1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
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3 SENATE BILL 1579 By: Hamilton
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the Department of Public Safety;
7 authorizing Commissioner of Public Safety to assign
8 personnel to carry out certain duties related to
8 protecting the public from terrorism and other
9 threats; authorizing the Commissioner to assign
9 Department of Public Safety attorneys to support
10 certain efforts; prohibiting release of certain
10 information; providing exceptions to release of
11 certain information; creating misdemeanor offense;
11 authorizing Commissioner to promulgate rules;
12 providing for codification; and declaring an
12 emergency.
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15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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16 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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17 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-105.9 of Title 47, unless
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18 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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19 A. The Commissioner of Public Safety may assign personnel
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20 within the Department of Public Safety to:
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21 1. Collect information concerning the activity and identity of
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22 individuals reasonably suspected of involvement in terrorism,
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23 threats to public safety, organized crime, criminal conspiracies, or
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24 any other threats of violent crime;
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 1 2. Analyze collected information and disseminate such
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2 information to other law enforcement and public safety agencies;
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3 3. Coordinate the efforts of this state with local, state, and
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4 federal agencies to protect citizens from terrorism, threats to
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5 public safety, organized crime, criminal conspiracies, or any other
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6 threats of violent crime by creating a clearinghouse of crime-
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7 related information for use by local, state, and federal law
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8 enforcement agencies; and
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9 4. Provide training to peace officers of this state concerning
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10 the legal collection, preservation, and dissemination of crime-
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11 related information.
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12 B. The Commissioner may assign attorneys of the Department of
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13 Public Safety to support such criminal analysis and investigative
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14 functions, including providing assistance to the district attorney
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15 in pursuing search warrants, arrest warrants, and other forms of
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16 court orders and process in connection with criminal investigations
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17 of the Department.
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18 C. Release of information compiled pursuant to this section
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19 shall be prohibited except for release of information to law
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20 enforcement agencies and prosecutorial authorities for the purpose
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21 of crime prevention, criminal investigation, or criminal
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22 prosecution. If the Commissioner determines it necessary to do so
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23 in the interest of public safety or crime prevention, the
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24 Commissioner may authorize the release of information compiled
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 1 pursuant to this section to leadership of this state or any
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2 political subdivision, critical infrastructure personnel, the target
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3 of any threat, or any segment of the public. Unauthorized release
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4 or unauthorized use of this information shall be a misdemeanor and
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5 shall be punishable by imprisonment in the county jail for a term
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6 not exceeding (1) year or a fine not exceeding Fifty Thousand
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7 Dollars ($50,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. As
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8 used in this section, “unauthorized release” or “unauthorized use”
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9 shall include, but not be limited to, giving the information to any
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10 person who is not a law enforcement officer or prosecutorial
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11 authority unless necessitated by an ongoing criminal investigation,
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12 or release of information to a law enforcement officer who is not
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13 engaged in a criminal investigation requiring the information or who
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14 is not authorized by his or her agency to receive such information,
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15 or release of information without the express authority of the
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16 Commissioner or in violation of any rules promulgated by the
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17 Department of Public Safety. Information collected and compiled
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18 under the authority of this section shall be privileged and not
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19 discoverable nor subject to subpoena or order for production issued
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20 by any court, other than production in a district court criminal
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21 proceeding for the prosecution of crimes which are the subject of
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22 the information sought.
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23 D. The Commissioner shall promulgate rules to implement the
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24 provisions of this section.
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 1 SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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2 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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3 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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4 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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6 59-2-2789 CN 1/8/2024 11:31:25 AM
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