Property; Oklahoma Safe Neighborhoods Act of 2026; requiring compensation for certain property damage; claims; effective date.
HB 3985, the Oklahoma Safe Neighborhoods Act of 2026, allows property owners in cities over 130,000 population (per the 2020 Census) to seek compensation when local governments fail to enforce laws against public nuisances like illegal camping, loitering, or public intoxication. Property owners may claim either documented costs spent to mitigate damage (e.g., security) or the reduced fair market value of their property, capped at their prior year’s primary property tax payment to the government. If a government rejects a claim within 30 days, the owner can sue in district court, where the government must prove its actions were lawful or the claim unreasonable, and a winning owner receives attorney fees. The law excludes claims related to case-by-case prosecutorial decisions or federal mandates and takes effect November 1, 2026.
Bill status
signed
all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2026
Committee Review
Apr 2026
House Passage
Mar 2026
Senate Passage
Apr 2026
Signed into Law
May 2026
Introduced Feb 2, 2026
Signed May 6, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 6 comparisons
What changed between versions
Floor (House)
→
Floor (Senate)
·
3 edits
MINOR
The bill was revised to reflect its progression from the House to the Senate floor, resulting in significant structural and substantive changes. The primary addition is a new Section 2 defining key legal terms like 'affected government' and 'fair market value.' Additionally, the codification section was renumbered from Section 1 to Section 2, and the subsequent sections were renumbered accordingly to accommodate the new definitions.
Scope change
The scope of the bill has expanded to include a formal definitions section, clarifying exactly which government entities and property types are covered under the new act.
DEFINITION
Added a new Section 2 that defines critical terms such as 'affected government,' 'fair market value,' 'just compensation,' and 'property owner' to ensure legal clarity.
TECHNICAL
Renumbered the codification section from Section 1 to Section 2 and adjusted subsequent section numbers to maintain proper legislative structure.
Updated the header to indicate this is the 'Senate Floor Version' and added the names of Senate sponsors (Crosswhite Hader and George) to the bill author list.
Floor votes · Senate Apr 29, 2026 · House Mar 24, 2026
How they voted
31–17
Passed · 2 other
Total votes 50
Apr 29, 2026
D
Democratic9
77% Nay
R
Republican41
70% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea
All Nay
Mixed
No data
Full legislative history
Actions timeline
Total actions
28
Key actions
8
Committee
6
May 6, 2026
Signed into law
Approved by Governor 05/05/2026
lower
Apr 29, 2026
Committee
Referred for enrollment
lower
Apr 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Engrossed measure signed, returned to House
upper
Apr 29, 2026
Upper · Passed
Measure passed: Ayes: 30 Nays: 16
upper
Apr 7, 2026
Upper · Passed
Reported Do Pass Local and County Government committee; CR filed
upper
Mar 25, 2026
Introduced
First Reading
upper
Mar 25, 2026
Lower · Passed
Engrossed, signed, to Senate
lower
Mar 24, 2026
Committee
Referred for engrossment
lower
Mar 24, 2026
Lower · Passed
Third Reading, Measure passed: Ayes: 77 Nays: 16
lower
Mar 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
CR; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Government Oversight Committee
lower
Feb 12, 2026
Lower · Passed
Policy recommendation to the Government Oversight committee; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute County and Municipal Government
lower
Feb 3, 2026
Committee
Referred to County and Municipal Government
lower
Feb 2, 2026
Introduced
First Reading
lower
2 primary · 0 co-sponsors
Sponsors
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