Crimes and punishments; making certain acts unlawful; codification; effective date.
Summary
HB1026 creates a new misdemeanor offense for assault, battery, or assault and battery committed against certain licensed or authorized private security-related personnel in Oklahoma. The bill applies when a person acts without justifiable or excusable cause and with intent to do bodily harm toward a security officer, private investigator, or bail enforcer. A conviction could result in up to one year in county jail, a fine of up to $1,000, or both.
The bill also defines each protected category in detail. A “security officer” must be licensed or otherwise lawfully employed under state law, visibly identified by uniform, emblem, insignia, or badge, and engaged in lawful duties. A “private investigator” and “bail enforcer” must likewise be licensed, properly identified, and performing lawful duties at the time of the incident. The act is set to take effect November 1, 2025, and would be codified as a new section in Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
Impact
HB1026 would add a new protected-victim offense to Oklahoma criminal law, expanding misdemeanor assault and battery penalties when the target is a security officer, private investigator, or bail enforcer performing lawful duties. It would create a new statutory section in Title 21, Section 650.12, and would affect prosecutors, defendants, and the covered professions by giving those workers enhanced legal protection under state law.
Sentiment
There is no recorded committee transcript or vote history in the provided materials, so no direct debate or bipartisan pattern can be identified. Based on the bill text alone, the measure appears straightforward and protective of licensed private security and related personnel, with no explicit evidence of opposition or support beyond its introduction and referral to Rules.
Contention
The main policy issue likely concerns whether these occupations should receive a special assault-and-battery offense and enhanced penalties, as opposed to relying on existing general assault statutes. The bill’s protections are limited by several conditions that could also be points of discussion: the person must be licensed or lawfully employed, clearly identified as working in the role, and engaged in lawful duties, and the offender must act with intent to do bodily harm and without justifiable or excusable cause. No specific objections or supporters are identified in the available record.