ENGR. H. A. to ENGR. S. B. NO. 1344 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ENGROSSED HOUSE AMENDME NT TO ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO . 1344 By: Garvin of the Senate and Lawson of the House An Act relating to court-appointed special ad vocates; amending 10A O.S. 2021, Section 1-8-102, which relates to education and training and criminal history checks; applying certain standards to required education and training; clarifying requirements for certain background checks; removing requirement for payment of certain fee by Oklahoma Court-Appointed Special Advocate Associ ation; and providing an effecti ve date. AMENDMENT NO. 1. Strike the title, enacting clause, and entire bill and insert: "An Act relating to court-appointed special advocates; amending 10A O.S. 2021, Section 1-8-102, which relates to education and training and criminal history checks; applying certain standards to required education and training; clarifying requirements for certain back ground checks; removing requirement for payment of certain fee by Oklahoma Court-Appointed Special Advocate Associ ation; and providing an effecti ve date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: ENGR. H. A. to ENGR. S. B. NO. 1344 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 10A O.S. 2021, Secti on 1-8-102, is amended to read as follows: Section 1-8-102. A. Any court-appointed special advo cate (CASA) available for appointment pursuant to the Oklahoma Children's Code or the Oklahoma Juvenile Code shall complete education and training courses in juvenile law, child abuse and neglect and other issues relating to children such as foster care an d parental divorce, including, but not limited to, risk fa ctors which may identify domestic abuse and potential violence and the relat ionship between alcohol or drug abuse and violence, safe visitation and supervised visitation arrangements and standards f or a child and parties. The chief judge of the judicial di strict for which a court-appointed special advocate serves shall be responsi ble for developing and administering procedures and rules for such courses accordance with nati onal and Oklahoma CASA standards. B. No court-appointed special advocate shall be a ssigned a case before: 1. Completing a training program in compliance with nationally documented Court-Appointed Special Advocate standards. Documentation of training shall be submitted annually b y local court-appointed special advocate programs to the O klahoma Court- Appointed Special Advocate Association; and ENGR. H. A. to ENGR. S. B. NO. 1344 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 2. Being approved by the local court-appointed special advocate program, which will include appropriate criminal background checks as provided in subsection C of this section. C. 1. Notwithstandi ng any other provision of law, each local court-appointed special advocate p rogram shall require for any person making application to become a court-appointed special advocate volunteer or to be employed by the local court-appointed special advocate program: a. a child welfare records search cond ucted by the Department of Human Se rvices, which shall consist of a search of the Child Abuse and Neglect Information System maintained by the Department of Human Services for review by authorized entities, b. a criminal history records search conducted by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Inves tigation, and c. any other background check meeting the requirements as set forth in Oklahoma Court -Appointed Special Advo cate Association state or national standards for local programs, for any person making application to become a court-appointed special advocate volunteer or to be employed by the local court-appointed special advocate program. For purposes of this paragraph, “child welfare records search ” means a search of the c hild abuse and neglect information system maintained by the ENGR. H. A. to ENGR. S. B. NO. 1344 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Department of Human Services for review b y authorized entities. 2. If the prospective court-appointed special advocate volunteer or employee of the local court -appointed special advocate program has lived in Oklahoma for less than one ( 1) year, a criminal history records search shall also be obt ained from the criminal history state repository of the previous state of residence. 3. The Oklahoma Court-Appointed Special Advocate Association shall pay the fee for the criminal history record s search provided in this subsection. D. 1. Any person par ticipating in a judicial proceeding as a court-appointed special advocate shall be presum ed prima facie to be acting in good faith and in so doing shall be immune from any civil liability that otherwise might be incurred or imposed . 2. Any person serving in a management position of a court- appointed special advocate organization , including a member of the Board of Directors acting in good faith, shall be im mune from any civil liability or any vica rious liability for the negligence of any court-appointed special advocate organization advocates, managers, or directors. SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2022." ENGR. H. A. to ENGR. S. B. NO. 1344 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 Passed the House of Representatives the 26th day of April, 2022. Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives Passed the Senate the ____ day of _______ ___, 2022. Presiding Officer of the Sena te ENGR. S. B. NO. 1344 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 1344 By: Garvin of the Senate and Lawson of the House An Act relating to court-appointed special ad vocates; amending 10A O.S. 2021, Section 1-8-102, which relates to education and training and criminal history checks; applying certain standards to required education and training; clarifying requirements for certain background checks; removing requirement for payment of certain fee by Oklahoma Court-Appointed Special Advocate Associ ation; and providing an effecti ve date. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 10A O.S. 2021, Section 1 -8-102, is amended to read as follows: Section 1-8-102. A. 1. Any court-appointed special advocate (CASA) available for appointment pursuant to the Oklahoma Children ’s Code or the Oklahoma Juvenile Code shall complete education and training courses in accordance with nati onal and Oklahoma CASA standards including but not limited to: a. juvenile law, b. child abuse and neglect, and c. other issues relating to children such as foster care and parental divorce , including, but not limited to, ENGR. S. B. NO. 1344 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 risk factors which may identi fy domestic abuse and potential violence and the relationshi p between alcohol or drug abuse an d violence, safe visitation and supervised visitation arrangements and standards for a child and parties. 2. The chief judge of the judicial district for which a court- appointed special advocate serves shall be responsibl e for developing and administering procedures and rules for such courses required pursuant to paragraph 1 o f this subsection. B. No court-appointed special advocate shall be assigned a case before: 1. Completing a training program in compliance with nati onally documented Court-Appointed Special Advocate standards. Documentation of training shall be submitted annually by local court-appointed special advocate programs to the Oklahoma Court - Appointed Special Advocate Association; and 2. Being approved by the local court-appointed special advocate program, which will include appropriate criminal background checks as provided in subsection C of this section. C. 1. Notwithstanding any other provi sion of law, each local court-appointed special advocate progr am shall require for any person making application to become a court-appointed special advocate volunteer or to be employed by the local court-appointed special advocate program: ENGR. S. B. NO. 1344 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 a. a child welfare records search cond ucted by the Department of Human Servic es, which shall consist of a search of the child abuse and neglect information system maintained by the Department of Human Services for review by authorized entities, b. a criminal history re cords search conducted by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investiga tion, and c. any other background check meeting the requirements as set forth in Oklahoma Court -Appointed Special Advocate Association state or national standards for local programs, for any person making application to become a court-appointed special adv ocate volunteer or to be employed by the local court-appointed special advocate program. For purposes of this paragraph, “child welfare records search ” means a search of the child abuse and neglect information system maintained by the Department of Human Services for review by authorized entities. 2. If the prospective court-appointed special advocate volunteer or employee of the local court -appointed special advocate program has lived in O klahoma for less than one ( 1) year, a criminal history records search shall also be obtained from th e criminal history state repository of the previous state of residence. ENGR. S. B. NO. 1344 Page 4 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 3. The Oklahoma Court-Appointed Special Advocate Association shall pay the fee for the criminal history record s search provided in this subsection. D. 1. Any person participating in a judicial proceeding as a court-appointed special advocate shall be presum ed prima facie to be acting in good faith and in so doing shall be immune from a ny civil liability that otherwise might be incurred or imposed. 2. Any person serving in a manageme nt position of a court- appointed special advocate organization , including a member of the Board of Directors acting in good faith, shall be immune from any civil liability or any vica rious liability for the negligence of a ny court-appointed special advocat e organization advocates, managers, or directors. SECTION 4. This act shall become effective November 1, 2022. Passed the Senate the 14th day of February, 2022. Presiding Officer of the Senate Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, 2022. Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives ENGR. S. B. NO. 1344 Page 5 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24