Oklahoma State Senator Warren Hamilton, representing McCurtain, is introducing several bills for the 2025 legislative session aimed at protecting Oklahomans. He is the primary author of five bills—Senate Bills 19, 448, 504, 599, and 869—that focus on children's safety, public safety, hunting regulations, and human trafficking prevention.
According to the Oklahoma Senate release, Hamilton said that these measures are essential for protecting the well-being and safety of our children. Senate Bill 19 requires public schools in Oklahoma to report their library inventories annually to the State Department of Education and ensure they are appropriate for students. Senate Bill 504 aims to ban marriage for individuals under 18 years old.
Senate Bill 599 is the most controversial, proposing severe penalties for those convicted of child sexual abuse, including life without parole or the death penalty for a first offense. Currently, these penalties are only applied after multiple offenses.
Senate Bill 448 focuses on hunting regulations, giving Oklahoma residents priority for hunting in wildlife areas by requiring nonresidents to obtain written permission beforehand. This measure aims to conserve natural resources while allowing nonresidents to hunt in the state.
The final bill, Senate Bill 869, seeks to combat human trafficking by making prostitution a felony instead of a misdemeanor. "Another measure I’ll be carrying this session, SB 869, aims to combat human trafficking, protect vulnerable individuals, and enhance public safety across our state by increasing the criminal classification of prostitution, with the hope of deterring this illegal activity," Hamilton stated in the same release.
These bills will be debated as the 2025 legislative session begins on February 3.
