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1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 523 By: Weaver
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to sheriffs; amending 19 O.S. 2021,
7 Section 547, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 325,
8 O.S.L. 2024 (19 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 547), which
8 relates to deputizing certain persons; authorizing
9 submission of certain resolution to board of county
9 commissioners; stating resolution criteria;
10 authorizing certain duties for certain peace
10 officers; stating certain liability and
11 responsibilities; requiring certain resolution; and
11 providing an effective date.
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15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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16 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 19 O.S. 2021, Section 547, as
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17 amended by Section 1, Chapter 325, O.S.L. 2024 (19 O.S. Supp. 2024,
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18 Section 547), is amended to read as follows:
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19 Section 547. A. The sheriff shall be responsible for the
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20 official acts of the undersheriff and deputy sheriffs, and may
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21 revoke such appointments at the pleasure of the sheriff; provided,
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22 however, for counties with a population of five hundred thousand
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23 (500,000) or more persons, according to the latest Federal Decennial
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24 Census, with the exception of chief deputies and undersheriffs, all
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Req. No. 795 Page 1
1 deputy sheriffs and detention officers shall serve a five-year
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2 probationary period during which the deputy sheriff or detention
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3 officer shall be considered an at-will employee. After the five-
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4 year probationary period, such deputy sheriff or detention officer
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5 shall not be discharged except for just cause. The sheriff or the
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6 undersheriff may in writing depute certain persons to do particular
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7 acts.
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8 B. Each sheriff may appoint as many reserve force deputy
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9 sheriffs as are necessary to preserve the peace and dignity of the
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10 county. A current list of each person holding such appointment
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11 shall be maintained by the county sheriff and shall be available to
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12 the public. Reserve force deputy sheriffs may perform duties which
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13 encompass a particular act or a series of acts. The sheriff or a
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14 Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training-certified deputy
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15 sheriff shall accompany a reserve force deputy sheriff in the
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16 performance of all duties assigned to such reserve force deputy
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17 sheriff unless such reserve deputy has completed the required two-
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18 hundred-forty-hour basic police course. Reserve force deputies may
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19 receive compensation for their services. The sheriff may pay
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20 reserve force deputies for travel expenses pursuant to the State
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21 Travel Reimbursement Act. Such reserve deputy sheriffs shall
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22 complete a two-hundred-forty-hour basic police course within six (6)
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23 months after they have been commissioned to be paid by the county as
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Req. No. 795 Page 2
1 an individual reserve deputy. The sheriff may pay for additional
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2 training courses attended by reserve force deputies.
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3 C. Reserve force deputy sheriffs shall not serve more than one
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4 hundred forty (140) hours per calendar month.
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5 D. The sheriff or a designee may deputize municipal police
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6 officers subject to an interlocal governmental agreement to combine
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7 city and county law enforcement efforts and to encourage cooperation
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8 between city and county law enforcement officials. Liability for
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9 the conduct of any municipal police officers deputized under the
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10 terms and conditions of an interlocal governmental agreement shall
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11 remain the responsibility of their municipal employer.
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12 E. The sheriff may enter into mutual aid agreements pursuant to
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13 the Interlocal Cooperation Act, Section 1002 et seq. of Title 74 of
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14 the Oklahoma Statutes, to assist or provide law enforcement services
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15 to any town, city, and county within this state and the sheriff and
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16 deputies shall have law enforcement authority within the
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17 jurisdiction making the request. The employing governmental unit
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18 shall remain responsible for their officers or deputies pursuant to
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19 any mutual aid agreement.
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20 F. A sheriff of the county may respond to any request from any
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21 other jurisdiction within the state for law enforcement assistance
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22 in cases of emergency. The sheriff, deputy sheriffs, and reserve
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23 deputy sheriffs serving in response to the emergency request shall
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24 have the same powers and duties as though employed by the requesting
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Req. No. 795 Page 3
1 law enforcement agency, and when so acting they shall be deemed to
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2 be acting within the scope of employment of the requesting law
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3 enforcement agency. Salaries, insurance, and other benefits shall
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4 be provided in the regular manner by the county in which the
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5 sheriff, deputy sheriffs, and reserve deputy sheriffs are regularly
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6 employed. As used in this subsection, "emergency" means a sudden
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7 and unforeseeable occurrence or condition, either as to its onset or
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8 its extent, of such severity or magnitude that immediate response or
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9 action is necessary to assist law enforcement agencies having
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10 jurisdiction at the scene of the emergency to carry out their
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11 functions.
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12 G. A reserve force deputy sheriff shall be authorized to serve
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13 civil process pursuant to Section 2004 of Title 12 of the Oklahoma
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14 Statutes.
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15 H. The sheriff may contract with a private security firm that
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16 meets the requirements set forth in Sections 1750.1 through 1750.14
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17 of Title 59 of the Oklahoma Statutes to guard any detainee or
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18 prisoner temporarily housed for treatment in a medical facility
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19 outside the confines of the jail. No private security firm may
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20 transport a prisoner to or from an outside medical facility.
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21 Transportation of a prisoner is only to be conducted by the sheriff
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22 or deputy sheriff.
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23 I. 1. Any sheriff of a county in which an event is occurring
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24 and which the sheriff believes will require additional resources
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Req. No. 795 Page 4
1 than are normally available to the sheriff shall seek and submit
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2 approval of a resolution to the board of county commissioners
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3 requesting permission to contract with the sheriff of another county
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4 to provide the needed additional resources. The resolution shall
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5 include information pertaining to the event including, but not
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6 limited to, the event name, location, duration, and additional
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7 resources needed.
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8 2. Any sheriff, deputy sheriff, or reserve deputy sheriff
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9 assigned to work an event outside of his or her county of employment
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10 shall have the same powers and duties as though employed by the
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11 sheriff of the county in which the event takes place. Liability for
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12 the conduct of any sheriff, deputy sheriff, or reserve deputy
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13 sheriff, while in the performance of duties during such event or any
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14 activity in conjunction with the event, shall remain the
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15 responsibility of the employing county. Salaries, insurance, and
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16 other benefits shall be provided in the regular manner by the county
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17 in which the sheriff, deputy sheriff, or reserve deputy sheriff is
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18 regularly employed.
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19 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
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21 60-1-795 CN 1/19/2025 5:38:00 AM
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Req. No. 795 Page 5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.