Bill > SB607

This bill amends the Oklahoma Evidence Code to expand the admissibility of statements related to domestic abuse in legal proceedings. Specifically, the bill allows statements made by a domestic abuse victim within one week of an incident to be used as evidence in criminal and juvenile delinquency cases involving domestic abuse. These statements can be made in three contexts: directly to a law enforcement officer, on an application for a protective order, or as testimony during a protective order hearing. The bill defines domestic abuse according to existing Oklahoma statutes and will broaden the types of evidence that can be presented in pre-trial, post-trial, preliminary, and probation-related hearings. By creating this new provision, the legislation aims to provide more flexibility for prosecutors and courts in handling domestic abuse cases by allowing victim statements to be more easily admitted as evidence. The bill is set to become effective on November 1, 2025, giving legal professionals and the court system time to prepare for the new evidentiary standards.