Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session Status: In Committee 1 R cosponsors

SB 537 — Cities and towns; requiring removal of vagrant within certain distance of business upon certain determination. Effective date.

Last action — Placed on General Order

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  1. ✓
    Introduced
  2. 2
    In Committee
  3. 3
    Passed Senate
  4. 4
    Passed House
  5. 5
    To Executive
  6. 6
    Enacted

This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced February 03, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.

Next likely step: a committee vote, then a floor vote in the Senate.

Prognosis

Advancing 36% · moderate confidence

Where this bill stands today.

Odds of enactment

Low

How often bills like it became law.

  • In Committee

    Current position in the legislative process.

  • 1 sponsor

    1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.

  • Single-party support

    Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).

  • Cleared a recorded vote

    Passed 1 recorded vote so far.

Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.

Bill Text

What changed in the latest version

30 added · 43 removed

Plain-language change summary

The recent amendment to Bill SB 537 includes a new definition of "vagrant" and grants businesses the authority to contact law enforcement for the removal of vagrants within 12 feet of their doorways, even if the individuals are on public property. This change is significant because it allows businesses to take action to address perceived safety concerns, thereby potentially impacting their operating environment and customer experience. Additionally, it provides a clear guideline for the distance from business entrances that concerns can trigger law enforcement intervention.

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Previous
Latest
STATE OF OKLAHOMA 2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) 3 SENATE BILL 537 By:
SENATE FLOOR VERSION February 19, 2025 3 SENATE BILL NO.
Stewart 4 5 AS INTRODUCED 7 An Act relating to vagrancy;
537 By:
Stewart 5 An Act relating to vagrancy;
Req.
SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB537 SFLR Page 1 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments) D.
No.
Upon arrival at the business, the law enforcement officer shall determine, through personal observation or viewing of video footage, whether the person accused of being a vagrant meets the definition provided in subsection A of this section.
29 Page 1 D.
Upon determination that the person meets the definition of a vagrant, the officer shall relocate the vagrant to public property that is at least one-half (1/2) mile away from the location of the business which made the initial contact to law enforcement.
Upon arrival at the business, the law enforcement officer 2 shall determine, through personal observation or viewing of video 3 footage, whether the person accused of being a vagrant meets the definition provided in subsection A of this section.
The location for relocation shall not be within one-quarter (1/4) mile of any other business.
Upon 5 determination that the person meets the definition of a vagrant, the 6 officer shall relocate the vagrant to public property that is at 7 least one-half (1/2) mile away from the location of the business which made the initial contact to law enforcement.
The location for 9 relocation shall not be within one-quarter (1/4) mile of any other business.
60-1-29 MSBB 1/19/2025 5:38:14 AM Req.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY:
No.
COMMITTEE ON LOCAL AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT February 19, 2025 - DO PASS SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB537 SFLR Page 2 (Bold face denotes Committee Amendments)
29 Page 2
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How this bill changes current law

4 changes Share ↗

AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.

The bill strengthens the rights of business proprietors to have vagrants removed from near their premises and establishes specific relocation requirements for law enforcement.

  • 11 O.S. 2021, Section 22-123

    B. The → C. The

    This change renumbers the subsections for clarity and adds a new section regarding the role of business proprietors.

  • 11 O.S. 2021, Section 22-123

    The proprietor or manager of a business has the right to contact law enforcement to remove a vagrant if the vagrant is within twelve (12) feet of any doorway of the business, even if such vagrant is on public property.

    This addition empowers business owners to call law enforcement for vagrants near their doorways.

  • 11 O.S. 2021, Section 22-123

    Upon arrival at the business, the law enforcement officer shall determine, through personal observation or viewing of video footage, whether the person accused of being a vagrant meets the definition provided in subsection A of this section.

    This new requirement ensures law enforcement assesses the situation directly before taking action.

  • 11 O.S. 2021, Section 22-123

    Upon determination that the person meets the definition of a vagrant, the officer shall relocate the vagrant to public property that is at least one-half (1/2) mile away from the location of the business which made the initial contact to law enforcement. The location for relocation shall not be within one-quarter (1/4) mile of any other business.

    This provision mandates that vagrants identified by law enforcement must be relocated a specific distance away from the business that reported them.

Action History

  1. Placed on General Order

  2. Reported Do Pass Local and County Government committee; CR filed

  3. Second Reading referred to Local and County Government

  4. Authored by Senator Stewart

  5. First Reading

Sponsors

Sponsorship breakdown

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1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 150 not signed on · 2 voted No

Sponsors (1)

Co-sponsors (0)

None.

Not signed on (150)

150 members have not signed on to this bill.

Show all 150 →

"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.

Whip count is in markup. Polling the chamber and every recorded vote this session. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Calling the roll · Tallying · Engrossing

Votes

Subjects

public-safety civil-rights
Cross-referencing the record. Reading this bill against every other bill in the corpus by meaning, not keywords. Only the first open is slow. It’s instant for you after this. Matching · Ranking · Engrossing

Frequently asked questions

Who sponsors SB 537?
SB 537 is sponsored by Jack Stewart (Republican).
What is the current status of SB 537?
This bill is in committee in the Senate. Introduced February 03, 2025. It must pass committee before a floor vote.
Where can I track SB 537?
Track SB 537 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.

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Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously

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