Judiciary committee advances multiple criminal-justice bills, including child-endangerment expansion and school camping ban

The House Judiciary Criminal Committee on an afternoon session advanced a package of criminal-justice bills, voting to report each to the full House either "due pass" or "due pass as amended." Key measures approved would require victim notification about DNA testing in sexual-assault cases, expand a child-endangerment statute to include driving while impaired, create an organized-retail-theft offense and task force, prohibit unauthorized camping within 500 feet of school property, and clarify when a defendant’s 10-day right to withdraw a plea begins.

Why it matters: the bills would change how prosecutors and law enforcement handle several categories of criminal matters — from victim notifications in sexual-assault cases to new felony exposure for drivers who endanger children. Several measures also respond to local enforcement concerns about unauthorized encampments near schools and retail theft trends.

House Bill 2705 — victim notifications in sexual‑assault cases Representative Ford explained that House Bill 2705 "is a simple bill for sexual‑assault victims," saying it would require law-enforcement agencies, after receiving a written request from the victim, to notify victims whether a DNA profile was obtained from forensic testing of evidence in a criminal case. Ford asked the committee to "stand for questions and ask for passage."

The committee moved the bill "do pass." The record shows votes noted as Harris (aye) and Representative Lowe (aye); the chair declared the motion passed and the bill will be reported "due pass."

House Bill 1731 — add driving‑while‑impaired to child‑endangerment statute Pro Tem Moore said the bill "adds ‘driving while impaired’ to [Title 21 O.S. § 852.1]" so that a person who drives while impaired and thereby endangers a child could face the child‑endangerment offense the statute describes. Moore gave a factual example of a pending matter in western Oklahoma and urged adoption.

"It would include driving while impaired to…