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Bill

HB 1364

Crimes and punishments; sexual obscenity; making certain acts unlawful; effective date.

2026 Regular Session Introduced by Jerry Alvord and 1 co-sponsor

Oklahoma law HB 1364 criminalizes new sexual obscenity acts with specified penalties, effective May 5, 2025, affecting adult entertainment businesses and online content distribution.

Approved by Governor 05/05/2025
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Bill Summary · HB 1364

Legislative bill overview

HB 1364 amends Oklahoma's criminal code to establish new legal definitions and penalties related to sexual obscenity. The bill was signed into law by the Governor on May 5, 2025, making certain acts previously unclassified or differently classified into statutory crimes with specified punishments.

Why is this important

Changes to obscenity laws directly affect what materials, performances, or acts can be legally distributed, displayed, or performed in Oklahoma. This impacts businesses in adult entertainment, bookstores, online platforms, and content creators, while also affecting enforcement priorities for law enforcement agencies.

Potential points of contention

  • First Amendment concerns: Obscenity laws historically face constitutional challenges; the specific definitions in this bill may be contested as overly broad or vague
  • Enforcement disparities: Unclear how authorities will uniformly apply obscenity standards across different contexts, potentially leading to selective prosecution
  • Commercial impact: Businesses in legal gray areas (strip clubs, adult theaters, online platforms) may face sudden liability for previously tolerated conduct, creating compliance uncertainty
  • Definitional ambiguity: Without seeing the exact language, the bill's specific definitions of "sexual obscenity" and which acts are newly criminalized remain unclear from available information

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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