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 be a felony under this statute," Moore said, clarifying that the bill does not change DWI law itself but would expose a person who endangers a child by impaired driving to a felony charge under the child‑endangerment statute.

The committee voted; the roll shows Pro Tem Moore (aye) and Representative Lowe (no). The chair declared the motion passed and the bill will be reported "due pass."

House Bills 1591 and 1592 — sentencing and organized‑retail‑theft changes Representative George presented two related public‑safety bills. HB 1591 would add three offenses to the list of crimes for which offenders must serve 85% of their sentence; George said lawmakers "add at least 2 or 3 a year" and defended the measure as aimed at violent offenders. The motion was reported "due pass."

HB 1592 (as amended by committee substitute) creates an organized‑retail‑theft offense, establishes a task force at the attorney general’s office to assist investigations, and lowers the felony threshold for theft from $1,000 to $500. George said the measure repeats items considered in prior sessions and asked for passage as amended; the committee reported the bill "due pass as amended."

House Bill 2150 — unauthorized camping near schools Representative Hall explained an amended bill drafted from conversations with Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado that would prohibit unauthorized camping within 500 feet of a school property and permit arrest only if the person refuses to vacate after an officer orders them to do so. Hall described the measure as "a public‑safety measure aimed at our schools, our students, and our teachers."

Committee members pressed on constitutional and homelessness concerns. Representative Lowe asked whether private property owners would be affected; Hall said authorized private uses would be exempt and that he planned to insert explicit language to preserve a private property owner's right to authorize camping on their land. The amendment was adopted without objection and the committee reported the bill "due pass as amended." The roll included Harris (aye) and Lowe (no).

House Bill 1764 — county/municipal opt out for unauthorized‑camp language Representative Curbs' amendment added county‑ and municipal‑owned lands to existing unauthorized‑camp language and provided that a governing body may opt out by majority vote. The amendment was adopted without objection and the bill was reported "due pass as amended."

House Bill 1066 — clarify 10‑day plea‑withdrawal window Representative Mager said HB 1066, requested by the District Attorney’s Council, aligns state statute with Court of Criminal Appeals practice and clarifies that the 10‑day window to withdraw a plea begins when the plea is entered. Ryan Stevenson of the District Attorney’s Council testified that Court of Criminal Appeals Rule 4.2 has been interpreted to begin the 10 days at plea entry rather than at sentencing; HB 1066 copies that timing into statute. The committee voted to report the bill "due pass."

House Bill 1163 — marijuana trafficking and medical‑card timing Representative Gann presented two amendments related to marijuana trafficking and the medical marijuana possession statute. One amendment would lower aggravated‑trafficking thresholds (the author described lowering the aggravated‑trafficking amount from 1,000 pounds to 100 pounds). Another amendment would require defendants to possess a valid medical‑marijuana card at the time of a stop or citation if they seek the lesser penalty authorized under the medical‑use law; the author and an assistant district attorney told the committee the change aims to prevent defendants from obtaining cards after an incident and then asserting qualification later in court.

Committee members asked whether the proposal would bar someone who had a valid card but did not have it physically on them at the time of the stop; the discussion included examples and prosecutorial intent to "lock the person in at the time of the arrest." After questions and clarifications from the assistant district attorney, the committee reported the bill "due pass as amended." The recorded votes in the queue included Representative Lowe (no), Representative Menger (aye), and Harris (aye).

What the votes do — next steps For each reported bill, the committee record shows the motion to report was adopted and the measure will proceed from committee to the next stage in the House process. Several bills were reported "as amended" by committee substitute. Committee members repeatedly framed some measures as public‑safety responses (organized retail theft, unauthorized encampments near schools) while others were framed as technical or clarifying changes (plea‑withdrawal timing). Several members raised concerns about jail capacity, homelessness, constitutional limits on restrictions near private property and schools, and the practical mechanics of enforcement.

Votes at a glance (committee record excerpts): - HB 2705 (Ford): reported due pass. Votes recorded in the queue: Harris (aye); Lowe (aye). - HB 1731 (Pro Tem Moore): reported due pass. Votes recorded: Pro Tem Moore (aye); Lowe (no). - HB 1591 (George): reported due pass. Votes recorded: Harris (aye); Lowe (no). - HB 1592 (George, as amended): reported due pass as amended. Votes recorded: Harris (aye); Lowe (no). - HB 2150 (Hall, as amended): reported due pass as amended. Votes recorded: Harris (aye); Lowe (no). - HB 1764 (Curbs, as amended): reported due pass as amended. - HB 1066 (Mager): reported due pass. Votes recorded: Harris (aye); Lowe (aye). - HB 1163 (Gann, as amended): reported due pass as amended. Votes recorded in the queue included Lowe (no), Menger (aye), Harris (aye).

Committee chair and staff concluded the meeting after the actions were taken and adjourned the session.

Sources: committee proceedings and on‑record statements by bill authors, the District Attorney’s Council representative and counsel during the committee hearing.