Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence Board

Purpose

The Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence (SAFE) Board operates out of the Oklahoma Office of the Attorney General. Pursuant to 21 O.S. §§ 143 and 143.1, the SAFE Board is tasked with evaluating and improving systems involved with sexual assault forensic evidence processing, including medical and law enforcement entities.

There are seventeen statutorily mandated SAFE Board members, creating a multidisciplinary group: two members of the Oklahoma Senate, two members of the Oklahoma House of Representatives, the Attorney General (or designee), OSBI Director (or designee), OKCPD Chief (or designee), TPD Chief (or designee), DAC Executive Coordinator (or designee), NAAV Executive Director (or designee), CLEET Executive Director (or designee), a SANE nurse, a municipal PD chief, a county sheriff, a public defender, a victim advocate, and a sexual assault survivor.

History

In response to a sexual assault test kit backlog, Governor Mary Fallin signed Executive Order 2017-11 (later filing an amended order) creating the Oklahoma Task Force on Sexual Assault Forensic Evidence in 2017, with the Governor (or designee) serving as Task Force Chairperson. As a result, the Task Force released SAFE Task Force 2018 Report of Findings and Recommendations.

In 2019, Governor Kevin Stitt signed Executive Order 2019-05, continuing the Task Force and transferring Chairperson designation to the Attorney General (or designee). The Task Force was to serve until or before January 1, 2023. In 2023, Governor Stitt signed Executive Order 2023-03, continuing the Task Force until completion of enumerated directives.

In 2024, Senator Kay Floyd sponsored Senate Bill No. 1933, supported by Senator Bullard and House Representatives Wallace, Munson, Swope, and Deck. This legislation took effect November 1, 2024, establishing the SAFE Board within the Office of the Attorney General and codifying the Board under Title 21 in the Oklahoma Statutes.

Findings & Reports

Materials & Publications

SAFE Task Force Oklahoma Victim Notification Protocol Recommendation

In The News

Board Members

Name	Agency or Role	Appointing Authority
Kyle Keller, Chair	Oklahoma Sheriffs’ Association	Attorney General
Linda Terrell, Co-Chair	Survivor	Attorney General
Danielle Tudor, Special Designee to AG	Survivor	Attorney General
Mistie Burris or Jenny Virden, Designee	OSBI	OSBI
Bill Weaver or Jason Samuel, Designee	Oklahoma City Police Department	Oklahoma City Police Department
Darin Ehrenrich	Tulsa Police Department	Tulsa Police Department
Ryan Stephenson	District Attorneys Council	District Attorneys Council
Shelley Miller or Sonya Spray, Designee	Native Alliance Against Violence	Native Alliance Against Violence
Brooke Christian	CLEET	CLEET
Kasey Magness	SANE Nurse	Attorney General
Mikela Rhodes	YWCA (Sexual Assault Advocate)	Attorney General
Billy Parker	OK Association of Chiefs of Police	Attorney General
Amanda Lilley	OK Indigent Defense System	Attorney General
AG Gentner Drummond	Attorney General’s Office	Attorney General
Karen Cunningham	Admin/OAG Victim Advocate	Attorney General
Laura Russell, SAFE Board Secretary	Admin/OAG Grant Monitor	Attorney General
Susan Laib	Admin/OAG Director of VASU	Attorney General
Senator Carri Hicks (D)	Oklahoma State Senate	President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Senator Julie McIntosh (R)	Oklahoma State Senate	President Pro Tempore of the Senate
Representative Melissa Provenzano (D)	OK House of Representatives	Speaker of the House of Representatives
Representative Cynthia Roe (R)	OK House of Representatives	Speaker of the House of Representatives