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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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57	57	SENATE BILL 163 By: Boren
58	58
59	59
60	60
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63	63	AS INTRODUCED
64	64
65	65	An Act relating to child custody; amending 43 O.S.
66	66	2021, Section 109, as amended by Section 1, Chapter
67	67	24, O.S.L. 2024 (43 O.S. Supp. 2024 , Section 109),
68	68	which relates to awarding custody or appointing
69	69	guardian; defining term; and providing an effective
70	70	date.
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75	75	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
76	76	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 43 O.S. 2021, Sectio n 109, as
77	77	amended by Section 1, Chapter 24, O.S.L. 2024 (43 O.S. Supp. 2024,
78	78	Section 109), is amended to read as follows:
79	79	Section 109. A. In awarding the custody of a minor unmarried
80	80	child or in appointing a general guardian for the child, the court
81	81	shall consider what appears to be in the best interests of the
82	82	physical and mental and moral welfare of the child.
83	83	B. The court, pursuant to the provisions of subsection A of
84	84	this section, may grant the care, custody, and control of a child to
85	85	either parent or to the parents jointly.
86	86	For the purposes of this section, the terms joint cu stody and
87	87	joint care, custody, and control mean the sharing by parents in all
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139	139	or some of the aspects of physical and legal care, custody, and
140	140	control of their children.
141	141	C. If either or both parents have requested joint custody, the
142	142	parents shall file with the court their plans for the exercise of
143	143	joint care, custody, and control of their child. The parents of the
144	144	child may submit a plan jointly, or either parent or both parents
145	145	may submit separate plans. Any plan shall include but is not
146	146	limited to provisions detailing the physical living arrangements for
147	147	the child, child support obligations, medical and dental care for
148	148	the child, school placement, and visitation rights. A plan shall be
149	149	accompanied by an affidavit signed by each parent stating that the
150	150	parent agrees to the plan and will abide by its terms. The plan and
151	151	affidavit shall be filed with the petition for a divorce or legal
152	152	separation or after the petition is filed.
153	153	D. The court shall issue a final plan for the exercise of joint
154	154	care, custody, and control of the child or children, based upon the
155	155	plan submitted by the parents, separate or jointly, with appropriate
156	156	changes deemed by the court to be in the best interests of the
157	157	child. The court also may reject a request for joint custody and
158	158	proceed as if the request for joint custody had not been made.
159	159	E. The parents having joint custody of the child may modify the
160	160	terms of the plan for joint care, custody, and control . The
161	161	modification to the plan shall be filed with the court and included
162	162	with the plan. If the court determines the modifications are in the
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214	214	best interests of the child, the court shall approve the
215	215	modifications.
216	216	F. The court also may modify the terms of the plan for joint
217	217	care, custody, and control upon the request of one parent. The
218	218	court shall not modify the plan unless the modifications are in the
219	219	best interests of the child.
220	220	G. 1. The court may terminate a joint custody decree upon the
221	221	request of one or both of the parents or whenever the court
222	222	determines the decree is no t in the best interests of the child.
223	223	2. Upon termination of a joint custody decree, the court shall
224	224	proceed and issue a modified decree for the care, custody, and
225	225	control of the child as if no such joint custody decree had been
226	226	made.
227	227	H. In the event of a dispute between the parents having joint
228	228	custody of a child as to the interpretation of a provision of the
229	229	plan, the court may appoint an arbitrator to resolve the dispute.
230	230	The arbitrator shall be a disinterested person knowledgeable in
231	231	domestic relations law and family counseling. The determination of
232	232	the arbitrator shall be final and binding on the parties to the
233	233	proceedings until further order of the court.
234	234	If a parent refuses to consent to arbitration, the court may
235	235	terminate the joint custody decree.
236	236	I. 1. In every proceeding in which there is a dispute as to
237	237	the custody of a minor child, a determination by the court that
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289	289	child abuse, domestic violence, stalking, or hara ssment has occurred
290	290	raises a rebuttable presumption that sole custody, joint l egal or
291	291	physical custody, or any shared parenting plan with the perpetrator
292	292	of child abuse, domestic violence, harassing or stalking behavior is
293	293	detrimental and not in the best i nterest of the child, and it is in
294	294	the best interest of the child to reside with the parent who is not
295	295	a perpetrator of child abuse, domestic violence, harassing or
296	296	stalking behavior.
297	297	2. For the purposes of this subsection:
298	298	a. “child abuse” shall have the same meaning as “abuse”
299	299	as defined pursuant to the Oklahoma Children ’s Code in
300	300	Section 1-1-105 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes,
301	301	b. “coercive control” means unreasonably engaging in any
302	302	of the following conduct with a current or former
303	303	spouse, persons who are or were in an intimate partner
304	304	or dating relationship, or persons who are biological
305	305	parents of the same child:
306	306	(1) intentionally isolating the person from friends,
307	307	relatives, or other sources of support,
308	308	(2) depriving the person of basic necessi ties,
309	309	(3) controlling, regulating, or monitoring the
310	310	person’s movements, communications, daily
311	311	behavior, finances, economic resources, or access
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363	363	to services, which includes stalking or
364	364	cyberstalking,
365	365	(4) compelling the person by force, threat, or
366	366	intimidation including, but not limited to,
367	367	threats based on actual or suspected immigration
368	368	status, to engage in conduct from which the
369	369	person has a right to abstain, or to abstain from
370	370	conduct that the person has a right to pursue,
371	371	(5) committing or threatening t o commit cruelty to an
372	372	animal in a manner that intimidates the person,
373	373	(6) forced sex acts or threats of a sexual nature
374	374	including, but not limited to, threatened acts of
375	375	sexual conduct or threats to release sexual
376	376	images, or
377	377	(7) making demands on the pers on that limit free will
378	378	and lead to compliance,
379	379	c. “domestic violence” means the threat of the infliction
380	380	of physical injury, any act of physical harm or the
381	381	creation of a reasonable fear thereof, or the
382	382	intentional infliction of emotional distress by a
383	383	parent or a present or former member of the household
384	384	of the child, against the child or another member of
385	385	the household including coercive control as defined by
386	386	subparagraph b of this paragraph by a parent involving
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438	438	physical, sexual, psychological, emotiona l, economic
439	439	or financial abuse,
440	440	c. d. “harassment” means a knowing and willful course or
441	441	pattern of conduct by a parent directed at another
442	442	parent which seriously alarms or is a nuisance to the
443	443	person, and which serves no legitimate purpose
444	444	including, but not limited to, harassing or obscene
445	445	telephone calls or conduct that would cau se a
446	446	reasonable person to have a fear of death or bodily
447	447	injury, and
448	448	d. e. “stalking” means the willful course of conduct by a
449	449	parent who repeatedly follows or harasses another
450	450	person as defined in Section 1173 of Title 21 of the
451	451	Oklahoma Statutes.
452	452	3. If a parent is absent or relocates as a result of an act of
453	453	domestic violence by the other parent, the absence or relocation
454	454	shall not be a factor that weighs against the parent in determining
455	455	custody or visitation.
456	456	4. The court shall consider, as a primary factor, the safety
457	457	and well-being of the child who is the victim of child abuse and of
458	458	the parent who is the victim of domestic violence, harassment, or
459	459	stalking behavior, in add ition to other facts regarding the best
460	460	interest of the child.
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512	512	5. The court shall consider the history of the parent causing
513	513	physical harm, bodily injury, assault, verbal threats, stalking, or
514	514	harassing behavior, or the fear of physical harm, bodily injur y, or
515	515	assault to another person including the minor child, in determining
516	516	issues regarding custody and visitation.
517	517	SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
518	518
519	519	60-1-1096 TEK 12/30/2024 12:17:48 PM

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB163 Compare Versions