Bill to raise age of consent in Oklahoma passes committee, advocates react

A bill to raise the age of consent is working its way through the Oklahoma legislature, and local child advocates expressed on Wednesday that it is a step in the right direction. 

Senate Bill 445 passed unanimously out of the Senate Judiciary Committee on Feb. 19. 

“If a person's a juvenile, then they should be treated as a juvenile,” said Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain. “We've seen too many instances where kids 16 to 18 have been pursued by adults. This bill would hopefully curtail those predators and pedophiles from praying upon these innocent kids." 

Abbott House Child Advocacy Center in Norman said it has seen an increase in child abuse and exploitation over the past several years. 

In a statement to News 9, Abbott House said: 

“At Abbott House, we have seen an increase of child abuse and child exploitation over the past several years and are always looking to ways to prevent further abuse or trauma. As a child advocacy center, we believe it is important that Oklahoma comes together as a state to ensure that all our children, no matter their age, are protected against exploitation and abuse. At our center, we see firsthand the devastating impact of child exploitation and how many children lack the maturity, resources, and protections that safeguard them from dangerous situations. This bill sends a message that we value our youth and recognize that true consent requires both age and maturity and makes steps toward ensuring that Oklahoma children are not placed in vulnerable situations where they may be coerced or manipulated by adults.” 

Legislative history

A previous iteration of Senate Bill 445 passed the Senate last session but got voted down in the House when lawmakers added a clause to ban childhood marriages. 

“It went down in the house because of the marriage amendment that was tied to it and I think there was some confusion about exactly what that’s all about,” Sen. Hamilton shared. 

This year, he said Hamilton is taking a different approach. 

“I've run a bill this year in addition to the age of consent bill that says that you can't get married in Oklahoma until you turn 18 — in order to add some statutory consistency to what we're doing with age of consent." 

SB 445 included a clause that said no person can be convicted of rape on an act of sexual intercourse with anyone 16 years old or older, with his or her consent, unless the person was more than four years older. 

The bill has been placed on general order, which means it will eventually be heard by the full Senate but is not yet on the agenda.