This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

DURANT, Okla. (KFOR) – House Bill 3501 would increase coordination between Tribal judicial systems and state agencies, leading to increased public safety. The bill is now sitting on Governor Stitt’s desk.

HB 3501 received support from more than 96 percent of the Oklahoma Legislature, according to the Choctaw Nation.

“HB 3501 is an excellent example of how cooperation between Tribes and state government can benefit all of Oklahoma,” Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma Chief Garry Batton said. “We appreciate the commitment of our lawmakers who understand tribal Nations share their goal of creating safe communities across our state. The Choctaw Nation alone has 75 cross-deputization agreements, and HB 3501 is a perfect complement to our continued efforts to expand and further strengthen our justice systems.”

“We urge Gov. Stitt to sign this bipartisan, common-sense measure to increase cooperation between our governments and promote public safety,” Batton continued.

The bill was sent to Governor Stitt’s desk on May 3rd.

With more than 200,000 tribal members, the Choctaw Nation is the third-largest Indian Nation in the United States.