A&B Judiciary Subcommittee

A measure significantly reforming court fees has been approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Rep. Tammy West, R-Oklahoma City, developed House Bill 1460 following an interim study she hosted where she heard from former inmates that the fees were often overwhelming. HB1460 seeks to eliminate many of the unnecessary fees levied against individuals involved in the criminal justice system. "Our current system strains our criminal justice system, hinders reentry efforts and traps individuals in a never-ending cycle of debt and criminal justice involvement," West said. "For too long, these fees have done more harm than good and have stood as barriers to successful reentry. House Bill 1460 gives people a real second chance to get back on their feet after incarceration." HB1460 would eliminate the following low-yield fees, based on 2022 data: Electronic monitoring fee (up to $300/month) – Collected by the Department of Corrections, with only $200,000 of the $700,000 assessed successfully collected. $40 indigent defense application fee – Assessed by court clerks and frequently waived by judges, generating just $26,976.88. $15 DPS Impaired Driver Database fee – Brought in $78,148.47. $5 Bureau of Narcotics Revolving Fund fee – Charged for misdemeanor marijuana possession, totaling $15,476.98. OSBI drug cleaning fee – Collected just $4.87. Additionally, two fees assessed by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services for Drug Abuse Education and Treatment would be affected. The programs will remain in place but would gain an alternative revenue source, as both current fees have a collection rate below 50% and generate less than $400,000. West noted that she is still working to develop a more stable funding stream for these programs. West said these fees disproportionately affect people with limited financial means, leading to some collection rates as low as 25%. Many of these fees cost the state more to collect than they bring in. West argued that shifting away from relying on these fees will allow the state to focus on more reliable revenue sources. "When we refuse to remove these substantial barriers, we continue to punish people well after they've served their time," West said. "House Bill 1460 is a step in the right direction toward eliminating unjust financial penalties that make it harder for Oklahomans to get back on their feet after incarceration. Without the burden of overwhelming fees, people will be better equipped to rebuild their lives and become productive members of society." West added that she is continuing to work with agency heads to identify the fees that make the most sense to eliminate. The House unanimously approved HB1460 with a 95-0 vote on Thursday. It now moves to the Senate, where it's authored by Sen. Todd Gollihare, R-Kellyville.

The Oklahoma House of Representatives today added to its transparency portal a government efficiency survey intended to root out duplication of services, waste and inefficiencies in state government.  This initiative piggybacks on the federal effort to eliminate government waste through the newly-created federal Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). "We will work hand-in-hand with President-Elect Trump and our federal delegation on broader efforts to make government more efficient with DOGE," said House Speaker-Elect Kyle Hilbert, R-Bristow. "We want to ensure our state government is working as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible. As lawmakers, we want the assistance of Oklahomans who have first-hand experience with duplicative and wasteful spending of taxpayer dollars." Oklahomans can enter any examples they have experienced of state governmental waste or duplication into the easy-to-use portal, which will be submitted to House budget leaders for review to be utilized during legislative budget hearings and the crafting of the FY26 state budget.  "We know Oklahomans get frustrated every day with the inefficiency of government, and we need their help to root out the most egregious examples so we can eliminate unnecessary expenditures," said Rep. Trey Caldwell, R-Lawton, who will serve as House Appropriations Chairman for the 60th Legislature. "The more efficient we can become, the more we can invest in critical government services and pursue lowering the overall tax burden for all Oklahomans." Constituents can file government waste complaints online by entering some demographic information, the issue area their example encompasses, and details of waste or inefficiencies. "We are confident we will get examples of inefficiency that we likely would not have known about otherwise," said Rep. John Kane, R-Bartlesville, who will serve as Vice Chairman of the House Appropriations Committee this upcoming session. "Every January we have an opportunity to walk through budget requests with state agencies, and we will have the ability to ask about these constituent submissions directly in an effort to make government as efficient and effective as possible." The portal is live today, and Oklahomans can immediately start entering examples of waste they have already encountered or will see in the future. "We hope to capitalize on the momentum we are seeing on the federal level with the efforts of President Trump at DOGE, and the national priority they have set to reduce waste," Hilbert said. "Oklahoma has the opportunity to align with these efforts and lead at the state and local level as we seek best practices and frameworks for auditing and reducing waste in government spending." The Government Efficiency survey may be accessed via the homepage of the House website, okhouse.gov, similar to the House Budget HQ , which was launched in the 2024 session and updated regularly. All submitted agency FY26 budget requests have been updated and can be viewed in the portal.  

OKLAHOMA CITY –HB 1845, authored by Rep. Ajay Pittman, House District 99, D-Oklahoma City allows peace officers to file a petition with the district court the next business day when an after-hours emergency temporary protective order is necessary. A temporary protective order is necessary when the court is not open for business and the victim of domestic violence, stalking, harassment, rape, forcible sodomy, a sex offense, kidnapping or assault and battery with a deadly weapon needs an emergency protective order. “In Oklahoma almost 50% of women and 40% of men have experienced domestic violence at some time in their lives. This bill will save lives. My goal was to remove any legal barriers so that victims of domestic violence and sexual assault can more easily seek protection from their abusers,” Rep. Ajay Pittman said. In 2022, 138 people died in Oklahoma at the hands of domestic violence, according to the Oklahoma Domestic Violence Review Board. A recent study from John Hopkins University provided by the Oklahoma State Department of Health reports that women experience increased levels of risk immediately after leaving an abusive situation. “This bill will allow the peace officer to file that paperwork for the victim,” Rep. Pittman said. “Every second after the assault matters for these victims. Showing up in court the next business day is often traumatic and can cause victims to shy away from protective orders.”  If Rep. Ajay Pittman’s bi-partisan legislation becomes law, the victims of these crimes will not have to appear in court the next business day. Instead, the emergency temporary protective order will be in effect until a judge sets a hearing date. “The bill also allows peace officers to file paperwork for emergency temporary protective orders in court the next business day for the immediate family member of a victim of first-degree murder,” Rep. Pittman concluded. “I am grateful to my senate author, Assistant Majority Whip Bill Coleman, R-Ponca City for his assistance and sensitivity to this issue.” The Bi-partisan bill unanimously passed the House floor 84-0 and is headed to the Senate for consideration. -END-