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Back to HB 3581
Oklahoma Legislature· HB 3581Approved by Governor 05/12/2026

An act relating to riots, the official text

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1                             STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2   2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)

3 HOUSE BILL 3581                 By: Lepak

4

5

6                             AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to riots; amending 21 O.S. 2021,

    Section 1312, as amended by Section 10, Chapter 486,

8   O.S.L. 2025 (21 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1312), which

    relates to penalties for participating in riots;

9   modifying scope and penalty provisions for certain

    offenses; making certain acts unlawful; providing

10  penalties; amending 51 O.S. 2021, Section 155, as

    amended by Section 21, Chapter 228, O.S.L. 2022 (51

11  O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 155), which relates to the

    Oklahoma Governmental Tort Claims Act; providing

12  exception to certain exemption from liability; and

    providing an effective date.

13

14

15

16

17

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

19  SECTION 1.      AMENDATORY  21 O.S. 2021, Section 1312, as

20 amended by Section 10, Chapter 486, O.S.L. 2025 (21 O.S. Supp. 2025,

21 Section 1312), is amended to read as follows:

22  Section 1312. Every person guilty of participating in any riot

23 is punishable as follows:

24

    Req. No. 14737                                         Page 1
1   1. If any murder, maiming, robbery, rape or arson was committed

2 in the course of such riot, such person is guilty of a Class A1

3 felony offense punishable in the same manner as a principal in such

4 crime;

5   2. If the purpose of the riotous assembly was to resist the

6 execution of any statute of this state or of the United States, or

7 to obstruct any public officer of this state or of the United

8 States, in the performance of any legal duty, or in serving or

9 executing any legal process, such person shall, upon conviction, be

10 guilty of a Class B3 felony offense punishable by imprisonment in

11 the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not

12 exceeding ten (10) years and not less than two (2) years;

13  3. If such person carried at the time of such riot any species

14 of firearms, or other deadly or dangerous weapon, or was disguised,

15 such person shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class B3 felony

16 offense punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the Department

17 of Corrections for a term not exceeding ten (10) years and not less

18 than two (2) years;

19  4. If such person directed, advised, encouraged or solicited

20 other persons, who participated in the riot to acts of force or

21 violence, such person shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class

22 B1 felony offense punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the

23 Department of Corrections for a term not exceeding twenty (20) years

24 and not less than two (2) years; or

    Req. No. 14737                                                  Page 2
1   5. If such person commits any assault and battery in the course

2 of a riot, such person shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a Class

3 B3 felony offense punishable by imprisonment in the custody of the

4 Department of Corrections for a term not exceeding ten (10) years

5 and not less than two (2) years;

6   6. If such person commits any aggravated assault and battery in

7 the course of a riot, such person shall, upon conviction, be guilty

8 of a Class B1 felony offense punishable by imprisonment in the

9 custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not exceeding

10 twenty (20) years and not less than two (2) years;

11  7. If such person willfully damaged, destroyed, vandalized, or

12 defaced any structure, building, or office space owned or leased by

13 a municipality, county, state, or federal governmental authority in

14 the course of a riot, such person shall, upon conviction, be guilty

15 of a Class B3 felony offense punishable by imprisonment in the

16 custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not exceeding

17 ten (10) years and not less than two (2) years;

18  8. Every person who wears a mask, hood, covering, or disguise

19 without lawful excuse and for the purpose of concealing his or her

20 identity in the course of a riot shall, upon conviction, be guilty

21 of a Class D3 felony offense punishable by imprisonment in the

22 custody of the Department of Corrections for a term not exceeding

23 two (2) years, or by a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars

24

    Req. No. 14737                                                 Page 3
1 ($100.00) and not exceeding Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars

2 ($2,500.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment; or

3   9. Every person who shall unlawfully obstruct the normal use of

4 any public street, highway or road within this state by impeding,

5 hindering or restraining motor vehicle traffic or passage thereon,

6 by standing or approaching motor vehicles thereon, or by endangering

7 the safe movement of motor vehicles or pedestrians traveling thereon

8 shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor Class D3 felony

9 offense punishable by imprisonment in the county jail custody of the

10 Department of Corrections for a term not exceeding one (1) year two

11 (2) years, or by a fine of not less than One Hundred Dollars

12 ($100.00) and not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by

13 both such fine and imprisonment. In addition, the person shall be

14 liable for all damages to person or property by reason of the same.

15 As used in this paragraph, "obstruct" means to render impassable or

16 to render passage unreasonably inconvenient or hazardous.

17  In all other cases such person is punishable as for a

18 misdemeanor.

19  SECTION 2.      AMENDATORY  51 O.S. 2021, Section 155, as

20 amended by Section 21, Chapter 228, O.S.L. 2022 (51 O.S. Supp. 2025,

21 Section 155), is amended to read as follows:

22  Section 155. The state or a political subdivision shall not be

23 liable if a loss or claim results from:

24  1. Legislative functions;

    Req. No. 14737                                               Page 4
1   2. Judicial, quasi-judicial, or prosecutorial functions, other

2 than claims for wrongful criminal felony conviction resulting in

3 imprisonment provided for in Section 154 of this title;

4   3. Execution or enforcement of the lawful orders of any court;

5   4. Adoption or enforcement of or failure to adopt or enforce a

6 law, whether valid or invalid, including, but not limited to, any

7 statute, charter provision, ordinance, resolution, rule, regulation

8 or written policy;

9   5. Performance of or the failure to exercise or perform any act

10 or service which is in the discretion of the state or political

11 subdivision or its employees;

12  6. Civil disobedience, riot, insurrection or rebellion or the

13 failure to provide, or the method of providing, police, law

14 enforcement or fire protection, unless the loss or claim results

15 from instances where the state or political subdivision was aware of

16 the dangerous condition and failed to take any reasonable action to

17 alleviate or mitigate damage, loss, or injury from civil

18 disobedience, riot, insurrection, or rebellion or makes an

19 affirmative decision or establishes a policy to allow for civil

20 disobedience, riots, insurrection, or rebellion;

21  7. Any claim based on the theory of attractive nuisance;

22  8. Snow or ice conditions or temporary or natural conditions on

23 any public way or other public place due to weather conditions,

24

    Req. No. 14737                                                  Page 5
1 unless the condition is affirmatively caused by the negligent act of

2 the state or a political subdivision;

3   9. Entry upon any property where that entry is expressly or

4 implied authorized by law;

5   10. Natural conditions of property of the state or political

6 subdivision;

7   11. Assessment or collection of taxes or special assessments,

8 license or registration fees, or other fees or charges imposed by

9 law;

10  12. Licensing powers or functions including, but not limited

11 to, the issuance, denial, suspension or revocation of or failure or

12 refusal to issue, deny, suspend or revoke any permit, license,

13 certificate, approval, order or similar authority;

14  13. Inspection powers or functions, including failure to make

15 an inspection, review or approval, or making an inadequate or

16 negligent inspection, review or approval of any property, real or

17 personal, to determine whether the property complies with or

18 violates any law or contains a hazard to health or safety, or fails

19 to conform to a recognized standard;

20  14. Any loss to any person covered by any workers' compensation

21 act or any employer's liability act;

22  15. Absence, condition, location or malfunction of any traffic

23 or road sign, signal or warning device unless the absence,

24 condition, location or malfunction is not corrected by the state or

    Req. No. 14737                                                 Page 6
1 political subdivision responsible within a reasonable time after

2 actual or constructive notice or the removal or destruction of such

3 signs, signals or warning devices by third parties, action of

4 weather elements or as a result of traffic collision except on

5 failure of the state or political subdivision to correct the same

6 within a reasonable time after actual or constructive notice.

7 Nothing herein shall give rise to liability arising from the failure

8 of the state or any political subdivision to initially place any of

9 the above signs, signals or warning devices. The signs, signals and

10 warning devices referred to herein are those used in connection with

11 hazards normally connected with the use of roadways or public ways

12 and do not apply to the duty to warn of special defects such as

13 excavations or roadway obstructions;

14  16. Any claim which is limited or barred by any other law;

15  17. Misrepresentation, if unintentional;

16  18. An act or omission of an independent contractor or

17 consultant or his or her employees, agents, subcontractors or

18 suppliers or of a person other than an employee of the state or

19 political subdivision at the time the act or omission occurred;

20  19. Theft by a third person of money in the custody of an

21 employee unless the loss was sustained because of the negligence or

22 wrongful act or omission of the employee;

23

24

    Req. No. 14737                                                  Page 7
1   20. Participation in or practice for any interscholastic or

2 other athletic contest sponsored or conducted by or on the property

3 of the state or a political subdivision;

4   21. Participation in any activity approved by a local board of

5 education and held within a building or on the grounds of the school

6 district served by that local board of education before or after

7 normal school hours or on weekends;

8   22. Use of indoor or outdoor school property and facilities

9 made available for public recreation before or after normal school

10 hours or on weekends or school vacations, except those claims

11 resulting from willful and wanton acts of negligence. For purposes

12 of this paragraph:

13  a. "public" includes, but is not limited to, students

14  during nonschool hours and school staff when not

15  working as employees of the school, and

16  b. "recreation" means any indoor or outdoor physical

17  activity, either organized or unorganized, undertaken

18  for exercise, relaxation, diversion, sport or

19  pleasure, and that is not otherwise covered by

20  paragraph 20 or 21 of this section;

21  23. Any court-ordered, Department of Corrections or county

22 approved work release program; provided, however, this provision

23 shall not apply to claims from individuals not in the custody of the

24

    Req. No. 14737                                                Page 8
1 Department of Corrections based on accidents involving motor

2 vehicles owned or operated by the Department of Corrections;

3   24. The activities of the state military forces when on state

4 active duty orders or on Title 32 active duty orders;

5   25. Provision, equipping, operation or maintenance of any

6 prison, jail or correctional facility, or injuries resulting from

7 the parole or escape of a prisoner or injuries by a prisoner to any

8 other prisoner; provided, however, this provision shall not apply to

9 claims from individuals not in the custody of the Department of

10 Corrections based on accidents involving motor vehicles owned or

11 operated by the Department of Corrections;

12  26. Provision, equipping, operation or maintenance of any

13 juvenile detention facility, or injuries resulting from the escape

14 of a juvenile detainee, or injuries by a juvenile detainee to any

15 other juvenile detainee;

16  27. Any claim or action based on the theory of manufacturer's

17 products liability or breach of warranty, either expressed or

18 implied;

19  28. Any claim or action based on the theory of indemnification

20 or subrogation; provided, however, a political subdivision as

21 defined in subparagraph s of paragraph 11 12 of Section 152 of this

22 title may enter into a contract with a contract operator or any

23 railroad operating in interstate commerce that sells a property

24 interest or provides services to a regional transportation

    Req. No. 14737                                                  Page 9
1 authority, or allows the regional transportation authority to use

2 the railroad's property or tracks for the provision of public

3 passenger rail service, providing for the allocation of financial

4 responsibility, indemnification, or the procurement of insurance for

5 the parties for all types of claims or damages, provided that funds

6 have been appropriated to cover the resulting contractual obligation

7 at the time the contract is executed. The acquisition of commercial

8 liability insurance to cover the activities of the regional

9 transportation authority, contract operator or railroad shall not

10 operate as a waiver of any of the liabilities, immunities or

11 defenses provided for political subdivisions pursuant to the

12 provisions of The Governmental Tort Claims Act. A contract entered

13 into under this paragraph shall not affect rights of employees under

14 the Federal Employers Liability Act or the Federal Railway Labor

15 Act;

16  29. Any claim based upon an act or omission of an employee in

17 the placement of children;

18  30. Acts or omissions done in conformance with then current

19 recognized standards;

20  31. Maintenance of the state highway system or any portion

21 thereof unless the claimant presents evidence which establishes

22 either that the state failed to warn of the unsafe condition or that

23 the loss would not have occurred but for a negligent affirmative act

24 of the state;

    Req. No. 14737                                               Page 10
1   32. Any confirmation of the existence or nonexistence of any

2 effective financing statement on file in the office of the Secretary

3 of State made in good faith by an employee of the office of the

4 Secretary of State as required by the provisions of Section 1-9-

5 320.6 of Title 12A of the Oklahoma Statutes;

6   33. Any court-ordered community sentence;

7   34. Remedial action and any subsequent related maintenance of

8 property pursuant to and in compliance with an authorized

9 environmental remediation program, order, or requirement of a

10 federal or state environmental agency;

11  35. The use of necessary and reasonable force by a school

12 district employee to control and discipline a student during the

13 time the student is in attendance or in transit to and from the

14 school, or any other function authorized by the school district;

15  36. Actions taken in good faith by a school district employee

16 for the out-of-school suspension of a student pursuant to applicable

17 Oklahoma Statutes; or

18  37. Use of a public facility opened to the general public

19 during an emergency.

20  SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.

21

22  60-2-14737      GRS   01/09/26

23

24

    Req. No. 14737                                               Page 11
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