An act relating to crimes and punishments, the official text

1                            STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2            1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)

3 HOUSE BILL 1597                By: George

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6                            AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to crimes and punishments; defining

    terms; making certain acts unlawful; providing

8   penalties; providing for codification; and providing

    an effective date.

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11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

12  SECTION 1.      NEW LAW  A new section of law to be codified

13 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 540D of Title 21, unless there

14 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:

15  A. As used in this section:

16  1. "First responder" shall include a peace officer as defined

17 in Section 99 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes, a correctional

18 or probation and parole officer, and an emergency medical technician

19 or emergency medical care provider; and

20  2. "Harass" means to willfully engage in a course of conduct

21 directed at a first responder which intentionally causes substantial

22 emotional distress in that first responder and serves no legitimate

23 purpose.

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    Req. No. 10034                                           Page 1
1   B. It shall be unlawful for a person, after receiving a verbal

2 warning not to approach from a person he or she knows or reasonably

3 should know is a first responder, who is engaged in the lawful

4 performance of a legal duty, to knowingly and willfully violate such

5 warning and approach or remain within twenty-five (25) feet of the

6 first responder with the intent to:

7   1. Impede or interfere with the ability of the first responder

8 to perform such duty;

9   2. Threaten the first responder with physical harm; or

10  3. Harass the first responder.

11  C. Any person who violates the provisions of this section

12 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by

13 imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed one (1)

14 year, or by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00),

15 or by both such fine and imprisonment.

16  SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.

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18  60-1-10034      GRS  01/02/25

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    Req. No. 10034                                                Page 2