Oklahoma Bill Seeks to Shield Oil and Gas Firms From Climate Lawsuits
A bill filed ahead of the Oklahoma Legislature’s 2026 session aims to significantly limit civil lawsuits against oil and gas companies, particularly those alleging responsibility for climate change and greenhouse gas emissions.
Energy Security and Independence Act Introduced
Senate Bill 1439, filed by Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, with Rep. Anthony Moore, R-Clinton, is titled the Energy Security and Independence Act. The measure would prohibit most civil liability claims against companies that lawfully produce, manufacture, and sell fossil fuels, unless plaintiffs allege specific violations of environmental or labor laws.
The bill states its intent is:
“To prohibit causes of action against those who lawfully produce, manufacture, and sell fossil fuels and their trade associations, when this highly regulated product functions as designed and intended.”
Broad Restrictions on Climate-Related Claims
The legislation defines a “covered civil liability action” broadly, explicitly including lawsuits based on claims of fraud, misrepresentation, deception, or failure to warn when those claims are tied to climate change, its alleged effects, or greenhouse gas emissions.
“Covered civil liability action includes, but is not limited to, any cause of action for fraud, misrepresentation, deception, or failure to warn, whether statutory or at common law, which purports to seek relief for climate change,” the bill states.
If enacted, the law would sharply restrict the ability of cities, counties, or individuals to pursue climate-related litigation against oil and gas companies operating within Oklahoma, so long as those companies are complying with existing laws and permits.
Part of a National Push for Liability Protection
Oklahoma’s proposal is one of only two such measures introduced in state legislatures so far this year. A similar bill filed in Utah would also block climate-related lawsuits unless a court determines the defendant violated a statute or permit.
Supporters argue the bills are necessary to protect energy producers from what they view as politically motivated litigation, while opponents say the measures undermine accountability.
Critics Warn of Reduced Corporate Accountability
The Oklahoma proposal has already drawn criticism from climate advocates and former elected officials.
Former Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, a former trial attorney, told The Guardian the legislation should concern Americans who value corporate responsibility.
“I think anyone in America who breathes the air around them and also believes in corporate accountability ought to be very concerned about these types of end-runs against accountability,” Inslee said.
Richard Wiles, president of the Center for Climate Integrity, a nonprofit that supports climate accountability litigation, said the effort appears coordinated across multiple states.
“These proposals are clearly part of a larger coordinated effort to strip communities and states of their right to hold Big Oil accountable,” Wiles said. “If you have not violated the law, there is no reason to seek immunity.”
Attorneys General Previously Sought Liability Shield
The Oklahoma bill follows earlier efforts at the national level. Last year, 16 Republican state attorneys general urged the U.S. Department of Justice to provide a federal “liability shield” for oil and gas companies facing climate-related lawsuits.
SB1439 will be eligible for consideration when lawmakers convene for the 2026 legislative session.
Source: The Guardian