Oklahoma Gov. Stitt signed HB 1449, writing a binary biological-sex definition into state law and excluding gender identity from recognition

On May 31, 2024, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 1449, the "Women's Bill of Rights," enacted by the Oklahoma Legislature during its 2024 regular session. The measure, whose lead authors were state Rep. Toni Hasenbeck and Sen. Jessica Garvin, passed the House 79-17 and the Senate 35-7 before being signed by the governor, and took effect November 1, 2024.

The law writes binary definitions of "sex," "male," and "female" into Oklahoma statute based strictly on reproductive biology, defining a female as an individual whose reproductive system is developed to produce ova and a male as an individual whose reproductive system is developed to fertilize the ova of a female. It excludes gender identity from governmental recognition of sex and states the intent that access to sex-segregated spaces — including prisons, domestic-violence shelters, and locker rooms — be restricted to a person's biological sex as defined by the act.

House Bill 1449 followed a wave of state laws adopting binary "biological sex" definitions in government code. By fixing legal sex to reproductive biology and excluding gender identity from official recognition, the law removes the basis on which transgender Oklahomans could have their gender identity reflected in state records and determines their access to sex-segregated public facilities by birth sex. It closely parallels Texas House Bill 229, also marketed as a "Women's Bill of Rights," which was enacted in a separate action the following year.