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1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1255 By: Jech
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to pardons and paroles; amending 57
7 O.S. 2021, Section 332.18, which relates to placement
8 on the Pardon and Parole Board docket for medical
8 reason; requiring medical director of the Department
9 of Corrections to make certain request; updating
9 statutory language and reference; and providing an
10 effective date.
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1 3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 57 O.S. 2021, Section 332.18, is
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1 5 amended to read as follows:
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16 Section 332.18. A. The Director of the Department of
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1 7 Corrections medical director of the Department of Corrections shall
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1 8 have the authority make a request to request the Executive Director
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1 9 of the Pardon and Parole Board to place an inmate on the Pardon and
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2 0 Parole Board docket for a medical reason, out of the normal
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2 1 processing procedures. Documentation of the medical condition of
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2 2 such inmate shall be certified by the medical director of the
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2 3 Department of Corrections. The Pardon and Parole Board shall have
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1 the authority to bring any such inmate before the Board at any time,
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2 except as otherwise provided in subsection B of this section.
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3 B. When a request is made for a medical parole review of an
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4 inmate who is dying or is near death or is medically frail or is
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5 medically vulnerable as defined in subsection F of this section as
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6 certified by the medical director of the Department of Corrections
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7 or whose medical condition has rendered the inmate no longer an
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8 unreasonable threat to public safety, the Executive Director shall
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9 place such inmate on the first available parole review docket for a
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1 0 compassionate parole consideration. Inmates who meet the criteria
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1 1 set out in this section are not subject to the two-stage hearing
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1 2 process in subsection D of Section 332.7 of this title.
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13 C. No person shall be eligible for consideration for medical
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1 4 parole without the concurrence of at least three members of the
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1 5 Pardon and Parole Board. The vote on whether or not to consider
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1 6 such person for parole and the names of the concurring Board members
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1 7 shall be set forth in the written minutes of the meeting of the
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1 8 Board at which the issue is considered.
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19 D. In the event that it is determined that the continuation of
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2 0 the medical parole presents an increased risk to the public, the
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2 1 parolee shall be subject to parole revocation. In such case, the
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2 2 Department of Corrections shall follow the revocation procedure for
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2 3 violators of parole set forth in Section 516 of this title.
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1 E. The provisions of this section shall not apply to inmates
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2 serving a sentence of life without possibility of parole.
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3 F. As used in this section:
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4 1. "Medically frail" means an individual with a medical
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5 condition which precludes the individual from performing two or more
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6 activities of daily living on their his or her own;
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7 2. "Medically vulnerable" means an individual with one or more
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8 medical conditions which makes make the individual more likely to
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9 contract an illness or disease while incarcerated that could lead to
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1 0 death or cause an individual to become medically frail. The
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1 1 provisions of this subsection paragraph shall only apply during a
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1 2 catastrophic health emergency as declared by the Governor of this
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1 3 state pursuant to the provisions of Section 6403 of Title 63 of the
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1 4 Oklahoma Statutes;
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15 3. "Medical condition" includes, but is not limited to,
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1 6 debilitating health conditions occurring as a result of the
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1 7 following:
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18 a. disabling mental disorders including dementia,
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19 Alzheimer's disease, or similar degenerative brain
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20 disorders,
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21 b. Human Immunodeficiency Virus human immunodeficiency
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22 virus (HIV) or Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome
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23 acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS),
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24 c. cancer,
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1 d. cardiovascular disease,
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2 e. chronic lung disease or asthma,
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3 f. diabetes,
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4 g. hepatitis C,
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5 h. seizure disorders,
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6 i. inmates receiving life sustaining life-sustaining care
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7 such as feeding tubes or colostomy bags,
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8 j. disabling neurological disorders such as multiple
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9 sclerosis (MS) or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),
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10 or
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11 k. any other condition related to a weakened immune
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12 system or condition that requires or is expected to
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13 require specialty care or recurrent hospitalizations;
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14 4. "Activities of daily living" means basic personal care and
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1 5 everyday activities including tasks such as eating, toileting,
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1 6 grooming, dressing, bathing, and transferring from one physical
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1 7 position to another including moving from a reclining position to a
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1 8 sitting or standing position, that a person cannot perform on his or
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1 9 her own; and
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20 5. "Dying" or "near death" means an individual with a medical
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2 1 condition and who has an estimated life expectancy of six (6) months
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2 2 or less.
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1 G. Victim notification shall be provided as provided in
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2 pursuant to Section 332.2 of this title and as required by Article 2
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3 II, Section 34 of the Oklahoma Constitution.
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4 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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6 60-2-2419 CN 12/15/2025 5:18:23 PM
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Req. No. 2419 Page 5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.