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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
FOR ENGROSSED
SENATE BILL NO. 743 By: Gollihare, Alvord,
Thompson, Green, Paxton,
Stanley, Hall, and Haste of
the Senate
and
Lawson, Pae, Schreiber, and
Manger of the House
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
An Act relating to criminal disturbance; declaring
legislative findings; amending 21 O.S. 2021, Sections
915 and 916, which relate to disturbance of religious
meeting; specifying range of punishment for certain
misdemeanor offense; establishing felony offense for
certain convictions; specifying range of punishment
for certain felony offense; modifying elements of
certain offenses; providing for noncodification; and
declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
The Legislature finds that the right of the people to meet and
assemble for religious worship is imperative for the people of this
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state; that the exercise of the right of a person to protest at
places of religious worship must be balanced against the right of
another person to meet and assemble for religious worship in an
unobstructed manner; and that preventing the willful obstruction of
access of a person to places of religious worship is a matter of
statewide concern. Therefore, the Legislature declares that it is a
compelling public interest of this state to prot ect the ability of
its people to meet and assemble for religious worship without
willful obstruction.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2021, Section 915, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 915. Every person who willfully disturb s, interrupts,
or disquiets any assemblage of people met for religious worship , by
any of the acts or things hereinafter enumerated, is in Section 916
of this title shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a misdemeanor
punishable by a fine not to exceed Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00),
by imprisonment in the county jail for a term not to exceed one (1)
year, or by both such fine and imprisonment. A person who commits a
second or subsequent offense shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a
felony punishable by a f ine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars
($1,000.00), by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of
Corrections for a term not to exceed two (2) years, or by both such
fine and imprisonment .
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SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 21 O.S. 2021, Section 916, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 916. The following are the acts deemed to constitute
disturbance of a religious meeting as prohibited by Section 915 of
this title:
1. Uttering any profane discourse, committing any rude or
indecent act, or making any unnecessary noise, either within the
place where such meeting is held, or so near it as to disturb the
order and solemnity of the meeting .;
2. Exhibiting within one (1) mile, any shows or plays without a
license by the proper authority. Knowingly obstructing, detaining,
hindering, impeding, or blocking the entry of another person to or
exit from a place where such meeting is held;
3. Engaging in, or aiding or promoting within the like
distance, any racing of animals or gaming of any desc ription.
Knowingly approaching another person within eight (8) feet of such
person, unless such other person consents, for the purpose of
passing a leaflet or handbill to, displaying a sign to, or engaging
in oral protest, education, or counseling with suc h other person in
the public way or sidewalk area within a radius of one hundred (100)
feet from any entrance door to a place where the meeting is held; or
4. Obstructing in any manner, without authority of law, within
the like distance one (1) mile, the free passage along any highway
to the place of such the meeting.
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SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act sha ll take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY
OVERSIGHT, dated 04/17/2025 - DO PASS, As Amended and Coauthored .