Convicted child sex offenders would have to undergo chemical or drug treatments to stop production of sex hormones - a process often referred to as ‘chemical castration’ - before they’d be considered for parole, under a bill in the works at the State Capitol.

House Bill 2422 was approved easily by the full House on Monday and now heads on to the Senate.

This is the third try for the bill’s sponsor, State Representative Scott Fetgatter (R-Okmulgee), to get some kind of increased penalties for child sex offenders.

His previous bills have proposed the possibility of the death penalty for repeat offenders, as well as life without parole, but, much to his stated frustration, they failed to get traction in the State Senate.

He’s hoping the ‘chemical castration’ bill will find more support there.

The bill could face legal, constitutional challenges, but Fetgatter points out a similar bill was approved in Louisiana.