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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
56	56
57	57	SENATE BILL 539 By: Deevers
58	58
59	59
60	60
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63	63	AS INTRODUCED
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65	65	An Act relating to county sheriffs; declaring certain
66	66	authority; prohibiting certain federal employees from
67	67	taking certain actions witho ut permission; providing
68	68	exceptions; allowing denial of permission; requiring
69	69	certain permissions of the Attorney General; allowing
70	70	denial of permission; providing for validity of
71	71	written permission; providing for violations;
72	72	prohibiting discretion of dist rict attorney to not
73	73	prosecute violations; declaring federal authority of
74	74	a county sheriff to be rejected; providing for
75	75	codification; and declaring an emergency.
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81	81	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
82	82	SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
83	83	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 517.2 of Title 19, unless there
84	84	is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
85	85	A. The elected sheriff of each county is the senior
86	86	authoritative peace offic er of that county. The primary duties of
87	87	the sheriff are to keep the peace in the county and to secure and
88	88	protect the liberties and security of the residents of the county.
89	89	B. A federal employee who is not designated by Oklahoma law as
90	90	an Oklahoma peace officer may not make an arrest, search, or seizure
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142	142	in this state without the written permission of the sheriff or
143	143	designee of the sheriff of the county in which the arrest, search,
144	144	or seizure will occur unless:
145	145	1. The arrest, search, or seizure will take place on a federal
146	146	enclave for which jurisdiction has been actively ceded to the United
147	147	States of America by the Oklahoma Statutes;
148	148	2. The federal employee witnesses the commission of a crime,
149	149	the nature of which requires an immediate arrest;
150	150	3. The intended subject of the arrest, search, or seizure is an
151	151	employee of the sheriff ’s office or is an elected county or state
152	152	official; or
153	153	4. The federal employee has probable cause to believe that the
154	154	subject of the arrest, search, or seizure has close connect ions with
155	155	the sheriff, which connections are likely to result in the subject
156	156	being informed of the impending arrest, search, or seizure.
157	157	C. The county sheriff or designee of the sheriff may refuse
158	158	permission for any reason that the sheriff or designee con siders
159	159	sufficient.
160	160	D. A federal employee who is not designated by Oklahoma law as
161	161	a peace officer and who desires to exercise an exception under
162	162	paragraph 3 of subsection B of this section shall obtain the written
163	163	permission of the Attorney General for th e arrest, search, or
164	164	seizure unless the resulting delay in obtaining permissio n could
165	165	cause serious harm to one or more individuals or to a community or
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217	217	would potentially cause flight of the subject of the arrest, search,
218	218	or seizure in order to avoid prose cution. The Attorney General may
219	219	refuse the permission for any reason that the Attorney General
220	220	considers sufficient.
221	221	E. A federal employee who is not designated by Oklahoma law as
222	222	a peace officer and who desires to exercise an exception under
223	223	paragraph 4 of subsection B of this section shall obtain the written
224	224	permission of the Attorney General. The request for permission
225	225	shall include a written statement, under oath, describing the
226	226	federal employee’s probable cause. The Attorney General may refuse
227	227	the request for any reason that the Attorney General considers
228	228	sufficient.
229	229	F. A request to the county sheriff or Attorney General shall
230	230	contain:
231	231	1. The name of the subject of the arrest, search, or seizure;
232	232	2. A clear statement of probable cause for the ar rest, search,
233	233	or seizure or a federal arrest, search, or seizure warrant that
234	234	contains a clear statement of probable cause;
235	235	3. A description of specific assets, if any, to be searched for
236	236	or seized;
237	237	4. A statement of the date and time that the arrest, se arch, or
238	238	seizure is to occur; and
239	239	5. The address or location where the intended arrest, search,
240	240	or seizure will be attempted.
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292	292	G. The permission may be in letter form, either typed or
293	293	handwritten, but shall be countersigned with the original signature
294	294	of the county sheriff or designee of the sheriff or by the Attorney
295	295	General, to constitute valid permission. The permission is valid
296	296	for forty-eight (48) hours after it is signed. The sheriff or
297	297	Attorney General shall keep a copy of the permission request o n
298	298	file.
299	299	H. An arrest, search, or seizure or attempted arrest, search,
300	300	or seizure in violation of subsection B of this section is unlawful
301	301	and individuals involved shall be prosecuted by the district
302	302	attorney of the county for kidnapping if an arrest or at tempted
303	303	arrest occurred, for trespass if a search or attempted search
304	304	occurred, for theft if a seizure or attempted seizure occurred, and
305	305	for any applicable homicide offense if loss of life occurred.
306	306	I. The district attorney of the county has no discretio n not to
307	307	prosecute once a claim of violation of the provisions of this
308	308	section has been made by the county sheriff or designee of the
309	309	sheriff, and failure to abide by this mandate subjects the district
310	310	attorney to removal in accordance with the provisions of Section
311	311	1181.1 et seq. of Title 22 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
312	312	J. Pursuant to the Tenth Amendment to the United States
313	313	Constitution, the Legislature declares that any federal law
314	314	purporting to give federal employees the authority of a county
315	315	sheriff in this state is not recognized by this state, is
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367	367	specifically rejected by this state, and is declared to be null and
368	368	void, and of no effect in this state.
369	369	SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
370	370	of the public peace, hea lth or safety, an emergency is hereby
371	371	declared to exist, by reason whereof thi s act shall take effect and
372	372	be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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374	374	60-1-1425 MSBB 1/13/2025 12:54:41 PM

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB539 Compare Versions