An Oklahoma House committee on an unspecified date advanced a package of bills covering trust law, criminal penalties, municipal concealed carry and other measures, reporting most as "do pass" with recorded tallies.

Representative Kendrick explained one of the early measures as "House bill 27 29, basically takes the ruling from the Supreme Court this last summer, regarding the Chevron doctrine and puts that into state, statute. I move for adoption, yield for question," and the committee reported the bill out as a "do pass" with a 6 yea, 2 nay tally.

The committee also advanced a uniform trust law. Representative Shriver said, "This is the this is a uniform trust law ... to put into Oklahoma law, accommodate that where, where it can be incorporated and then also modernize, some of the trust law that makes it more uniform with other states and how they practice. Yield to questions and move for adoption." The trust measure was reported out as a "do pass" 9‑0.

On criminal statutes, Representative Moore presented a cleanup to the child endangerment statute, saying the bill "adds the words or impaired" to close a loophole he described with a real‑world example: "There was a man driving, a 17 miles an hour while impaired, down I 40. There was a child asleep in the back seat in a car seat, and the mom next to the child, the mom was charged with a felony endangerment, and the driver was charged with misdemeanor, driving while impaired." The committee reported that bill as "do pass" 10‑0.

Law enforcement and sentencing changes moved as a group. Representative George said House Bill 1591 "moves 3 crimes into the 85% category, domestic abuse by strangulation, domestic assault and battery with a deadly weapon, aggravated assault and battery upon a law enforcement officer." That measure passed the committee 7‑2.

A bill creating an offense of organized retail theft, authorizing an attorney general task force and lowering the felony threshold from $1,000 to $500 drew several policy questions. Representative George summarized: "it basically does 3 things, it creates the crime of organized retail theft, it also authorizes a task force at the AG's office to investigate organized retail theft and it lowers the felony threshold from 1,000 to 500." The measure was reported out 6‑3; committee members asked about whether existing law already allowed prosecutors to charge similar conduct, potential fiscal impacts and the effect on related funding streams.

The committee advanced several public‑safety and procedural bills that received limited debate. Measures reported as "do pass" included a bill to give district attorneys due process when prosecutors place an officer on a "do not call" list (reported 8‑1); a bill to align aggravated domestic assault language so firearm use is listed consistently (reported 10‑0); an increase in the penalty for simple assault from 30 days to 90 days (reported 8‑2); and a measure creating a misdemeanor for disregarding a first responder's order to stay back 25 feet (reported 9‑1).

Representative Hildebrand presented a municipal concealed‑carry measure described as "the Municipal Carry Act," explaining it "seek[s] to bring parity between, what's already been recognized in county government with regards to concealed carry ... to carry in certain municipal buildings." He clarified in committee that the bill limits the authorization to "concealed handguns." That bill was reported out 6‑3.

Committee members also advanced a technical amendment to a prior 2023 bill (House Bill 2054) and a District Attorneys Council request bill that would align statutory plea‑withdrawal timelines with Court of Criminal Appeals rulings; both were reported with favorable tallies (the District Attorneys Council request bill was reported 11‑0).

Votes at a glance

- House Bill 27 29: Codifies the Supreme Court's Chevron ruling into state statute. Motion: move for adoption (Representative Kendrick). Reported "do pass" 6 yea, 2 nay.

- Uniform trust law (by Representative Shriver): Modernizes and harmonizes trust law with other states; committee accepted a policy committee substitute. Reported "do pass" 9 yea, 0 nay.

- House Bill 17 31 (child endangerment clarifier) (Representative Moore): Adds "or impaired" language to child endangerment to cover impaired drivers transporting children. Reported "do pass" 10 yea, 0 nay.

- House Bill 10 95 (Municipal Carry Act) (Representative Hildebrand): Gives municipalities the option to allow certain elected officials and employees to carry concealed handguns in specified municipal buildings if the city adopts the option; committee clarified the measure covers concealed handguns. Reported "do pass" 6 yea, 3 nay.

- House Bill 15 91 (Representative George): Moves three crimes into the 85% sentencing category (domestic abuse by strangulation; domestic assault and battery with a deadly weapon; aggravated assault and battery upon a law enforcement officer). Reported "do pass" 7 yea, 2 nay.

- House Bill 15 92 (organized retail theft) (Representative George): Creates organized retail theft offense, authorizes AG task force, lowers felony threshold from $1,000 to $500. Reported "do pass" 6 yea, 3 nay. Members asked about existing statutes, fiscal effects, and impacts on related funding streams.

- House Bill 15 93 (Representative George): Creates due process for officers placed on a "do not call" list by a district attorney; intended to give recourse to officers who claim unjust placement. Reported "do pass" 8 yea, 1 nay.

- House Bill 15 94 (Representative George): Aligns aggravating language for domestic aggravated assault and battery to list firearm specifically for domestic offenses. Reported "do pass" 10 yea, 0 nay.

- House Bill 15 95 (Representative George): Increases penalty for assault and assault and battery, moving from 30 days to 90 days. Reported "do pass" 8 yea, 2 nay. A committee member asked whether studies show the longer penalty reduces recidivism; no supporting studies were provided in committee.

- House Bill 5097 (Representative Verzano): Creates misdemeanor for approaching first responders within 25 feet after being warned; intended to reduce confrontations. Reported "do pass" 9 yea, 1 nay.

- House Bill 18 61 (Representative Roberts): Amends prior 2023 legislation (House Bill 2054) by removing paragraph 3 of a penalty section; reported "do pass" 10 yea, 1 nay.

- House Bill 10 66 (District Attorneys Council request bill): Aligns statute with Court of Criminal Appeals rulings on withdrawing guilty pleas and clarifies the 10‑day window; reported "do pass" 11 yea, 0 nay.

Committee process and next steps

Most measures were advanced with little extended debate; where members asked questions, they focused on statutory language scope, potential fiscal impacts and downstream effects on related funding or sentencing regimes. Committee leadership closed by asking members to bring laptops to future meetings to speed voting and adjourned the session.

Representative Moore thanked visiting students in the gallery: "I've got 30 students in the back from Weatherford student council that I introduced on the floor."