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§ 1-745.39. Private civil action

Oklahoma Statutes AnnotatedTitle 63. Public Health and SafetyEffective: May 3, 2022

Oklahoma Statutes Annotated
Title 63. Public Health and Safety (Refs & Annos)
Chapter 1. Public Health Code
Article 7. Hospitals and Related Institutions
C-11. Oklahoma Heartbeat Act
Effective: May 3, 2022
63 Okl.St.Ann. § 1-745.39
§ 1-745.39. Private civil action
Currentness
A. Any person, other than the state, its political subdivisions, and any officer or employee of a state or local governmental entity in this state, may bring a civil action against any person who:
1. Performs or induces an abortion in violation of this act;
2. Knowingly engages in conduct that aids or abets the performance or inducement of an abortion including paying for or reimbursing the costs of an abortion through insurance or otherwise, if the abortion is performed or induced in violation of this act, regardless of whether the person knew or should have known that the abortion would be performed or induced in violation of this act; or
3. Intends to engage in the conduct described by paragraph 1 or 2 of this subsection.
B. If a claimant prevails in an action brought under this section, the court shall award:
1. Injunctive relief sufficient to prevent the defendant from violating this act or engaging in acts that aid or abet violations of this act;
2. Statutory damages in an amount of not less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) for each abortion that the defendant performed or induced in violation of this act, and for each abortion performed or induced in violation of this act that the defendant aided or abetted;
3. Nominal and compensatory damages if the plaintiff has suffered harm from the defendant's conduct including but not limited to loss of consortium and emotional distress; and
4. Court costs and attorney fees.
C. Notwithstanding subsection B of this section, a court shall not award relief under paragraphs 2 or 4 of subsection B of this section in response to a violation of paragraph 1 or 2 of subsection A of this section if the defendant demonstrates that a court has already ordered the defendant to pay not less than Ten Thousand Dollars ($10,000.00) of statutory damages as provided in paragraph 2 of subsection B of this section in a previous action for that particular abortion performed or induced in violation of this act, or for the particular conduct that aided or abetted an abortion performed or induced in violation of this act.
D. Notwithstanding any other law, a person may bring an action under this section not later than six (6) years after the date the cause of action accrues.
E. Notwithstanding any other law, the following are not a defense to an action brought under this section:
1. Ignorance or mistake of law;
2. A defendant's belief that the requirements of this act are unconstitutional or were unconstitutional;
3. A defendant's reliance on any court decision that has been overruled on appeal or by a subsequent court, even if that court decision had not been overruled when the defendant engaged in conduct that violates this act;
4. A defendant's reliance on any state or federal court decision that is not binding on the court in which the action has been brought;
5. Non-mutual issue preclusion or non-mutual claim preclusion;
6. The consent of the unborn child's mother to the abortion; or
7. Any claim that the enforcement of this act or the imposition of civil liability against the defendant will violate the constitutional rights of third parties, except as provided by Section 10 of this act.1
F. 1. It is an affirmative defense if a person sued under paragraph 2 or 3 of subsection A of this section reasonably believed, after conducting a reasonable investigation, that the individuals and organizations involved with performing or facilitating the abortion would comply with this act.
2. The defendant has the burden of proving an affirmative defense under paragraph 1 of this subsection by a preponderance of the evidence.
G. This section shall not be construed to impose liability on any speech or conduct protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution, as made applicable to the states through the United States Supreme Court's interpretation of the Fourteenth Amendment of the United States Constitution, or by Section 3 or 22 of Article II of the Oklahoma Constitution.
H. 1. Notwithstanding any other law, neither the state, nor any of its political subdivisions, nor any district or county attorney, nor any executive or administrative officer or employee of this state or a political subdivision may:
a. act in concert or participation with anyone who brings suit under this section,
b. establish or attempt to establish any type of agency or fiduciary relationship with a plaintiff who brings suit under this section,
c. make any attempt to control or influence a plaintiff's decision to bring suit under this section or the plaintiff's conduct of the litigation, or
d. intervene in an action brought under this section.
2. This subsection shall not prohibit a person or entity described by this subsection from filing an amicus curiae brief in the action, so long as that person or entity does not act in concert or participation with the plaintiff or plaintiffs who sue under this section or violate any provision of paragraph 1 of this subsection.
I. Notwithstanding any other law, a court shall not award court costs or attorney fees to a defendant in an action brought under this section.
J. Notwithstanding any other law, a civil action under this section shall not be subject to any provision of the Oklahoma Citizens Participation Act, Section 1430 et seq. of Title 12 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and shall not be subject to any provision of the Oklahoma Religious Freedom Act, Section 251 et seq. of Title 51 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
K. Notwithstanding any other law, a civil action under this section shall not be brought:
1. Against the woman upon whom an abortion was performed or induced or attempted to be performed or induced in violation of this act, or against a pregnant woman who intends or seeks to abort her unborn child in violation of this act;
2. Against any person or entity that performs, aids or abets, or attempts to perform or aid or abet an abortion at the behest of federal agencies, contractors, or employees that are carrying out duties under federal law, if a prohibition on that abortion would violate the doctrines of preemption or intergovernmental immunity;
3. Against any common carrier that transports a pregnant woman to an abortion provider, if the common carrier is unaware that the woman intends to abort her unborn child; or
4. By a person who impregnated a woman seeking an abortion through an act of rape, sexual assault, incest, or any other act prohibited by state law.

Credits

Laws 2022, c. 190, § 9, emerg. eff. May 3, 2022.

Footnotes

1
Title 63, § 1-745.40.
63 Okl. St. Ann. § 1-745.39, OK ST T. 63 § 1-745.39
Current with emergency effective legislation through Chapter 257 of the Second Regular Session of the 59th Legislature (2024). Some sections may be more current, see credits for details.
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