Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1819 By: Jett
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to counties; creating the Citizen
7 Access to County Facilities Act; providing short
8 title; defining terms; exempting counties from
8 certain liability; providing exceptions; requiring
9 certain warning notice; clarifying certain rights;
9 providing for codification; and providing an
10 effective date.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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15 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 420 of Title 19, unless there is
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16 created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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17 This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Citizen Access
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18 to County Facilities Act".
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19 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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20 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 420.1 of Title 19, unless there
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21 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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22 As used in this act:
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23 1. "County" means a county, county officer, or county employee;
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Req. No. 3543 Page 1
1 2. "County facilities" means buildings or lands owned and
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2 maintained by a county that include, but are not limited to:
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3 a. parks,
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4 b. senior centers,
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5 c. barns, and
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6 d. fairgrounds;
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7 3. "Inherent risks of an activity using county facilities"
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8 means those dangers or conditions that are inherent in an event or
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9 activity, including certain hazards, surface and subsurface
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10 conditions, natural conditions of land, vegetation, and waters, and
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11 ordinary dangers of structures or equipment present in county
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12 facilities. Inherent risks of an activity using county facilities
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13 also include the potential of a participant to act in a negligent
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14 manner that may contribute to injury to the participant or others,
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15 including failure to follow instructions given by the county or
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16 failing to exercise reasonable caution; and
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17 4. "Participant" means any person, other than a county officer
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18 or county employee.
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19 SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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20 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 420.2 of Title 19, unless there
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21 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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22 A. In addition to any limitations of liability afforded
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23 pursuant to The Governmental Tort Claims Act and except as provided
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24 in subsection B of this section, a county shall not be liable for
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Req. No. 3543 Page 2
1 injury to or death of a participant resulting from the inherent
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2 risks of an activity using county facilities, as long as the warning
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3 contained in Section 4 of this act is posted as required and, except
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4 as provided in subsection B of this section, no participant or
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5 participant's representative can maintain an action against or
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6 recover damages from a county for injury, loss, damage, or death of
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7 the participant resulting exclusively from any of the inherent risks
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8 of an activity using county facilities. In any action for damages
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9 against a county for an activity using county facilities, the county
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10 shall plead the affirmative defense of assumption of the inherent
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11 risks of an activity using county facilities by the participant.
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12 B. Nothing in subsection A of this section prevents or limits
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13 the liability of a county if the county:
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14 1. Commits an act or omission that constitutes willful or
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15 wanton disregard for the safety of the participant, and that act or
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16 omission proximately causes injury, damage, or death to the
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17 participant; or
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18 2. Has actual knowledge or reasonably should have known of a
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19 dangerous condition present at county facilities used in the
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20 activity and does not make the danger known to the participant, and
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21 the danger proximately causes injury, damage, or death to the
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22 participant.
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Req. No. 3543 Page 3
1 C. Any limitation on liability afforded by this section to a
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2 county is in addition to any other limitations of liability
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3 otherwise provided by law.
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4 D. The district attorney shall be allowed to issue an
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5 indemnification of limited liability for the fair use of county
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6 facilities for a county within his or her district.
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7 SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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8 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 420.3 of Title 19, unless there
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9 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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10 A. Every county shall post and maintain signs that contain the
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11 warning notice specified in subsection B of this section. The sign
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12 shall be placed in a clearly visible location at the entrance or
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13 entrances to county facilities and at the site of the activity using
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14 county facilities. The warning notice shall consist of a sign in
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15 black letters, with each letter to be a minimum of one (1) inch in
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16 height. Every written contract entered into by a county for the
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17 provision of county facilities for an activity shall contain in
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18 clearly readable print the warning notice specified in subsection B
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19 of this section.
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20 B. The signs and contracts described in subsection A of this
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21 section shall contain the following notice of warning:
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22 "WARNING:
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23 Under Oklahoma law, there is no liability for an injury to or
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24 death of a participant at an activity using county facilities.
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Req. No. 3543 Page 4
1 Inherent risks of activities using county facilities include, but
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2 are not limited to, risks of injury inherent to land and equipment,
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3 as well as the potential for you to act in a negligent manner that
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4 may contribute to your injury or death. You are assuming the risk
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5 of participating in this activity using county facilities."
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6 C. Failure to comply with the requirements concerning warning
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7 signs and notices provided in this section shall prevent a county
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8 from invoking the privileges of immunity provided by this act.
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9 SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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10 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 420.4 of Title 19, unless there
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11 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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12 The rights of Oklahomans to use county facilities shall not be
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13 prohibited by any county in this state. All activities using county
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14 facilities shall be conducted pursuant to law and in compliance with
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15 health and safety zoning requirements and regulations.
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16 SECTION 6. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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18 60-2-3543 BRC 1/14/2026 10:13:29 PM
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Req. No. 3543 Page 5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.