Criminal Justice

vetoed · Oklahoma · Senate May 29, 2025

SB 631: Crimes and punishments; expanding scope of acts that require service of minimum percentage of sentence. Effective date.

SB 631 requires offenders convicted of 23 specific serious crimes - including child pornography, human trafficking, aggravated assault on a defender, and discharging firearms into buildings - to serve at least 85% of their prison sentence before becoming eligible for parole. It expands the existing 85% service requirement to include these new offenses, which were previously not subject to this rule. The bill also prohibits earned credits or other reductions that would lower the required service below 85% for these convictions. This applies to anyone convicted of these offenses in Oklahoma, effective November 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeRequires 85% sentence service for 23 serious crimes, expanding mandatory time served and prohibiting parole eligibility reductions, increasing sentencing severity.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Human Trafficking Probation & Parole

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 528: Driver licenses; prohibiting Service Oklahoma from certain consideration of criminal background check. Effective date.

SB 528 prohibits Service Oklahoma from considering an applicant's criminal background check when processing driver license applications. This bill amends Oklahoma law to remove the requirement that Service Oklahoma review criminal history as part of license eligibility decisions. The change directly affects all Oklahoma residents applying for a driver license, ensuring past criminal convictions no longer impact their ability to obtain a license. Other requirements, such as vision tests, knowledge exams, and driving skills assessments, remain unchanged.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRemoves criminal background checks from driver license eligibility, aiding reintegration and reducing barriers for formerly incarcerated individuals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Firearms

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 26, 2025

HB 1008: Abortion; prohibition of abortion; definitions; prescribing standard based upon preservation of the life of a pregnant woman; emergency.

HB 1008 prohibits most abortions in Oklahoma except when necessary to preserve the life of a pregnant woman facing a medical emergency involving physical disorder, illness, or injury directly related to pregnancy. It defines "medical emergency" as conditions where abortion is required to save the woman's life, and imposes penalties of up to $100,000 or 10 years in prison for violations. The bill explicitly states it does not criminalize women for pregnancy outcomes and preserves access to contraceptives when used before pregnancy detection. The law takes immediate effect as an emergency measure upon passage.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill criminalizes most abortions with penalties (up to $100k/10 years), expanding criminalization in healthcare access, opposing criminal justice reform trends.90% confidence ✗ HealthcareOpposes HealthcareRestricts abortion access except in life-threatening emergencies, limiting a key healthcare service and patient access to reproductive care.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Women's Health

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 12, 2025

HB 1043: Motor vehicles; creating the Respect for Citizens Act of 2025; declaring certain driver licenses invalid in this state; effective date.

HB 1043, the "Respect for Citizens Act of 2025," declares certain out-of-state driver licenses issued to undocumented immigrants without proof of lawful presence as invalid in Oklahoma. It requires law enforcement to issue citations for driving with such invalid licenses and mandates police departments to post online lists of these invalid license types. The law, effective November 1, 2025, specifically targets licenses marked as issued to undocumented immigrants or those substantially identical to standard licenses but lacking proof of lawful presence.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill criminalizes driving with licenses of undocumented immigrants, expanding enforcement against this group and increasing criminalization via traffic citations.95% confidence ✗ ImmigrationOpposes ImmigrationRestricts undocumented immigrants' access to driver's licenses and mandates enforcement actions against holders of such licenses.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Law Enforcement Policing Driver Licenses & IDs

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 13, 2025

SB 274: Landlord and tenant; requiring criminal history screening policy for award of certain tax credit; establishing procedures for certain screening policies. Effective date.

SB 274 requires landlords receiving certain affordable housing tax credits (under federal or Oklahoma law) to implement a criminal history screening policy for tenant applications. It prohibits blanket denials based on criminal records and mandates an individualized review considering factors like the offense's seriousness, time since conviction, rehabilitation efforts, and relevance to tenant behavior. Landlords must provide applicants with the right to submit supporting documentation during this review process. The policy applies to tax credit awards starting January 1, 2026, and the Oklahoma Housing Finance Agency will ensure compliance with these requirements.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticePrevents blanket housing denials based on criminal records, mandates individualized reviews for rehabilitation/reentry - reduces recidivism barriers per criminal justice reform indicators.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingPrevents blanket tenant denials based on criminal history, requiring individualized reviews to protect tenant rights and reduce housing discrimination.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Landlords Tenant Rights

Track

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 16, 2025

HB 2422: Sex offenders; establishing conditions for parole eligibility for certain sex offenders; codification; effective date.

HB 2422 modifies Oklahoma's parole rules for certain sex offenders convicted of crimes involving minors under 13. It requires a mental health evaluation to determine if hormonal treatment (medroxyprogesterone acetate) could reduce reoffending risk, making voluntary hormonal treatment a condition for parole eligibility. Parolees must continue this treatment while incarcerated, and failure to comply - along with new offenses - revokes parole eligibility. The bill applies only to offenders convicted on or after its effective date and amends existing parole statutes (57 O.S. §§ 332.21, 512) to implement these requirements.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeRequires hormonal treatment to reduce recidivism risk, aligning with rehabilitation-focused criminal justice reform.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Probation & Parole

Track

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 15, 2025

SB 607: Oklahoma Evidence Code; providing for admissibility of certain statements in certain proceedings. Effective date.

SB 607 allows statements made by domestic abuse victims to law enforcement within one week of an incident, on protective order applications within one week, or as testimony at protective order hearings to be automatically admissible as evidence in criminal and juvenile domestic abuse cases. This applies to pre-trial hearings, probation revocation hearings, and other related proceedings. The bill directly affects victims seeking legal protection and prosecutors building cases, streamlining the use of timely victim statements without requiring additional verification. It becomes effective November 1, 2025, and codifies these admissibility rules in Oklahoma's Evidence Code.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeStreamlines evidence admissibility for domestic abuse victims, improving prosecutorial efficiency and victim access to justice in criminal cases, aligning with reform goals.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Domestic Violence Juvenile Justice Law Enforcement

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 17, 2026

SB 1244: Pardons and paroles; modifying criteria for certain parole of elderly individuals. Effective date.

SB 1244 modifies Oklahoma's parole rules for inmates aged 60 or older by requiring the Pardon and Parole Board to grant parole to eligible individuals who have served either 10 years or one-third of their sentence (whichever is shorter), provided they pose minimal public safety risks. The bill mandates that the Board use a risk-assessment tool including health status when evaluating these inmates and requires parole hearings for eligible aging inmates. It updates statutory language to define "aging inmate" as 60+ years old and specifies that the Board must consider health factors in risk assessments. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeModifies parole criteria for elderly inmates to reduce unnecessary incarceration, mandates risk assessment including health status, and aligns with criminal justice reform goals of reducing recidivism and promoting rehabilitation.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole Tags Seniors

Track

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 17, 2025

HB 1861: Crimes and punishments; providing statutory reference for prostitution-related offense; effective date.

HB 1861 amends Oklahoma's prostitution-related offense penalties in Section 1031 of the statutes. It creates a new felony charge for engaging in prostitution while knowingly infected with HIV (Section B), increases penalties for child prostitution (Section C), and escalates violations near schools/churches to felony status with fines up to $7,500 and up to 5 years in prison (Section D). The bill directly affects individuals committing these specific prostitution-related offenses under the defined circumstances. It takes effect November 1, 2025.

Topics ✗ Criminal JusticeOpposes Criminal JusticeBill expands criminalization by creating new felonies for HIV-positive prostitution, increases penalties for child prostitution, and escalates near-school/church violations to felony status with harsher sentences.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections

Track

died · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 19, 2025

SB 887: Inmates; creating the Secure Pre-Integration Pilot Program. Effective date.

SB 887 proposes a 5-year pilot program called the "Secure Pre-Integration Pilot Program" for non-violent offenders in Oklahoma prisons, aiming to reduce prison populations and state costs. The program would require the Department of Corrections to release eligible inmates to family members or community organizations (like churches or nonprofits), which would monitor them and report to the state. Inmates remain under state custody, and the program explicitly does not replace probation or parole. A dedicated revolving fund would cover program costs, including up to 5% for administrative expenses, but the bill failed committee review in February 2025 and has not become law.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeReduces prison population via community-based monitoring for non-violent offenders, aligning with criminal justice reform goals of cost reduction and rehabilitation-focused alternatives.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Corrections Probation & Parole

Track