Oklahoma 2022 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB560 Engrossed / Bill

Filed 03/09/2021

                     
 
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ENGROSSED SENATE 
BILL NO. 560 	By: Dahm, Bergstrom and 
Hamilton of the Senate 
 
  and 
 
  West (Rick) of the House 
 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to self-defense; amending 21 O.S. 
2011, Section 1289.25, as last amended by Section 1, 
Chapter 218, O.S.L. 20 18 (21 O.S. Supp. 2020, Section 
1289.25), which relates to physical or deadly force 
against intruder; prohibiting certain pro secution for 
offense; and providing an effective date . 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.    AMENDATORY     21 O.S. 2011, Section 1289.25, as 
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 218, O.S.L. 2018 (21 O.S. Supp. 
2020, Section 1289.25), is amended to read as follows: 
Section 1289.25. 
PHYSICAL OR DEADLY FORCE AGAINST INTRUDER 
A.  The Legislature hereby recognizes that the citizens of the 
State of Oklahoma have a right to expect absolut e safety within 
their own homes, places of business or places of worship and have 
the right to establish polici es regarding the possession of weapon s 
on property pursuant to the provisions of Section 1290.22 of this 
title.   
 
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B.  A person, regardless of official capacity or lack of 
official capacity, wi thin a place of worship or a person, an owner, 
manager or employee of a business is presumed to have he ld a 
reasonable fear of imminent peril of death or great bodily harm to 
himself or herself or another when using defensive force that is 
intended or likely to cause death or great bodily harm to another 
if: 
1. a. The person against whom the defensive force was used 
was in the process of unlawfully and forcefully 
entering, or had unlawfully and forcibly entered, a 
dwelling, residence, occupied vehicle, plac e of 
business or place of worship, or if that person had 
removed or was attempting to remove another ag ainst 
the will of that person from the dwelling, residence, 
occupied vehicle, place of business or place of 
worship. 
b. The person who uses defensive for ce knew or had reason 
to believe that an unlawful and forcible ent ry or 
unlawful and forcible act was o ccurring or had 
occurred; or 
2.  The person who uses defensive force knew or had a reasonable 
belief that the person agains t whom the defensive force was used 
entered or was attempting to enter into a dwelling, residenc e, 
occupied vehicle, place of busines s or place of worship for the   
 
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purpose of committing a forcible felony, as defined in Section 733 
of this title, and that th e defensive force was necessar y to prevent 
the commission of the forcible felony . 
C.  The presumption set forth in subsection B of th is section 
does not apply if: 
1. The person against whom the defensive force is used has the 
right to be in or is a lawful resident of the dwelling, res idence, 
or vehicle, such as an owner, lessee, or titleholder, and there is 
not a protective order from domestic violence in effect or a written 
pretrial supervision order of no contact against that person; 
2.  The person or pe rsons sought to be removed are children or 
grandchildren, or are otherwise in the lawful custody or under the 
lawful guardianship of, the person against whom the defensive force 
is used; or 
3.  The person who uses defensive force is engaged in an 
unlawful activity or is using the dwell ing, residence, occupied 
vehicle, place of business or place of wo rship to further an 
unlawful activity. 
D. A person who is not engaged in an unlawful activity and who 
is attacked in any other place where he or she has a righ t to be has 
no duty to retreat and has the right to stand his or her ground and 
meet force with force, including deadly force, if he or she 
reasonably believes it is necessary to do so to prevent death or   
 
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great bodily harm to himself or herself or another or to prevent the 
commission of a forcible felony. 
E.  A person who unlawfully and by force ente rs or attempts to 
enter the dwelling, residence, occupied vehicle of another person, 
place of business or place of worship is presumed to be doing so 
with the intent to commit an unlawful a ct involving force or 
violence. 
F.  A person, who lawfully is in an occupied vehicle that is 
approached and surrounded by a person or persons engaged in unlawful 
activity who has blocked the road, shall not be subject to criminal 
or civil prosecution for a reasonable effort to esca pe from the 
unlawful activity with or without damage to the vehicle . 
G. A person who uses defensive force, as permitted pursuant to 
the provisions of subsections A, B, D and, E and F of this section, 
is justified in using such defensive force and is immune from 
criminal prosecution and civil ac tion for the use of such defensive 
force.  As used in this subsection, the term “criminal prosecution” 
includes charging or prosecuting the defendant. 
G. H.  A law enforcement agency may use standard procedures for 
investigating the use of defensive force, but the law enforcement 
agency may not arrest the person for using defensive force unless it 
determines that there is probable cause that the defensive force 
that was used was unlawful.   
 
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H. I.  The court shall award reasonable attorney fees, court 
costs, compensation for loss of income, and al l expenses incurred by 
the defendant in defense of any civil act ion brought by a plaintiff 
if the court finds that the defendant is immune from prosecution as 
provided in subsection F G of this section. 
I. J.  The provisions of this section and the provisi ons of the 
Oklahoma Self-Defense Act shall not be construed to requ ire any 
person using a weapon pursuant to the provisions of this section to 
be licensed in any manner. 
J. K.  A person pointing a weapon at a perpetrat or in self-
defense or in order to thwart, stop or deter a forcible felony or 
attempted forcible felony shall not be deemed guilty of committing a 
criminal act. 
K. L.  As used in this section: 
1.  “Defensive force” includes, but shall not be limited to, 
pointing a weapon at a p erpetrator in self-defense or in order to 
thwart, stop or deter a forcible felony or attem pted forcible 
felony; 
2.  “Dwelling” means a building or conveya nce of any kind, 
including any attached porch, whether the building or conveyance is 
temporary or permanent, mobile or immobile, which has a roof over 
it, including a tent, and is designed to be occupied by people; 
3.  “Place of worship” means:   
 
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a. any permanent building, structure, facility or office 
space owned, leased, rented or borr owed, on a full-
time basis, when used for worship services, activities 
and business of the congregation, which may include, 
but not be limited to, churches, temples, synagogue s 
and mosques, and 
b. any permanent building, structure, facility or office 
space owned, leased, rente d or borrowed for use on a 
temporary basis, when used for worship services, 
activities and business of the congregation including, 
but not limited to, chu rches, temples, synagogues and 
mosques; 
4.  “Residence” means a dwelling in which a person resides 
either temporarily or permanently or is visiting as an invited 
guest; and 
5.  “Vehicle” means a conveyance of any kind, whether or not 
motorized, which is de signed to transport people or property. 
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.   
 
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Passed the Senate the 8th day of March, 2021. 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the Senate 
 
 
Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 
2021. 
 
 
  
 	Presiding Officer of the House 
 	of Representatives