition of 'great bodily injury' was updated to include 'substantial risk of death' as a qualifying condition.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include enhanced penalties for repeat offenders and refined the legal definition of severe injury.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a new provision imposing a Class B5 felony penalty and longer prison sentences for individuals convicted of a second violation of the personal injury accident statute.

DEFINITION

Modified the definition of 'great bodily injury' to explicitly include 'substantial risk of death' alongside existing criteria like fractures and disfigurement.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header and metadata to reflect its status as a House Committee Substitute with a revised effective date of November 1, 2026.

Enrolled (final version) → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reclassified from a final 'Enrolled' version to a 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute,' indicating it is still under review and has not yet been finalized. The substantive legal text regarding penalties for personal injury accidents remains unchanged, but the document now includes standard committee amendment headers and footers.

TECHNICAL

The document status changed from 'Enrolled' (final) to 'Proposed Policy Committee Substitute' (draft), adding committee metadata and removing final enactment signatures.

Removed the 'An Act' header and the official signatures from the House, Senate, Governor, and Secretary of State offices that signify a bill has passed all stages.

Added committee amendment headers, speaker/chair placeholders, and tracking numbers (e.g., Req. No. 16102) typical of a legislative draft.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 4 edits · Apr 29, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was finalized by adding the Governor's signature block and official passage dates, while retaining the core legal text that reclassifies serious drunk driving accidents as a Class B1 felony. This change ensures the bill is legally binding and ready for implementation.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's legal requirements remains unchanged; only the document's status progressed from draft to final law.

TECHNICAL

Added the 'Enrolled' header, Governor's signature lines, and specific passage dates to finalize the bill as official law.

ENFORCEMENT

Increased penalties for causing an accident resulting in 'great bodily injury' while driving under the influence from a Class B5 felony to a Class B1 felony, carrying a potential prison sentence of 4 to 20 years.

DEFINITION

Formally defined 'great bodily injury' to include serious compound bone fractures, permanent disfigurement, or substantial risk of death.

TIMELINE

Set the effective date of the new penalties to November 1, 2026.

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Apr 29, 2026

MODERATE

This bill amends the Oklahoma personal injury accident statute to update the definition of 'great bodily injury' and remove the definition for 'chronic injury.' The change matters because it narrows the criteria for what constitutes a serious injury, potentially affecting which accidents result in felony charges. Additionally, the bill removes a specific page footer reference and updates the bill's status from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed.'

Scope change

The scope of the bill was narrowed by removing the definition of 'chronic injury,' which previously allowed for felony charges based on pain or medical conditions interfering with daily life, rather than just physical trauma.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'great bodily injury' was rewritten to include a 'substantial risk of death' as a criterion, while removing the specific list of examples like 'compound bone fracture' and 'protracted loss of function.'

The definition of 'chronic injury' was entirely deleted, meaning accidents resulting only in chronic pain or interference with quality of life will no longer automatically trigger felony charges under this specific subsection.

TECHNICAL

A page footer containing a reference number ('Req. No. 14225') was removed from the document.

The bill's status was updated from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed,' indicating it has passed both chambers and is ready for the Governor's signature.

Motor vehicles; personal injury accidents; modifying scope of certain defined term; effective date.

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