Oklahoma 2025 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB935 Introduced / Bill

Filed 01/16/2025

                     
 
 
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STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) 
 
SENATE BILL 935 	By: Jett 
 
 
 
 
 
AS INTRODUCED 
 
An Act relating to counties; creating the Citizen 
Access to County Facilities Act ; providing short 
title; defining terms; exempting counties from 
certain liability; providing exceptions; requiring 
certain warning notice; clarifying certain rights; 
providing for codification; and providing an 
effective date. 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 420 of Title 19, unless there is 
created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Citizen Access 
to County Facilities Act”. 
SECTION 2.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 420.1 of Title 19, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
As used in this act: 
1.  “County” means a county, county officer, or county employee;   
 
 
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2.  “County facilities” means buildings or lands owned and 
maintained by a county that include, but are not limited to: 
a. park, 
b. senior center, 
c. barn, and 
d. fairground; 
3.  “Inherent risks of an act ivity using county facilities ” 
means those dangers or conditions that are inherent in an event or 
activity, including certain hazards, surface and subsurface 
conditions, natural conditions of land, vegetation, and waters, and 
ordinary dangers of structures or equipment present in county 
facilities.  Inherent risks of activity using county facilities also 
include the potential of a participant to act in a negligent manner 
that may contribute to the injury to the participant or others, 
including failure to fo llow instructions given by the county or 
failing to exercise reasonable caution; and 
4.  “Participant” means any person, other than a county officer 
or county employee. 
SECTION 3.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 420.2 of Title 19, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
A.  In addition to any limitations of liability afforded 
pursuant to The Governmental Tort Claims Act and e xcept as provided 
in subsection B of this section, a county shall not be liable for   
 
 
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injury to or death of a participant resulting from the inherent 
risks of an activity using county facilities , so long as the warning 
contained in Section 4 of this act is posted as required and, except 
as provided in subsection B of this section, no participant or 
participant’s representative can maintain an action against or 
recover damages from a county for injury, loss, damage, or death of 
the participant resulting exclusively from any of the inherent r isks 
of an activity using county facilities .  In any action for damages 
against a county for an activity using county facilities, t he county 
must plead the affirmative defense of assumption of the inherent 
risks of an activity using county facilities by th e participant. 
B.  Nothing in subsection A of this section prevents or limits 
the liability of a county if the county does either or both of the 
following: 
1.  Commits an act or omission that constitutes willful or 
wanton disregard for the safety of the pa rticipant, and that act or 
omission proximately causes injury, damage, or death to the 
participant; or 
2.  Has actual knowledge or reasonably should have known of a 
dangerous condition present at county facilities used in the 
activity and does not make the danger known to the participant, and 
the danger proximately causes injury, da mage, or death to the 
participant.   
 
 
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C.  Any limitation on legal liability afforded by this section 
to a county is in addition to any other limitations of legal 
liability otherwise provided by law. 
D.  The district attorney shall be allowed to issue an 
indemnification of limited liability for the fair use of county 
facilities for a county within his or her district. 
SECTION 4.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 420.3 of Title 19, unless ther e 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
A.  Every county shall post and maintain signs that contain the 
warning notice specified in subsection B of this sectio n.  The sign 
shall be placed in a clearly visible location at the entrance or 
entrances to county facilities and at the site of the activity using 
county facilities.  The warning notice shall consist of a sign in 
black letters, with each letter to be a min imum of one (1) inch in 
height.  Every written contract entered into by a coun ty for the 
providing of county facilities for an activity shall contain in 
clearly readable print the warning notice specified in subsection B 
of this section. 
B.  The signs and contracts described in subsection A of this 
section must contain the following notice of warning: 
“WARNING: 
Under Oklahoma law, there is no liability for an injury to or 
death of a participant at an activity using county facilities.    
 
 
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Inherent risks of acti vities using county facilities include, among 
others, risks of injury inherent to land and equipment, as well as 
the potential for you to act in a negligent manner that may 
contribute to your injury or death.  You are assuming the risk of 
participating in this activity using county facilities. ” 
C.  Failure to comply with the requirements concerning warning 
signs and notices provided in this section shall prevent a county 
from invoking the privileges of immunity provided by this act. 
SECTION 5.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statute s as Section 420.4 of Title 19, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
The rights of Oklahomans to use county facilities shall not be 
prohibited by any county in this state.  All activities using county 
facilities shall be conducted pursuant to law and in compliance with 
health and safety zoning requirements, as well as health and safety 
regulations. 
SECTION 6.  This act shall become effective November 1, 2025. 
 
60-1-1549 MSBB 1/16/2025 12:00:55 PM