A. As used in this section, the term “strangulation” means any form of asphyxia, including, but not limited to, asphyxia characterized by closure of the blood vessels or air passages of the neck as a result of external pressure on the neck or the closure of the nostrils or mouth as a result of external pressure on the head.

B. A person commits domestic battery by strangulation if the person knowingly and intentionally, against the will of another, impedes the normal breathing or circulation of the blood of a family or household member or of a person with whom he or she is in a dating relationship, so as to create a risk of or cause great bodily harm by applying pressure on the throat or neck of the other person or by blocking the nose or mouth of the other person. This paragraph does not apply to any act of medical diagnosis, treatment, or prescription which is authorized under the laws of this Nation.

C. Any person convicted of committing the criminal offense of domestic battery by strangulation shall be guilty of a crime punishable by imprisonment in the Tribal Jail not exceeding three years, by a fine not exceeding Fifteen Thousand Dollars ($15,000.00), or by banishment for a period not less than five years nor more than life, or any combination of the above. ONCA 22-33, eff. Apr. 25, 2022.