Oklahoma 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB340 Compare Versions

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4		-	An Act
5		-	ENROLLED SENATE
	29	+	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
	30	+
	31	+	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
	32	+
	33	+	1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
	34	+
	35	+	ENGROSSED SENATE
6	36		BILL NO. 340 By: Paxton of the Senate
7	37
8	38		and
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10	40		Boatman of the House
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17	47		An Act relating to the Oklahoma Adoption Code;
18	48		amending 10 O.S. 2011, Section 7505 -5.3, as amended
19	49		by Section 1, Chapter 242, O.S.L. 2012 (10 O.S. Supp.
20	50		2020, Section 7505-5.3), which relates to contents of
21	51		home study; modifying eligibility to review certain
22	52		home study reports; updating reference; and providing
23	53		an effective date.
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29		-	SUBJECT: Oklahoma Adoption Code
30		-
31	59		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
32		-
33	60		SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 10 O.S. 2011, Section 7505 -5.3, as
34	61		amended by Section 1, Chapter 242, O.S.L. 2012 (10 O.S. Supp. 2020,
35	62		Section 7505-5.3), is amended to read as follows:
36		-
37	63		Section 7505-5.3. A. A home study satisfying Section 7505 -5.1
38	64		or 7505-5.2 of this title must include at a minimum the following:
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40	65		1. An appropriate inquiry to determine whether the proposed
41	66		home is a suitable one for the minor; and an y other circumstances
42	67		and conditions which may have a bearing on the adoption and of which
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43	95		the court should have knowledge; and in this entire matter of
44	96		investigation, the court is specifically authorized to exercise
45	97		judicial knowledge and discretion;
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47		-
48		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 340 Page 2
49	98		2. Documentation of at least one individual interview with each
50	99		parent, each school-age child and any other household member, one
51	100		joint interview, a home visit, and three written references;
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53	101		3. Verification that the home is a healthy, safe environment in
54	102		which to raise a minor, as well as verification of marital status,
55	103		employment, income, access to medical care, physical health and
56	104		history; and
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58	105		4. A review of a criminal background check and a child abuse
59	106		and neglect information system check.
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61	107		a. A background check shall be required for adoptive
62	108		parents and all other household members eighteen (18)
63	109		years of age and older, consisting of a review of a
64	110		national fingerprint -based criminal background check,
65	111		a search of the Department of Corrections ’ files
66	112		maintained pursuant to the Sex Offenders Registration
67	113		Act, and a search of the child abuse and neglect
68	114		information system maintained for review by authorized
69	115		entities by the Department of Human Services.
70		-
71	116		b. A Department of Public Safety Motor Vehicle Report
72	117		shall be required for adoptive parents and all other
73	118		adult household members when the child to be adopted
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74	146		is in the legal custody of the Department of Human
75	147		Services.
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77	148		c. For each adoptive parent or other household member
78	149		eighteen (18) years of age or older who ha s not
79	150		maintained continuous residency in the state for five
80	151		(5) years prior to the home study or home study
81	152		update, a child abuse registry check shall be required
82	153		from every other state in which the prospective
83	154		adoptive parent or other adult household memb er has
84	155		resided during such five -year period.
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86	156		d. Each prospective adoptive parent or other household
87	157		member eighteen (18) years of age or older shall be
88	158		required to cooperate with the requirements of the
89	159		Department of Human Services and the Oklahoma State
90	160		Bureau of Investigation with regard to the criminal
91		-
92		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 340 Page 3
93	161		background check and child abuse check , including but
94	162		not limited to signing a release of information
95	163		allowing the release of the results of any search to
96	164		the agency or person conducting the home study or home
97	165		study update.
98		-
99	166		e. Upon completion of the criminal record checks and
100	167		child abuse and neglect checks, the Department of
101	168		Human Services and the Oklahoma State Bureau of
102	169		Investigation shall forward all information obtained
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103	197		to the agency or other person aut horized in Section
104	198		7505-5.4 of this title to conduct home study
105	199		investigations who has requested the background
106	200		searches.
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108	201		B. A home study which is being updated or brought current in
109	202		accordance with subsection A of Section 7505 -5.1 of this title shall
110	203		document appropriate inquiry into changes in the family situation
111	204		since the last home study, a home visit, at least one joint
112	205		interview, information on any children added to the family,
113	206		experiences, if any, of the adoptive parents as parents since the
114	207		last study, verification of current physical health, and three
115	208		current letters of reference.
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117	209		C. An updated home study as described in subsection B of this
118	210		section shall include a review of criminal background checks and
119	211		child abuse and neglect checks as describe d in subsection A of this
120	212		section. However, when a national fingerprint background check has
121	213		been done within the five (5) years previous to the completion of
122	214		the updated home study and the results are available for review by
123	215		the home study investigator , then a name-based search of the records
124	216		of the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation on the adoptive
125	217		parents and other household residents over the age of eighteen (18)
126	218		years of age or older for whom the fingerprint background check has
127	219		been performed shall satisfy the requirements for a criminal
128	220		background check for purposes of a home study update.
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130	248		D. 1. A preplacement home study or update which is being used
131	249		solely for purposes of international adoption shall not require a
132	250		national fingerprint -based criminal background search in addition to
133	251		the one required by the United States Citizenship and Immigration
134	252		and Naturalization Service Services.
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136		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 340 Page 4
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138	253		2. Such an international home study shall contain a review of a
139	254		state criminal background check, a search of the Department of
140	255		Corrections’ files maintained pursuant to the Sex Offenders
141	256		Registration Act, and a search of the child abuse and neglect
142	257		information system maintained for review by authorized entities by
143	258		the Department of Human Services.
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145	259		3. An international home study or home study update as
146	260		described in this section must include a statement that the home
147	261		study recommendation is for international adoption purposes only and
148	262		may not be used as the basis for a domestic adoption without the
149	263		addition of a review of the results of a national fingerprint -based
150	264		criminal background search if such would be required by subparagraph
151	265		c of paragraph 4 of subsection A of this section.
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153	266		E. The report of such home study or home study update shall
154	267		become a part of the files in the case and shall contain a definite
155	268		recommendation for or against the proposed adoption and the reasons
156	269		therefor.
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158	270		F. Following issuance of an interlocutory decree of adoption,
159	271		or if the interlocutory decree is waived, prior to issuance of a
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160	299		final decree, the investigator conducting the home study or another
161	300		investigator who meets the qualifications specified in Section 7505 -
162	301		5.4 of this title, shall observe the minor in the proposed adoptive
163	302		home and report in writing to the court on any circumstances or
164	303		conditions which may have a bearing on the granting of a final
165	304		adoption decree. If the interlocutory decree was not waived, the
166	305		investigator must certify that the final examination described in
167	306		this subsection has been made since the granting of the
168	307		interlocutory order. This supplemental report shall include a
169	308		determination as to the legal availability or status of the minor
170	309		for adoption and shall be filed prior to the final decree of
171	310		adoption.
172		-
173	311		SECTION 2. This act shall become effectiv e November 1, 2021.
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176		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 340 Page 5
177		-	Passed the Senate the 8th day of March, 2021.
178		-
179		-
180		-
181		-	Presiding Officer of the Senate
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184		-	Passed the House of Representatives the 22nd day of April, 2021.
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188		-	Presiding Officer of the House
189		-	of Representatives
190		-
191		-	OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
192		-	Received by the Office of the Governor this _______ _____________
193		-	day of _________________ __, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
194		-	By: _______________________________ __
195		-	Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _____ ____
196		-	day of _________________ __, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
197		-
198		-	_________________________________
199		-	Governor of the State of Oklahoma
200		-
201		-
202		-	OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
203		-	Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this _______ ___
204		-	day of __________________, 20 _______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
205		-	By: ____________________ _____________
	313	+	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON CHILDREN, YOUTH AND FAMILY
	314	+	SERVICES, dated 03/30/2021 - DO PASS.