SB 1588

1STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1
22nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
2
3 SENATE BILL 1588  By: Gollihare
3
4
4
5
5
6AS INTRODUCED
6
7An Act relating to the Address Confidentiality
7Program; defining terms; permitting certain medical
8care providers to apply for the Address
8Confidentiality Program; requiring certain
9information on applications; requiring the Attorney
9General to approve certain applications; providing
10for penalties; requiring approval to be revoked in
10certain circumstances; requiring the Attorney General
11to keep certain records confidential; providing for
11exceptions; providing for codification; and providing
12an effective date.
12
13
13
14
14
15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
15
16     SECTION 1.       NEW LAW       A new section of law to be codified
16
17 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 60.14A of Title 22, unless there
17
18 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
18
19     A.   As used in this section:
19
20     1.   “Address” means a residential street address, school
20
21 address, or work address of an individual, as specified on the
21
22 application of an individual to be a program participant under this
22
23 section;
23
24
24
Req. No. 2662  Page 1
1     2.    “Crime against a medical care provider” means an act as
1
2 defined in Section 650.4 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes and
2
3 includes a threat of such an act committed against a medical care
3
4 provider, as long as the assault, battery, assault and battery, or
4
5 threat of such an act has been reported to law enforcement officers;
5
6     3.    “Medical care provider” means doctors, residents, interns,
6
7 nurses, nurses’ aides, ambulance attendants and operators,
7
8 paramedics, emergency medical technicians, laboratory technicians,
8
9 radiologic technologists, physical therapists, physician assistants,
9
10 chaplains, volunteers, pharmacists, nursing students, medical
10
11 students, members of a hospital security force, and any other
11
12 employees working in or for a health care facility or independent
12
13 contractors in one of the listed categories as defined in subsection
13
14 B of Section 650.4 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes; and
14
15     4.    “Program participant” means a person certified as a program
15
16 participant under this section.
16
17     B.    The Address Confidentiality Program shall be staffed by
17
18 unclassified employees, who have been subjected to a criminal
18
19 history records search.
19
20     C.    A medical care provider who is the victim of a crime against
20
21 a medical care provider and has reported the crime to law
21
22 enforcement may apply to the Attorney General to have an address
22
23 designated by the Attorney General serve as the address of the
23
24 person.    The Attorney General shall approve an application if it is
24
Req. No. 2662  Page 2
1 filed in the manner and on the form prescribed by the Attorney
1
2 General and if it contains:
2
3     1.    A sworn statement by the applicant that the applicant has
3
4 good reason to believe that he or she is a victim of a crime against
4
5 a medical care provider and that the applicant fears for his or her
5
6 safety;
6
7     2.    A designation of the Attorney General as agent for purposes
7
8 of service of process and for the purpose of receipt of mail;
8
9     3.    The mailing address where the applicant can be contacted by
9
10 the Attorney General, and the phone number or numbers where the
10
11 applicant can be called by the Attorney General;
11
12     4.    The new address or addresses that the applicant requests not
12
13 to be disclosed for the reason that disclosure will increase the
13
14 risk of retaliation for reporting to law enforcement regarding a
14
15 crime against a medical care provider; and
15
16     5.    The signature of the applicant and application assistant who
16
17 assisted in the preparation of the application, if any, and the date
17
18 on which the applicant signed the application.
18
19     D.    An adult or minor child who resides with the applicant who
19
20 also needs to be a program participant in order to ensure the safety
20
21 of the applicant may apply.    Each adult living in the household
21
22 shall complete a separate application.    An adult may apply on behalf
22
23 of a minor.
23
24
24
Req. No. 2662  Page 3
1     E.   1.   Upon receiving a properly completed application, the
1
2 Attorney General shall certify the applicant as a program
2
3 participant.    Applicants shall be certified for four (4) years
3
4 following the date of filing unless the certification is withdrawn
4
5 or invalidated before that date.    The Attorney General shall by rule
5
6 establish a renewal procedure.
6
7     2.   A person who falsely attests in an application that
7
8 disclosure of the address of the applicant would endanger the safety
8
9 of the applicant or the safety of the children of the applicant, or
9
10 who knowingly provides false or incorrect information upon making an
10
11 application, may be found guilty of perjury under Sections 500 and
11
12 504 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
12
13     F.   1.   The Attorney General may cancel the certification of a
13
14 program participant if there is a change in the residential address,
14
15 unless the program participant provides the Attorney General notice
15
16 no later than seven (7) days after the change occurs.
16
17     2.   The Attorney General may cancel certification of a program
17
18 participant if mail forwarded by the Attorney General to the address
18
19 of the program participant is returned as undeliverable.
19
20     3.   The Attorney General shall cancel certification of a program
20
21 participant who applies using false information or who receives a
21
22 name change while participating in the program.
22
23     G.   1.   A program participant may request that state and local
23
24 agencies use the address designated by the Attorney General as the
24
Req. No. 2662  Page 4
1 address of the participant.    When creating a new public record,
1
2 state and local agencies shall accept the address designated by the
2
3 Attorney General as a substitute address for the program
3
4 participant, unless the Attorney General has determined that the
4
5 agency has a bona fide statutory or administrative requirement for
5
6 the use of the address which would otherwise be confidential under
6
7 this section and the address will be used only for those statutory
7
8 and administrative purposes.
8
9     2.   A program participant may use the address designated by the
9
10 Attorney General as a work address.
10
11     3.   The Office of the Attorney General shall forward all first
11
12 class, certified, and registered mail to the appropriate program
12
13 participants for no charge.    The Attorney General shall not be
13
14 required to track or otherwise maintain records of any mail received
14
15 on behalf of a participant unless the mail is certified or
15
16 registered mail.
16
17     H.   The Attorney General shall not make any records in a file of
17
18 a program participant available for inspection or copying, other
18
19 than the address designated by the Attorney General, unless directed
19
20 by a court order, to a person identified in the order or to verify
20
21 the participation of a specific program participant to a state or
21
22 local agency, in which case the Attorney General may only confirm
22
23 information supplied by the requester.   No employee of a state or
23
24
24
Req. No. 2662  Page 5
1 local agency shall knowingly and intentionally disclose a program
1
2 participant’s actual address unless disclosure is permitted by law.
2
3     I.   The Attorney General shall designate hospitals, health care
3
4 entities, and nonprofit agencies or member associations as
4
5 designated entities to assist persons in applying to be program
5
6 participants.    A volunteer or employee of a designated entity that
6
7 is employed by a designated entity and has been trained by the
7
8 Attorney General shall be known as an application assistant.      Any
8
9 assistance and counseling rendered by the Office of the Attorney
9
10 General or an application assistant to applicants shall in no way be
10
11 construed as legal advice.
11
12     J.   The Attorney General may enter into agreements with
12
13 hospitals, health care entities, or member associations in this
13
14 state for purposes of the implementation of the Address
14
15 Confidentiality Program including the use and acceptance of the
15
16 substitute address designated by the Attorney General.
16
17     SECTION 2.   This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
17
18
18
19     60-2-2662       BLB       1/13/2026 10:21:29 AM
19
20
20
21
21
22
22
23
23
24
24
Req. No. 2662  Page 6