Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB981 Latest Draft

Bill / Amended Version Filed 04/21/2025

                             
 
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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION 
 
STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) 
 
ENGROSSED SENATE 
BILL NO. 981 	By: Gollihare of the Senate 
 
  and 
 
  Ford of the House 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to bail; amending 22 O.S. 2021, 
Section 1101, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter 
54, O.S.L. 2024 (22 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 1101), 
which relates to offenses bailable; authorizing 
denial of bail under certain circumstance ; updating 
statutory reference; updating statutory language; and 
providing an effective date. 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY     22 O.S. 2021, Section 1101, as 
last amended by Section 1, Chapter 54, O.S.L. 2024 (22 O.S. Supp. 
2024, Section 1101), is amended t o read as follows: 
Section 1101.  A.  Except as otherwise provided by law, bail, by 
sufficient sureties, shall be admitted upon all arrests in criminal 
cases where the offense is not punishable by death and in such cases 
it may be taken by any of the perso ns or courts authorized by law to 
arrest, to imprison offenders or to perform pretrial services, or by   
 
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the clerk of the district court or his or her deputy, or by the 
judge of such courts. 
B.  In criminal cases where the defendant is currently an 
escaped prisoner from the Department of Corrections, the defendant 
must be processed back into the Department of Corrections prior to 
bail being set on new criminal charges. 
C.  All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, except 
that bail may be denied fo r: 
1.  Capital offenses when the proof of guilt is evident, or the 
presumption thereof is great; 
2.  Violent offenses; 
3.  Offenses where the maximum sentence may be life imprisonment 
or life imprisonment without parole; 
4.  Felony offenses where the perso n charged with the offense 
has been convicted of two or more felony offenses arising out of 
different transactions; and 
5.  Controlled dangerous substances offenses where the maximum 
sentence may be at least ten (10) years ’ imprisonment; and 
6.  Driving under the influence of alcohol or other intoxicating 
substance if such person has previously been convicted with two 
felonies for driving under the influence of alcohol or other 
intoxicating substance . 
On all offenses specified in paragraphs 2 through 5 6 of this 
subsection, the proof of guilt must be evident, or the presumption   
 
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must be great, and it must be on the grounds that no condition of 
release would assure the safety of the community or any person. 
D.  There shall be a rebuttable presumption that no c ondition of 
release would assure the safety of the community if the state shows 
by clear and convincing e vidence that the person was arrested for a 
violation of Section 741 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes. 
E.  If the person was arrested for any crime provided for in the 
Protection from Domestic Abuse Act or a violent crime provided for 
in Section 571 of Title 57 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the court shall 
be responsible for assessing prior patterns of abuse and shall 
present written findings on the bail amount. 
F.  There shall be a rebuttable presumption that no conditions 
of release on bond would assure th e safety of the community or any 
person therein if the state shows by clear and convincing evidence 
that: 
1.  The person was arrested for a violent off ense and released 
on bond; and 
2.  While out on said bond, the person was subsequently arrested 
and charged for a violent crime as set forth for in Section 571 of 
Title 57 of the Oklahoma Statutes. 
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effectiv e November 1, 2025. 
 
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY AND PUBLIC SAFETY, dated 
04/17/2025 – DO PASS.