Jail safety
House Bill 3198 by Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, would grant elected state officials the right to access Department of Corrections facilities without prior notification. Similarly, Senate Bill 1470 by Senator Michael Brooks, D-OKC, suggests religious leaders as well as elected officials be permitted to enter any jail in the state for the purpose of informal inspections.
Additionally, House Bill 3345 by Rep. Danny WIlliams, R-Seminole, proposes expanding mental health and substance abuse screenings to every person accused of a criminal offense upon arrest. Current statute only calls for screenings to be provided to people accused of felonies after their initial appearance.
These bills come amid concerns about the health and safety conditions within the Oklahoma County jail.
Police officer conduct
House Bill 3763 by Rep. Tim Turner, R-Kinta would require police officers to complete annual training on domestic violence and lethality training follows recent excessive use of force cases and fatal police shootings.
Senate Bill 1234 suggests prohibiting officers from masking their identity while executing a warrant, and House Bill 2990 further suggests prohibiting officers from masking their identity while interacting with the public in general.
Additionally, Senate Bill 1704 by Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, would mandate police bodycam and dashcam footage not be muted, paused, or disabled at any time.
Additional rules for sex offenders
Lawmakers are looking into imposing more rules for registered sex offenders.
House Bill 3040 by Rep. Josh West, R-Grove, aims to expand zones of safety — places registered sex offenders are not allowed to go — beyond schools, childcare centers, and playgrounds to include “any facility, business, or location that primarily caters to or provides services for minors.” The bill lists skating rinks and swimming pools as examples.
Similarly, House Bill 3243 by Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, would specifically add indoor or outdoor fairgrounds, rodeo arenas, and racetracks to the zone of safety.
Other bills suggest requiring registered sex offenders to disclose their offender status on “social networking websites” and mandating businesses that offer services where children are “reasonably expected to be present” post signage if they employ a registered sex offender.
Increased penalties for domestic violence
Lawmakers are also looking to increase penalties for acts of domestic violence.
Senate Bill 1238 by Sen. Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City, would raise the sentencing range for committing domestic abuse in the presence of a child from a minimum of six months and a maximum of one year to a minimum of one year and a maximum of five years. The bill also designates the crime as a Class B5 felony.
Senate Bill 1925 by Sen. Casey Murdock, R-Felt, establishes a minimum sentencing of six months for violating a protective order. The bill also increases the designation of violating a protective order and causing physical injury or impairment to the plaintiff from a misdemeanor to a Class D1 felony and increases the maximum sentencing from one year to three years.
Other bills attempt to prevent further acts of domestic violence, including House Bill 3905 by Rep. Ellyn Hefner, D-OKC, which would allow for victims of domestic violence to apply to monitor the location of a defendant on bond ordered to wear a GPS device.
Parole adjustments
In matters of parole eligibility, lawmakers are considering leniency in some cases and increased scrutiny in others.
House Bill 3053 by Rep. Ronald Stewart, D-Tulsa, would create the Oklahoma Elder Parole Eligibility Act, which directs the Department of Corrections to automatically review inmates over the age of 65 who are eligible for parole and instructs the Pardon and Parole Board to grant those inmates parole if they meet certain criteria, including having completed all required programs and having no serious disciplinary actions in the last 36 months.
Senate Bill 1260 by Sen. Kelly Hines, R-OKC, prohibits parole eligibility or earned credits for those convicted of human trafficking. Under current statute, a person with a human trafficking conviction would need to serve 85 percent of their sentence before becoming eligible for consideration for parole.
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