Domestic violence; directing the District Attorneys Council to develop and implement a domestic violence forensic exam pilot program; codification; effective date.
HB2606 creates a five-year Domestic Violence Forensic Exam Pilot Program to be developed and implemented by the District Attorneys Council, contingent on available funding. The program is intended to help counties provide domestic violence victims with forensic medical examinations performed by qualified licensed health care professionals. The bill also establishes a Domestic Violence Examination Fund in each participating county to pay for these exams.
The bill defines key terms such as domestic violence, intimate partner, household member, and qualified licensed health care professional. It limits reimbursement for a domestic violence forensic exam to no more than $200 per claim, with payments made through procedures set by the Crime Victims Compensation Board and supported by claims signed by the victim or guardian and the examining professional. The District Attorneys Council is authorized to transfer appropriated funds from the Crime Victims Compensation Fund to the new examination fund, and the Legislature may also appropriate money directly to support the program. Participation is initially available to counties with populations over 300,000, though smaller counties may be allowed to participate if funding permits.
In terms of state law, the bill adds a new section to Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes and creates a new funding and administrative structure for domestic violence forensic exams. It expands the role of the District Attorneys Council and the Crime Victims Compensation Board in administering and paying for these examinations, while also creating a county-level fund mechanism tied to the pilot program. The bill is set to take effect November 1, 2025.
The overall sentiment around the bill appears strongly supportive. It passed the House Criminal Judiciary Committee unanimously, passed the House Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee unanimously, and then passed the House on third reading by a wide margin, 82-3. That voting pattern suggests broad agreement that the bill addresses an important victim-services need and improves access to forensic exams for domestic violence survivors.
The main points of contention appear to be practical and fiscal rather than ideological. The bill is contingent on available funds, caps reimbursement at $200 per exam, and limits initial participation to larger counties unless funding allows expansion to smaller counties. Those features suggest lawmakers were balancing the goal of expanding services with concerns about cost, implementation capacity, and how widely the pilot should be rolled out.
HB2606 would add a new domestic violence forensic exam pilot program to Oklahoma law, codified in Title 21, and create a county-level Domestic Violence Examination Fund to pay for forensic medical exams for domestic violence victims. It expands administrative authority for the District Attorneys Council and the Crime Victims Compensation Board, authorizes fund transfers and contracts, and establishes reimbursement limits and eligibility rules that affect counties, victims, and health care providers who perform the exams.
The bill appears to have enjoyed broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition in committee or on the House floor. It received unanimous committee approvals and passed third reading overwhelmingly, indicating general agreement with the goal of improving access to forensic exams for domestic violence victims. The narrow 82-3 House vote suggests only limited dissent at the final stage.
The likely areas of concern were funding, implementation, and scope. The program is contingent on available funds, reimbursement is capped at $200 per exam, and the pilot initially targets counties over 300,000 population, with smaller counties eligible only if funding permits. Those provisions suggest some lawmakers may have been concerned about fiscal exposure, administrative feasibility, and whether the pilot should be limited before broader expansion.