Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1701 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

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4		-	An Act
5		-	ENROLLED SENATE
	29	+	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
	30	+
	31	+	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
	32	+
	33	+	2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
	34	+
	35	+	ENGROSSED SENATE
6	36		BILL NO. 1701 By: Brooks of the Senate
7	37
8	38		and
9	39
10		-	Kannady, Swope, and Menz of
11		-	the House
	40	+	Kannady of the House
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16	47		An Act relating to guardianship; creating the
17	48		Oklahoma Standby Guardianship Act; providing short
18	49		title; defining terms; authorizing written
19	50		designation for certai n purposes; specifying required
20	51		contents of certain designation; providing for
21	52		commencement of certain authority upon specified
22	53		event; requiring filing of certain petition;
23	54		requiring certain notice; requiring certain order
24	55		upon specified findings; requirin g hearing under
25	56		certain circumstances; authorizing appointment of
26	57		guardian ad litem; authorizi ng appointment of standby
27	58		guardian or alternate; specifyi ng information to be
28	59		included in certain petition; allowing for revocation
29	60		of guardianship; permitting ce rtain refusal;
30	61		providing for dismissal of guardianship under certain
31	62		circumstances; providing for review of standby
32	63		guardianship; providing for codific ation; and
33	64		providing an effective date .
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35	66
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37	68
38		-	~~SUBJECT: Guardianship of a minor~~
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40	71		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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42	99		SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
43	100		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 7 -101 of Title 30, unless there
44	101		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
45		-
46		-
47		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 1701 Page 2
48	102		This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Oklahoma
49	103		Standby Guardianship Act ”.
50		-
51	104		SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
52	105		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 7 -102 of Title 30, unless there
53	106		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
54		-
55	107		As used in this act:
56		-
57	108		1. “Designation” means a writing which is voluntarily executed
58	109		in conformance with the requirements of Section 3 of this act and
59	110		signed by a parent and n ames a person to act as standby guardian;
60		-
61	111		2. “Parent” means a genetic or adoptive parent or parent
62	112		determined in accordance with the standards set forth in Section
63	113		7700-201 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and includes a
64	114		person, other than a parent, who has physical custody of a child and
65	115		who has either been awarded custody by a court or claims a right to
66	116		custody;
67		-
68	117		3. “Qualified parent” means a parent who has become unavailable
69	118		due to a military deployment, court proceeding, incapacity, or other
70	119		matter, as evidenced in writing, by a court of appropriate
71	120		jurisdiction or by a state or the federal governmen t;
72		-
73	121		4. “Standby guardian” means a person who, in accordance with
74	122		this act, is designated in writing or approved by the court to
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75	150		temporarily assume the duties of guardian of the person or gua rdian
76	151		of the property, or both, of a minor child on behalf of or i n
77	152		conjunction with a qualified parent upon the occurrence of a
78	153		triggering event; and
79		-
80	154		5. “Triggering event” means the event upon the occurrence of
81	155		which the standby guardian may be authorized to act.
82		-
83	156		SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
84	157		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 7 -103 of Title 30, unless there
85	158		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
86		-
87	159		A. A parent may execute a written designa tion of a standby
88	160		guardian at any time. The written designation s hall state:
89		-
90		-
91		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 1701 Page 3
92	161		1. The name, address and birthdate of the child affected; and
93		-
94	162		2. The name and address of the person designated as standby
95	163		guardian or alternate.
96		-
97	164		The written designation shall be signed by the parent. The
98	165		designated standby guardian or altern ate may not sign on behalf of
99	166		the parent. The signed designation shall be delivered to the
100	167		standby guardian and any alternate named as soon as practic able.
101		-
102	168		B. Following such delivery of th e designation, the authority of
103	169		a standby guardian to act for a qu alified parent shall commence upon
104	170		the occurrence of the triggering event, receipt of documentation, if
105	171		any, supporting the occurrence of the triggerin g event and the
106	172		qualified parent’s written consent to such commencement signed by
107	173		the parent.
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109	201		C. A standby guardian under a designation shall have the
110	202		authority of a guardian of the person and a guardian of the property
111	203		of the child, unless otherwise spec ified in the designation.
112		-
113	204		SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
114	205		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 7 -104 of Title 30, unless there
115	206		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
116		-
117	207		A. A designated standby g uardian or alternate shall file a
118	208		petition for approval as standby guardian. The petition shall be
119	209		filed as soon as practicable after the occurrence of the triggering
120	210		event but in no event later than thirty (30) days after the
121	211		triggering event. The autho rity of the standby guardian shall ceas e
122	212		upon his or her failure to so file but shall recommence upon suc h
123	213		filing. The petition shall be accompanied by a copy of the
124	214		designation and any documentation supporting the occurrence of the
125	215		triggering event.
126		-
127	216		B. Upon the filing of a petition, notice of the filing shall
128	217		promptly be given to each parent of the child w hose identity and
129	218		whereabouts are known to the petitioner. The court shall direct the
130	219		issuance of summonses to the child, if the child is twelve (12)
131	220		years of age or older and the proposed standby guardian and
132	221		alternate, if any, and such other persons as appear to the court to
133	222		be necessary parties to the proceedings including the child ’s
	223	+	parents, stepparents, grandparents, adult siblings, guardian, lega l
134	224
135		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 1701 Page 4
136		-	parents, stepparents, grandparents, adult siblings, guardian, legal
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137	251		custodian or other person standing in loco parentis, if the identity
138	252		and whereabouts of such persons ar e known.
139		-
140	253		C. The court shall enter an order approving the standby
141	254		guardian upon finding that:
142		-
143	255		1. The person was duly designated as standby guardian pu rsuant
144	256		to this act and the designation has not been revoked;
145		-
146	257		2. A triggering event occurred, and the par ent consented to
147	258		commencement of the standby guardian ’s authority;
148		-
149	259		3. The best interests of the child will be served by approval
150	260		of the standby guardi an; and
151		-
152	261		4. If the petition is by an alternate standby guardian, that
153	262		the designated standby guardian is unwilling or unable to serve.
154		-
155	263		D. An order approving the standby guardian shall not be entered
156	264		without a hearing if there is another known parent, step parents,
157	265		adult siblings, or other adult related to the child by blood,
158	266		marriage, or adoption who requests a hearing within ten (10) days of
159	267		the date that notice of the filing was sent or if there is other
160	268		litigation pending regarding custody of the child.
161		-
162	269		E. Prior to any hearing on the petition, the court may appoint
163	270		a guardian ad litem to represent the chil d. The qualified parent
164	271		shall not be required to appear in court if the parent is detained
165	272		and unable to appear, or upon motion for any other good cau se shown.
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167	300		SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
168	301		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 7 -105 of Title 30, unless there
169	302		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
170		-
171	303		A. If no designation for a standby guardi an has been completed
172	304		by a qualified parent, upon petition of any person, the district
173	305		court of the jurisdiction in which a child resides may approve a
174	306		person as standby guardian for a child of a qualified parent upon
175	307		the occurrence of a triggering event. If requested in the petition,
176	308		the court may also approve an alternate standby guardian identified
177	309		by the petitioner, to act in the event that at any time after
178		-
179		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 1701 Page 5
180	310		approval pursuant to this section the standby guardian is unable or
181	311		unwilling to assume the res ponsibilities of the standby
182	312		guardianship.
183		-
184	313		B. The petition shall state:
185		-
186	314		1. The name and address of the petitioner and his relationship
187	315		to the child and the name and address of the child ’s qualified
188	316		parent, and the name and address of any other parent of the child
189	317		whose identity and whereabout s are known to the petitioner or can
190	318		reasonably be ascertained;
191		-
192	319		2. The name, address and birthdate of the child;
193		-
194	320		3. The triggering event;
195		-
196	321		4. The name and address of the person proposed as standby
197	322		guardian and any alternate and whether the petition requests that
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198	350		such person be given authority as a guardian of the perso n or
199	351		guardian of the property of the minor, or both;
200		-
201	352		5. A statement of any known reasons as to why the child ’s other
202	353		parent is not assuming or should not assume responsibility for the
203	354		child; and
204		-
205	355		6. Whether there is any prior judicial history regarding
206	356		custody of the child or any pending litigation regarding custody of
207	357		the child.
208		-
209	358		SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codi fied
210	359		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 7 -106 of Title 30, unless there
211	360		is created a duplication in numb ering, reads as follows:
212		-
213	361		A. The authority of a standby guardian approved by the court
214	362		may be revoked by the qualified parent by filing a notice of
215	363		revocation with the court. The notice of revocation shall identify
216	364		the standby guardian or alternate standb y guardian to which the
217	365		revocation will apply. A copy of the revocation shall also be
218	366		delivered to the standby guardian whose authority is revoked and any
219	367		alternate standby guardian who may then be authorized to act.
220		-
221		-
222		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 1701 Page 6
223	368		B. At any time following his or her a pproval by the court, a
224	369		standby guardian may decline to serve by filing a written statement
225	370		of refusal with the court and having the statement personal ly served
226	371		on the qualified parent and a ny alternate standby guardian who may
227	372		then be authorized to act.
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229	400		C. When a written designation has been executed, but is not yet
230	401		effective because the triggering event has not yet occurred, the
231	402		parent may revoke or t he prospective standby guardian may refuse the
232	403		designation by notifying the other party in writing. A wr itten
233	404		designation may also be revoked by the execution of a subsequent
234	405		inconsistent designation.
235		-
236	406		D. When a standby guardian ’s authority becomes effect ive upon
237	407		the occurrence of a triggering event of the qualified parent, the
238	408		standby guardian’s authority to act on behalf of the qualified
239	409		parent continues even though the qualified parent is no longer
240	410		unavailable, unless the qualified parent notifies the s tandby
241	411		guardian and the court, in writing, that the standby guardian ’s
242	412		authority is revoked due to the expiration of the triggering event.
243		-
244	413		E. If at any time the court finds that the parent no longer
245	414		meets the definition of “qualified parent,” the court shall rescind
246	415		its approval of the standby guardian.
247		-
248	416		SECTION 7. NEW LAW A new sectio n of law to be codified
249	417		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 7 -107 of Title 30, unless there
250	418		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
251		-
252	419		A child’s parent, stepparent, adult sibling or any adult related
253	420		to the child by blood, marriage or adoptio n may petition the court
254	421		which approved the standby guardian at any time following such
255	422		approval and prior to any termination of the standby guardiansh ip
256	423		for review of whether continuation o f the standby guardianship is in
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257	451		the best interests of the child. Notice of the filing of a petition
258	452		shall promptly be given to the standby guardian, the child, if the
259	453		child is twelve (12) years of age or older, and each parent of the
260	454		child whose identity and whereabouts are known or could reasonably
261	455		be ascertained.
262		-
263	456		SECTION 8. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
264	457
265		-
266		-	ENR. S. B. NO. 1701 Page 7
267		-	Passed the Senate the 12th day of March, 2024.
268		-
269		-
270		-
271		-	Presiding Officer of the Senate
272		-
273		-
274		-	Passed the House of Representatives the 16th day of April, 2024.
275		-
276		-
277		-
278		-	Presiding Officer of the House
279		-	of Representatives
280		-
281		-	OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
282		-	Received by the Office of the Governor this _______ _____________
283		-	day of _________________ __, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
284		-	By: _________________________________
285		-	Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _______ __
286		-	day of _________________ __, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
287		-
288		-	_________________________________
289		-	Governor of the State of Oklahoma
290		-
291		-
292		-	OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
293		-	Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this _______ ___
294		-	day of _________________ _, 20 _______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
295		-	By: _________________________________
	458	+	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON JUDICIARY - CIVIL, dated
	459	+	03/28/2024 - DO PASS.