Self-defense, abuse reporting, inmate IDs: Oklahoma lawmakers advance 3 public safety laws

State lawmakers in the House and Senate both advance more than a dozen bills aimed at improving public safety in Oklahoma.

House Bill 2818: Amending Oklahoma’s Self-Defense law

1. The legislation removes the penalties for "unlawful pointing of a firearm" for people acting in self-defense or protecting their homes or businesses.
2. The legislation also outlines the requirements for the "justified defensive display of a firearm or other deadly weapon."
3. The bill passed with a vote of 6 to 2 out of the Senate Public Safety Committee and now heads to the full Senate for consideration. 
4. State lawmakers representing rural areas of the state say this could help protect their constituents.

"If anything ever happens at my house you just need to bring a mop and a bucket when you get to parts of rural Oklahoma that you're 30 miles or 30 minutes away from law enforcement. It is on the citizens that live there to defend themselves," said Sen. Casey Murdock.

“This is a very important bill for our second amendment folks in our state. Currently, if you just present a firearm in a situation you would be guilty. nothing in this bill would just allow somebody to walk out in their front yard and shoot somebody,” said Sen. Darrell Weaver, the senate author of the bill.

House Bill 2364: Updating the Sarah Stitt Act

1. The Sarah Stitt Act in its current form directs the ODOC to help inmates get a state-issued ID card before they’re released from prison.
2. House Bill 2364 takes things a step further, also including a Real ID non-compliant driver's license.
3. The legislation also moves the scope of the responsibilities to Service Oklahoma.
4. The bill passed unanimously out of the Senate Public Safety Committee and now heads to the full Senate for consideration. 

House Bill 2798: Requiring reporting of suspected child abuse, neglect

1. HB2798 provides that any superintendent or school administrator who knowingly and willfully fails to promptly report or interfere with the prompt reporting of child abuse or neglect will be, upon conviction, guilty of a felony.
2. Failure to report would be punishable by imprisonment of at least two years and/or by a fine of at least $20,000 as well as community service.
3. The bill passed with a vote of 6 to 1 out of the Senate Public Safety Committee and now heads to the full Senate for consideration.

“It is adding consequences to an existing statute. Current law says anybody having reason to believe that a student is a victim of abuse shall report the matter to authorities,” said Sen. Jerry Alvord, ( R) Wilson. “This is meant to encourage compliance with the existing law.”

The senate author of the bill, Senator Jerry Alvord, says the suspected abuse and neglect is not always being reported, leading to legal troubles.

“Lawsuits have successfully followed leaving taxpayers holding the bag for large sums of money following judgment,” said Sen. Alvord.

These bills will now head to the full Senate for consideration. All bills must be heard in committee in the opposite chamber of origin over the next two weeks, to meet the upcoming deadline of April 24th, and move forward this session.