Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB481 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

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4		-	An Act
5		-	ENROLLED SENATE
	29	+	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
	30	+
	31	+	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
	32	+
	33	+	1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
	34	+
	35	+	ENGROSSED SENATE
6	36		BILL NO. 481 By: Rader of the Senate
7	37
8	38		and
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10	40		Boatman and Cantrell of the
11	41		House
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16	47		An Act relating to security of election offici als;
17	48		amending 21 O.S. 2021, Section 117 6, as amended by
18	49		Section 4, Chapter 318, O.S.L. 202 2 (21 O.S. Supp.
19	50		2022, Section 1176), which relates to use of
20	51		electronic communication devi ce to threaten or harass
21	52		public official; prohibiting certain ac tions toward
22	53		election officials; defining term; modifying
23	54		definitions; amending 26 O.S. 2021, Section s 4-115.2,
24	55		16-109, 16-113, and 16-124, which relate to
25	56		confidentiality of addresses, co ercion or
26	57		interference with conduct of elections, and tampering
27	58		with election systems; adding class of persons
28	59		eligible to request confidentiality of address;
29	60		prohibiting threats or intimidation toward election
30	61		officials; creating misdemeanor offense; specifying
31	62		punishment for certain offense; prohibiting false
32	63		impersonation of electi on officials; creating
33	64		misdemeanor offense; specifying punishment for
34	65		certain offense; prohibiting intentionally causing
35	66		damage to certain election sys tems; creating felony
36	67		offense; updating statutory language; providing an
37	68		effective date; and declaring an emergency.
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42		-	SUBJECT: Security of election offic ials
43		-
44	73		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE O F THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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47		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 481 Page 2
48	101		SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2021, Section 1176, as
49	102		amended by Section 4, Chapter 318, O.S.L. 2022 (21 O.S. Supp. 2022,
50	103		Section 1176), is amended to read as fo llows:
51		-
52	104		Section 1176. A. Whoever, with the intent to threaten,
53	105		intimidate or harass, or facilitate another to threaten, intimidate
54	106		or harass, uses an electronic communication device to knowingly
55	107		publish, post or otherwise make publicly available personall y
56	108		identifiable information of a peace officer, public official,
57	109		election official, or crime victim, and as a result places that
58	110		peace officer, public official, election official, or crime victim
59	111		in reasonable fear o f death or serious bodily injury shall, upon
60	112		conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by imprisonment in
61	113		the county jail for a term not to exceed six (6) months, or by a
62	114		fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), or by both such
63	115		fine and imprisonment. Upon conviction for a second or subsequent
64	116		violation, the person sha ll be punished by imprisonmen t in the
65	117		county jail for a term not to exceed one (1) year, or by a fine not
66	118		to exceed Two Thousand Dollars ($2,000.00), or by both such fine and
67	119		imprisonment.
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69	120		B. As used in this section:
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71	121		1. “Crime victim” shall have the same meaning as that term is
72	122		defined in Section 142A-1 of this title;
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74	123		2. “Election official” means a member or employee of the State
75	124		Election Board or a county election board, the Secretary of the
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76	152		State Election Board or a county election board, or a person serving
77	153		as a precinct official or absentee voting board member appointed as
78	154		required by law;
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80	155		3. “Electronic communication” shall have the same meaning as
81	156		that term is defined in Section 1172 of this title. Electronic
82	157		communication does not include broadc ast transmissions or similar
83	158		communications that are not targeted at any specific individual;
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85	159		3. 4. “Electronic communica tion device” means any cellular
86	160		telephone, facsimile, pager, computer, or any device capable of
87	161		electronic communication;
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90		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 481 Page 3
91	162		4. 5. “Peace officer” shall have the same meaning a s that term
92	163		is defined in Section 99 of this title;
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94	164		5. 6. “Personally identifiable information” means information
95	165		which can identify an individual including, but not limited to,
96	166		name, birth date, place of birth, moth er’s maiden name, biometric
97	167		records, Social Security number, official state- or government-
98	168		issued driver license or identification number, government passport
99	169		number, employer or taxpayer identification number , or any other
100	170		information that is linked or li nkable to an individual, such as
101	171		medical, educational, financial or employment information;
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103	172		6. 7. “Public official” means any person elected or appointed
104	173		to a state office in the executive, legislative, or judicial branch
105	174		of state government or other poli tical subdivision of the state; and
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107	202		7. 8. “Publish” means to circulate, deliver, distribute,
108	203		disseminate, transmit, or otherwise make available to another
109	204		person.
110		-
111	205		SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 2 6 O.S. 2021, Section 4-115.2, is
112	206		amended to read as follows:
113		-
114	207		Section 4-115.2. A. 1. The Secretary of the State Election
115	208		Board is authorized to promulgate rules to ke ep confidential the
116	209		residence and mailing address, upon application to do so, of
117	210		individual registered voters who are members of ce rtain classes as
118	211		described in paragraph 2 of this subsectio n. These classes
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120	212		2. Classes shall be limited to the judiciary, d istrict
121	213		attorneys, assistant district att orneys, Uniformed Services members,
122	214		law enforcement personnel and the immediate family of law
123	215		enforcement personnel, correct ional officers, the secretary,
124	216		assistant secretary, employees, and members of a county elec tion
125	217		board or the State Election Board , persons who are protected by
126	218		victim’s protection orders, the spouses and dependents of the
127	219		members of such classes, and persons who are certified by t he
128	220		Secretary of State as participants in the Address Confidentiali ty
129	221		Program established b y Section 60.14 of Title 22 of the Oklahoma
130	222		Statutes.
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133		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 481 Page 4
134	223		3. Such address information shall be provided to a c andidate or
135	224		candidate representative or other lawful author ity in anticipation
136	225		or as part of a contest of candidacy or contes t of an election as
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137	253		provided for in this title or as part of a petition challenge as
138	254		provided by law. However, no information conc erning the address of
139	255		a certified Address Confidentiality P rogram participant shall be
140	256		released by election officials to any person for any purpose exce pt
141	257		under court order.
142		-
143	258		B. As used in this section, “immediate family of law
144	259		enforcement personnel ” means a spouse, child by birth or adoption,
145	260		stepchild or parent living at the same residence as the law
146	261		enforcement personnel.
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148	262		SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 16 -109, is
149	263		amended to read as follows:
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151	264		Section 16-109. A. Any person who, by means of coercion,
152	265		providing false or mislea ding information or any other method,
153	266		knowingly attempts to preven t a qualified elector from becoming
154	267		registered, or a registered voter from v oting, shall be deemed
155	268		guilty of a felony.
156		-
157	269		B. Any person who, directly or indirectly, utters or addresses
158	270		any threat or intimidation to any election official with intent to
159	271		improperly influence an election shall be deemed guilty of a
160	272		misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed One Thou sand Dollars
161	273		($1,000.00) or by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to
162	274		exceed six (6) months, or by both such fine and imprisonment .
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164	275		SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, Section 16 -113, is
165	276		amended to read as follows:
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167	304		Section 16-113. A. Any person, including a lawfully appointed
168	305		watcher or exit pollster, who interferes with a registered voter wh o
169	306		is attempting to vote, or any person who attempts to influence the
170	307		vote of another by means of force or i ntimidation, or any pers on who
171	308		interferes with the orderly and lawful conduct of an election shall
172	309		be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor.
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174	310		B. Any person who falsely impersonates an election official or
175	311		who, without authority, performs any act reserved to elect ion
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177		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 481 Page 5
178	312		officials by law with intent to improperl y influence an election
179	313		shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to
180	314		exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) or by imprisonment in the
181	315		county jail for a term not to e xceed six (6) months, or by both such
182	316		fine and imprisonment .
183		-
184	317		SECTION 5. AMENDATORY 26 O.S. 2021, S ection 16-124, is
185	318		amended to read as follows:
186		-
187	319		Section 16-124. Any person who intentionally accesses or
188	320		attempts to access without authorizat ion, or who tampers with or
189	321		attempts to tamper with, or damages or attempts to damage, any
190	322		hardware, software, appl ication, network or any part of an election
191	323		management system, election results tabulation system, voter
192	324		registration system or other electio n-related system of the State
193	325		Election Board or a county e lection board, shall be deemed gu ilty of
194	326		a felony.
	327	+	SECTION 6. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
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196		-	SECTION 6. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
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198	355		SECTION 7. It being immediately necessary for the preser vation
199	356		of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
200	357		declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
201	358		be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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204		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 481 Page 6
205		-	Passed the Senate the 21st day of February, 2023.
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207		-
208		-
209		-	Presiding Officer of the Senate
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212		-	Passed the House of Rep resentatives the 24th day of April, 2023.
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216		-	Presiding Officer of the House
217		-	of Representatives
218		-
219		-	OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
220		-	Received by the Office of the Governor this _______ _____________
221		-	day of _________________ __, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
222		-	By: _______________________________ __
223		-	Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _____ ____
224		-	day of _________________ __, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
225		-
226		-	_________________________________
227		-	Governor of the State of Oklahoma
228		-
229		-
230		-	OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
231		-	Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this _______ ___
232		-	day of __________________, 20 _______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
233		-	By: _______________________________ __
	360	+	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY - CRIMINAL, dated
	361	+	04/05/2023 - DO PASS, As Coauthored.