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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	1st Session of the 58th Legislature (2021)
56	56
57	57	SENATE BILL 978 By: Dugger
58	58
59	59
60	60
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63	63	AS INTRODUCED
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65	65	An Act relating to the Oklahoma Children ’s Code;
66	66	amending 10A O.S. 2011, Section 1 -1-102, as amended
67	67	by Section 1, Chapter 105, O.S.L. 20 14 (10A O.S.
68	68	Supp. 2020, Section 1 -1-102), which relates to
69	69	duties, rights and interests; prohibiting certain
70	70	legal preference or presumption in proceedings under
71	71	the Oklahoma Children’s Code; and providin g an
72	72	effective date.
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77	77	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
78	78	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 10A O.S. 2011, Section 1 -1-102, as
79	79	amended by Section 1, Chapter 105, O.S.L. 2014 ( 10A O.S. Supp. 2020,
80	80	Section 1-1-102), is amended to read as follows:
81	81	Section 1-1-102. A. For the purposes of the Oklahoma
82	82	Children’s Code, the Legislature recognizes that:
83	83	1. Parents have a natural, legal , and moral right, as well as a
84	84	duty, to care for and support their children and such rights are
85	85	protected by state and federal laws as w ell as the Constitution. To
86	86	that end, it is presumed that the best interests of a chi ld are
87	87	ordinarily served by leaving the child in the custody of the
88	88	parents, who are expected to have the strongest bon d of love and
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140	140	affection and to be best able to prov ide a child those needed
141	141	qualities that make a child ’s life safe and secure. Nevertheless,
142	142	this presumption may be rebutted where there is evidence of abuse
143	143	and neglect or threat of harm;
144	144	2. A child has a right to be raised by the mother and father of
145	145	the child as well as a right to be raised free from physical and
146	146	emotional abuse or neg lect. When it is necessary to remove a child
147	147	from a parent, the child is entitled to a permanent home and to be
148	148	placed in the least restrictive environment to meet the ne eds of the
149	149	child; and
150	150	3. Because the state has an interest in its present and future
151	151	citizens as well as a duty to protect those who, because of age, are
152	152	unable to protect themselves, it is the policy of this state to
153	153	provide for the protection of childre n who have been abused or
154	154	neglected and who may be further threatened by the conduct of
155	155	persons responsible for the health, safety , and welfare of such
156	156	children. To this en d, where family circumstances t hreaten the
157	157	safety of a child, the state ’s interest in the welfare of the child
158	158	takes precedence over the natural right and authority of the parent
159	159	to the extent that it is necessary to protect the child and assure
160	160	that the best interests of the child are met. For any proceeding
161	161	under the Oklahoma Chil dren’s Code, there shall be neither a legal
162	162	preference nor a presumption for or against a parent because of the
163	163	gender of that parent.
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215	215	B. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Oklahoma
216	216	Children’s Code provide the foundation and process for state
217	217	intervention into the parent -child relationship whenever the
218	218	circumstances of a family th reaten the safety of a child and to
219	219	properly balance the interests of the parties stated herein. To
220	220	this end, it is the purpose of the laws relating to children alleged
221	221	or found to be deprived to:
222	222	1. Intervene in the family only when necessary to protect a
223	223	child from harm or threatened harm;
224	224	2. Provide expeditious and timely judicial and agency
225	225	procedures for the protecti on of the child;
226	226	3. Preserve, unify, and strengthen the family ties of the child
227	227	whenever possible when in the best interests of the c hild to do so;
228	228	4. Recognize that the right to family integrity, preservation
229	229	or reunification is limited by the right of the child to be
230	230	protected from abuse and neglect;
231	231	5. Make reasonable efforts to prevent or eliminate the need for
232	232	the removal of a child from the home and make reasonable efforts to
233	233	return the child to the home unless otherwise prescribed by the
234	234	Oklahoma Children’s Code;
235	235	6. Recognize that permanency is i n the best interests of the
236	236	child;
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288	288	7. Ensure that when family rehabilitation and r eunification are
289	289	not possible, the child will be placed in an adoptive home or other
290	290	permanent living arrangement in a ti mely fashion; and
291	291	8. Secure for each child the perm anency, care, education , and
292	292	guidance as will best serve the spiritual, emotional, mental and
293	293	physical health, safety , and welfare of the child.
294	294	C. Whenever it is necessary for a child to be placed outsi de
295	295	the home pursuant to the Oklahoma Children ’s Code, it is the intent
296	296	of the Legislature that:
297	297	1. Each child shall be assured the car e, guidance, and
298	298	supervision in a permanent home or foster home that will serve the
299	299	best interests of the child including , but not limited to, the
300	300	development of the moral, emotional, spiritual, mental, social,
301	301	educational, and physical well-being of the child;
302	302	2. When a child is placed in foster care, the foster parent
303	303	shall be allowed to consider the child as part of the family;
304	304	3. Whenever possible siblings shall be plac ed together and when
305	305	it is not possible efforts shall be made to preserve the
306	306	relationships through visitation and other methods of communication;
307	307	and
308	308	4. Permanent placement is achieved as soon as possib le.
309	309	D. A foster parent or group home where a child is placed has a
310	310	recognizable interest in the familial relationship that the foster
311	311	parent or group home establishes with a foster child and shall
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363	363	therefore be considered an essential participant with rega rd to
364	364	decisions related to the care, supervision, gu idance, rearing, and
365	365	other foster care services to the child.
366	366	E. It is the intent of the Legislature that the paramount
367	367	consideration in all proceedings within the Oklahoma Children ’s Code
368	368	is the best interests of the child.
369	369	SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2021.
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371	371	58-1-836 TEK 1/21/2021 8:03:40 PM

Oklahoma 2022 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB978 Compare Versions