Oklahoma 2022 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1674 Amended / Bill

Filed 02/09/2022

                     
 
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SENATE FLOOR VERSION 
February 8, 2022 
 
 
SENATE BILL NO. 1674 	By: Rader 
 
 
 
 
 
An Act relating to protective orders; amending 22 
O.S. 2021, Section 60.2, which relate s to petition 
for protective order; modifying eligibility 
requirements for filing petition for protective 
order; and providing an effective date . 
 
 
 
 
 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     AMENDATORY    22 O.S. 2021, Section 60.2, is 
amended to read as follows: 
Section 60.2. A.  A victim of domestic abuse, a victim of 
stalking, a victim of harassment, a victim of rape, any adult or 
emancipated minor household member on behalf o f any other family or 
household member who is a minor or incompetent, or any minor age 
sixteen (16) or seventeen (17) years may seek relief under the 
provisions of the Protection from Domestic Abuse Act. 
1.  The person seeking relief may file a petition fo r a 
protective order with the district court in the county in which the 
victim resides, the county in whic h the defendant resides, or the 
county in which the domestic violence occurred.  If the person 
seeking relief is a victim of stalking but is not a fam ily or   
 
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household member or an individual who is or has been in a dating 
relationship with the defendant, t he person seeking relief must file 
a complaint against the defendant with the proper law enforcement 
agency before filing a petition for a protective order with the 
district court.  The person seeking relief shall provide a copy of 
the complaint that was f iled with the law enforcement agency at the 
full hearing if the complaint is not available from the law 
enforcement agency.  Failure to provide a copy of the complaint 
filed with the law enforcement agency shall constitute a frivolous 
filing and the court may assess attorney fees and court costs 
against the plaintiff pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection C of 
this section. The filing of a petition for a protective order sha ll 
not require jurisdiction or venue of the criminal offense if either 
the plaintiff or defendant resides in the county.  If a petition has 
been filed in an action for divorce or separate maintenance and 
either party to the action fil es a petition for a pr otective order 
in the same county where the action for divorce or separate 
maintenance is filed, the petition for the protective order may be 
heard by the court hearing the divorce or separate maintenance 
action if: 
a. there is no established protective or der docket in 
such court, or 
b. the court finds that, in the interest of judicial 
economy, both actions may be heard together; provided,   
 
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however, the petition for a protective order , 
including, but not limited to, a petition in which 
children are named as petitioners, shall remain a 
separate action and a separate order shall be entered 
in the protective order action.  Protective orders may 
be dismissed in favor of restraining orders in the 
divorce or separate maintenance action if the court 
specifically finds, upon hearing, that such dismissal 
is in the best interests of the parties and do es not 
compromise the safety of any petitioner. 
If the defendant is a minor child, the petition shall be filed 
with the court having jurisdiction over juvenile matters. 
2.  When the abuse occurs when the court is not open for 
business, such person may requ est an emergency temporary order of 
protection as authorized by Section 40.3 of this title. 
B.  The petition forms shall be provided by the clerk of t he 
court.  The Administrative Office of the Courts shall develop a 
standard form for the petition. 
C.  1.  Except as otherwise provided by this section, no filing 
fee, service of process fee, attorney fees or any other fee or costs 
shall be charged the pla intiff or victim at an y time for filing a 
petition for a protective order whether a protective order is 
granted or not granted.  The court may assess court costs, service 
of process fees, attorney fees, other fees and filing fees against   
 
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the defendant at the hearing on the peti tion, if a protective order 
is granted against the defendant; provided, the court sh all have 
authority to waive the costs and fees if the court finds that the 
party does not have the ability to pay the costs and fees. 
2.  If the court makes specific findin gs that a petition for a 
protective order has been filed frivolously and no victim e xists, 
the court may assess attorney fees and court costs against the 
plaintiff. 
D.  The person seeking relief shall prepare the petition or, at 
the request of the plaintif f, the court clerk or the victim -witness 
coordinator, victim support person, and cou rt case manager shall 
prepare or assist the plaintiff in preparing the petition. 
E.  The person seeking a protective order may further request 
the exclusive care, possessio n, or control of any animal owned, 
possessed, leased, kept, or held by either the pe titioner, defendant 
or minor child residing in the residence of the petitioner or 
defendant.  The court may order the defendant to make no contact 
with the animal and forbi d the defendant from taking, transferring, 
encumbering, concealing, molesting, attac king, striking, 
threatening, harming, or otherwise disposing of the animal. 
F.  A court may not require the victim to seek legal sanctions 
against the defendant including, but not limited to, divorce, 
separation, paternity or criminal proceedings prior to hearing a 
petition for protective order.   
 
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G.  A victim of rape, forcible sodomy, a sex offense, 
kidnapping, assault and battery with a deadly weapon or member of 
the immediate family of a victim of first -degree murder, as such 
terms are defined in Section 4 0 of this title, may petition for an 
emergency temporary order or emergency ex parte order regardless of 
any relationship or scenario pursuant to the provisions of this 
section.  The Administrative Office of the Courts shall modify the 
petition forms as ne cessary to effectuate the provisions of this 
subsection. 
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2022. 
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY 
February 8, 2022 - DO PASS