Committee advances bill allowing GPS monitoring in some protective-order cases

A House committee voted to advance House Bill 39-05, which authorizes judges to require GPS-style monitoring for defendants charged with stalking, violating a victim protective order, domestic abuse by strangulation, domestic abuse with a dangerous weapon, or repeat domestic abuse.

The sponsor told the committee that the device would generally be paid for by the defendant but that judges could authorize payment if the court finds the defendant indigent. "The only way we could incarcerate would be if they can prove willful nonpayment," said Michael Maxwell of the Oklahoma Sheriff's Association during questioning about enforcement and consequences.

On victim access, sponsors said current practice limits victims to proximity information rather than exact location. "It doesn't let them know where they are. It just lets them know the proximity to them," the sponsor said, arguing that the change clarifies and codifies an existing practice used under protective-order (VPO) conditions.

Committee members pressed for specifics about who sets the monitoring radius and whether victims can opt out of monitoring or sharing location information. Witnesses and the sponsor explained those parameters are set by the judge or by the protective-order terms; the sponsor said victims can decline to participate and are not compelled to provide monitoring information.

The committee reported the bill do pass; the record shows the committee report as 13-0 in favor.

Next steps: The bill was reported out of committee and will move toward floor consideration where members may offer amendments or technical fixes.