Oklahoma District Attorneys Celebrate Strong Public Safety Policy Improvements

OKLAHOMA CITY — The Oklahoma District Attorneys Association is celebrating major public safety victories following the close of the 2026 legislative session, with passage of key measures addressing domestic violence, repeat DUI offenses, fentanyl-related deaths, school safety, and sex offender accountability.

"These victories belong to the victims and families who have waited for the law to catch up with the realities prosecutors see every day," said Kyle Cabelka, president of the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association.

The new laws strengthen protections for victims and communities. Among the measures passed this session:

HB 3040 expands Oklahoma's "Zone of Safety" protections by prohibiting convicted sex offenders from loitering at businesses primarily serving children.

HB 4104 strengthens penalties for secret lewd recording and repeated peeping tom offenses by making violations registerable sex offenses.

HB 2959 and SB 1733 strengthen school safety by requiring school employees to report suspected abuse to law enforcement within 24 hours and before any internal investigation begins.

SB 1238 elevates domestic violence committed in the presence of a minor from a misdemeanor to a felony offense.

HB 4342 authorizes prosecutors to introduce prior domestic abuse as evidence in domestic violence prosecutions. After Governor Stitt vetoed the bill, both the House and Senate voted overwhelmingly to override the veto, marking one of the session's most significant public safety victories.

HB 2941 aids the fight against fentanyl by requiring first responders to notify law enforcement of suspected overdose incidents and creating a rebuttable presumption that fentanyl caused a death when detected in a decedent's system.

SB 137 closed a legal loophole exposed when Sarah Polston was released from the Department of Corrections' custody after serving only 73 days (Polston was sentenced to 8 years for causing an accident resulting in great bodily injury while driving under the influence). SB 137 ensures that defendants who injure others while driving under the influence are not eligible for placement in DOC's electronic monitoring program.

SB 1543 establishes felony aggregation for repeat DUI offenders who commit multiple DUI offenses within a 12-month period. The measure passed both chambers and awaits the governor's decision.

Not every public safety priority survived. Governor Stitt vetoed SB 1730, which would have created centralized reporting of sex offense allegations to help investigators and prosecutors identify patterns of abuse across jurisdictions.

"This session made Oklahoma safer, strengthened protections for victims, and gave prosecutors better tools to hold dangerous offenders accountable," Cabelka said. "We are grateful to the legislators who once again demonstrated a strong commitment to protecting Oklahoma communities and victims of crime."