OKLAHOMA CITY (July 29, 2025) – With Oklahoma named a “Tort Reform Trailblazer” in the American Tort Reform Association’s latest Legislative HeatCheck report, NFIB State Director Jerrod Shouse thanked lawmakers for advancing common-sense tort reform measures.

“When we have a fair judicial system, that benefits every Oklahoman,” Shouse said. “Inflation has taken a major toll on small business owners in the past several years, and excessive tort costs have exacerbated those challenges. That’s why the passage and signature of Senate Bill 453 was so important this legislative session. By capping non-economic damages in civil lawsuits, lawmakers provided greater predictability in our state’s legal landscape.”

Background:

NFIB was proud to support Senate Bill 453, capping non-economic damages to $500,000 for physical injuries and $1 million for permanent mental injuries, as well as adopting the federal Daubert standard for judicial approval of expert witnesses. The Governor signed the bill into law.