Oklahoma House Bill HB1155

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/3/25
• Refer: 2/4/25

Caption

Department of Public Safety; requiring Department establish and maintain pursuit alert system; effective date.

Summary

HB1155 requires the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety to establish and maintain a “pursuit alert system” designed to warn drivers about active police pursuits in their immediate area. The system must use mobile communications such as text messages or push notifications, and may also use highway electronic message boards to provide real-time updates. The bill directs that alerts be limited to a radius determined by the Department and contain concise information such as the vehicle’s make, model, color, last known location, and direction of travel. The bill also sets conditions for when alerts may be issued. A pursuit alert may only go out when a law enforcement agency confirms that an active pursuit is underway, the pursuit poses a significant risk to the public, and notification is likely to reduce harm or help resolve the incident safely. Alerts must be turned off when the pursuit ends or is no longer a public safety threat. The Department is authorized to adopt rules to implement the system, and the act would take effect November 1, 2025.

Impact

HB1155 would add a new section to Title 47 of the Oklahoma Statutes, creating a statutory duty for the Department of Public Safety to operate a public alert system for police pursuits. It would expand the Department’s responsibilities into real-time public notification, require coordination with mobile carriers and notification services, and potentially integrate with existing highway message boards. The bill primarily affects DPS, law enforcement agencies that confirm pursuits, mobile communication providers, and drivers in areas near active pursuits.

Sentiment

The available voting history suggests generally favorable support for the bill, as it received a 7-2 do pass recommendation in the House Appropriations and Budget Public Safety Subcommittee. No committee transcript was provided, so there is no recorded debate to indicate broader public or legislative criticism in the materials supplied. Overall, the bill appears to have been viewed as a public safety measure intended to reduce risk during dangerous police pursuits.

Contention

The main points of potential contention are the scope and timing of public alerts, including how large the notification radius should be, what threshold qualifies as a significant public risk, and whether alerts could create driver distraction or interfere with law enforcement operations. Another possible issue is the administrative and technical burden on the Department of Public Safety and its need to coordinate with private carriers and message-board systems. The limited vote margin of 7-2 indicates some concern, though the specific objections are not documented in the provided materials.