Oklahoma measure sets assault penalties and domestic-abuse treatment rules

The measure would set criminal penalties and felony classifications for assault, battery, and several forms of domestic abuse. The provisions cover ordinary assault and battery, domestic abuse involving intimate partners or family and household members, pregnancy, serious injury, children, dangerous weapons, and strangulation. Domestic-abuse classifications depend on the facts listed for each offense, such as a prior conviction, pregnancy knowledge, serious injury, a child’s presence, or use of a dangerous weapon. The text keeps court-ordered treatment and probation rules for covered domestic-abuse convictions. These provisions would apply when the act takes effect on November 1, 2026.

Courts would require qualifying domestic-abuse defendants to complete an assessment and a certified intervention or treatment program. The rules cover domestic-abuse convictions involving an intimate partner or family or household member, including defendants placed on suspended or deferred sentences or probation. A standard intervention program generally must last at least 52 weeks, while an approved pilot program must last at least 26 weeks. Pilot programs may operate in Oklahoma and Tulsa Counties, must be self-funded, and may not accept people convicted of domestic abuse with a dangerous weapon or by strangulation. If funding is available, a judge may appoint a referee to handle review cases, and a court may require the defendant to pay some or all treatment costs. Courts must set review hearings and may revoke suspended, deferred, or probationary sentences when defendants do not comply. The Attorney General may certify pilot programs beginning February 1, 2026; each pilot may run for 36 months, with a possible extension of up to 24 months.

The measure would identify specified violent, domestic-abuse, child-related, arson, drug, driving, fraud, and other offenses as Class A3 or Class B3 crimes. Class A3 includes offenses such as deadly-weapon domestic assault, certain repeat domestic abuse against a pregnant woman, shooting with intent to kill, child abuse, terrorism, and arson-related crimes; Class B3 includes specified domestic abuse, riot, drug-trafficking, driving, fraud, and property offenses. A person convicted of a listed offense would receive the penalty tied to that offense under Oklahoma law. The listed domestic-abuse offenses include dangerous-weapon assaults, great bodily injury, and repeat strangulation or attempted strangulation. The classification provisions would apply on or after November 1, 2026, when the act is scheduled to take effect.