Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight

OKLAHOMA CITY – Rep. Ross Ford, R-Broken Arrow, passed six bills in the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee. The bills now await consideration to be heard by the full membership of the Oklahoma House of Representatives. House Bill 1322 would create a Persistent Domestic Violence Offenders Registry available online to the public. Anyone convicted in Oklahoma of a second domestic violence offense after Jan. 1, 2027, would be registered through district court clerks on the registry created and maintained by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation. House Bill 4104 would add three crimes to the list of those that require registry as a sex offender: second and subsequent offense of watching, gazing or looking upon a person in a clandestine manner for prurient interests; using photographic, electronic or video equipment in clandestine manner for prurient interests; and second or subsequent offense of using such means to capture images of a private area without consent.   "Domestic violence and sex offense crimes are the most repugnant to our society," Ford said. "The public deserves to made aware of when such criminals are in our midst. The hope, of course, is to deter such crimes in the first place." House Bill 4105 would exclude from the definition of "security guard" any person operating unarmed or contracted as an usher queue agent, ticket agent, gate agent, credential verification agent or similar role for any event, concert, festival or sporting event. Ford said the measure is a simple clarification of law. House Bill 4106 would lower the threshold amount for grand larceny from $1,000 to $900. Additionally, a third offense of petty larceny would become a felony offense. Ford said since voters originally voted to increase the threshold for grand larceny from $500 to $1,000 10 years ago, retail theft has increased exponentially. "Professional criminals know the threshold amount and consider the fines involved just part of doing business," Ford said. "While this is a small step to reduce petty larceny, it’s a move in the right direction." House Bill 4107 would make it unlawful to tamper with, activate, attempt to activate or cause to be activated an outdoor warning siren without proper authorization. Punishment would be a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, up to one year in the county jail or both. If an unauthorized activation caused a false emergency response or public panic, the offense would become a felony punishable by up to $5,000, up to one year in the county jail or both fine and imprisonment. Ford said such tampering is happening now in his area, and it causes havoc. House Bill 4108 would add the operational area of an airport to the list of places considered critical infrastructure. Those convicted of trespass would be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of not less than $1,000 or imprisonment in a county jail for a term of six months or both. "This will protect our international and other airports as they conduct vital services for our citizens," Ford said. 

Legislation designed to safeguard Oklahoma’s legal system from foreign influence has been signed into law by the governor.  House Bill 2619 , authored by Rep. Erick Harris, R-Edmond, and known as the Foreign Litigation Funding Prevention Act, increases transparency in civil litigation and prevents foreign adversaries from covertly funding lawsuits in Oklahoma courts. The new law requires that commercial litigation funding agreements be disclosed during litigation proceedings.  "I appreciate the governor's support of this measure," Harris said. "It is essential that we preserve the sanctity of our courts and keep them free from corruption by foreign powers seeking to manipulate outcomes for their own gain. By requiring full transparency in commercial litigation funding, we are reinforcing trust in our legal institutions and taking a proactive step to defend our sovereignty and uphold the rule of law."  In addition to requiring disclosure of litigation funding agreements, the law mandates that parties reveal whether a foreign government or its entities are, have been or will be involved in financing such agreements. HB2619 takes effect Nov. 1. 

Legislation prohibiting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) to develop revenge pornography was unanimously approved by the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Rep. Toni Hasenbeck, R-Elgin, said House Bill 1364 , which would add sexual content created through artificial intelligence to the statute prohibiting the sharing of revenge pornography, is a response to how AI can be misused. Revenge pornography is when a person shares private sexual images without the consent of the depicted person with the intention of humiliating that person. It became a misdemeanor offense in 2016. If HB1364 becomes law, revenge porn images created using AI would fall under this same category. "Artificial intelligence continues to reshape the landscape of both innovation and privacy, and it's critical that our laws evolve to protect our citizens from potential harm," Hasenbeck said. "House Bill 1364 directly addresses the harm that can arise from this technology by recognizing that AI-generated revenge porn, while fake, is nonetheless a very real violation of a person's dignity and privacy. This bill protects the autonomy and rights of every individual, no matter how technology may continue to evolve." Last year, Hasenbeck passed legislation that expanded the definition of "child pornography" to include artificial intelligence-generated depictions of children involved in sexually explicit content. After House Bill 3642 took effect on November 1, individuals who create or view AI-generated child pornography can now face felony prosecution. HB1364 was approved by the House 90-0 and now moves to the Senate for further consideration.