The 2026 session, in review
At the close of the 2026 legislative session, the Association marked major public safety victories — new laws addressing domestic violence, repeat DUI, fentanyl-related deaths, school safety, and sex offender accountability.
The full announcement is in the Association's release, Oklahoma District Attorneys Celebrate Strong Public Safety Policy Improvements.
Domestic violence in the presence of a minor
Elevates domestic violence committed in the presence of a minor from a misdemeanor to a felony offense.
Zone of Safety
Expands Oklahoma's Zone of Safety, prohibiting convicted sex offenders from loitering at businesses that primarily serve children.
Lewd recording & peeping offenses
Strengthens penalties for secret lewd recording and repeat peeping-tom offenses by making violations registerable sex offenses.
School abuse reporting
Requires school employees to report suspected abuse to law enforcement within 24 hours, and before any internal investigation begins.
Fentanyl accountability
Requires first responders to notify law enforcement of suspected overdoses, and creates a rebuttable presumption that fentanyl caused a death when detected in a decedent's system.
Repeat DUI aggregation
Establishes felony aggregation for repeat DUI offenders who commit multiple offenses within a 12-month period.
DUI accountability
Closes a loophole so defendants who injure others while driving under the influence are ineligible for the electronic monitoring program.
State appeals
Strengthens the State's ability to appeal certain pretrial rulings.
Rural prosecutor loan repayment
Establishes a loan-repayment program to help recruit and retain prosecutors in rural districts.
District Attorney locality incentive
Creates a locality incentive to strengthen the prosecutorial workforce across the districts.
Prior domestic abuse as evidence
Authorizes prosecutors to introduce prior domestic abuse as evidence. After the Governor's veto, both chambers voted overwhelmingly to override — one of the session's most significant public safety victories.
Centralized sex-offense reporting
Would have created centralized reporting of sex offense allegations to help investigators and prosecutors identify patterns of abuse across jurisdictions. Vetoed by the Governor.
Looking for last year? View the 2025 Policy Framework.