1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1
2 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
2
3 SENATE BILL 696 By: Rader
3
4
4
5
5
6 AS INTRODUCED
6
7 An Act relating to children; amending 10 O.S. 2021,
7 Section 600, which relates to definitions; removing
8 and modifying definitions; modifying statutory
8 reference; amending 10 O.S. 2021, Section 601.1,
9 which relates to membership of Oklahoma Commission on
9 Children and Youth; modifying membership of
10 Commission; clarifying term limitation for certain
10 members; modifying frequency of certain report;
11 requiring membership terms to coincide with fiscal
11 year; amending 10 O.S. 2021, Section 601.5, which
12 relates to Director of the Commission; modifying
12 certain duty of the Director; amending 10 O.S. 2021,
13 Section 601.6a, which relates to Office of Planning
13 and Coordination for Services to Children and Youth;
14 removing, modifying, and adding certain duties;
14 amending 10 O.S. 2021, Section 601.6b, which relates
15 to State Plan for Services to Children and Youth;
15 modifying and eliminating certain requirements
16 relating to State Plan for Services to Children and
16 Youth; extending time period of State Plan;
17 broadening recipients of State Plan; amending 10 O.S.
17 2021, Section 601.14, which relates to the Children’s
18 Endowment Fund of Oklahoma; modifying purpose of
18 fund; broadening purpose of Parent Partnership Board;
19 expanding allowed expenses of funds; limiting
19 expenditures of fund; amending 10 O.S. 2021, Sections
20 1116.2, 1116.3, and 1116.6, which relate to
20 postadjudication review boards; modifying
21 terminology; removing obsolete language; increasing
21 length of review board terms; modifying applicability
22 of certain provisions; eliminating certain duties of
22 review boards and State Postadjudication Review
23 Advisory Board; amending 10 O.S. 2021, Section
23 1150.2, which relates to the Child Death Review
24 Board; extending termination date; modifying
24
Req. No. 825 Page 1
 1 terminology; amending 10A O.S. 2021, Section 2-10-
1 102, which relates to the Oklahoma Mentoring Children
2 of Incarcerated Parents Program; modifying frequency
2 of issuance of requests for proposals; updating
3 statutory language; repealing 10 O.S. 2021, Sections
3 601.9, 601.11, and 601.12, which relate to the
4 Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth; and
4 declaring an emergency.
5
5
6
6
7 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
7
8 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 10 O.S. 2021, Section 600, is
8
9 amended to read as follows:
9
10 Section 600. As used in Sections 601.1 through 601.12 601.14 of
10
11 this title:
11
12 1. “Children and youth service system” means health, mental
12
13 health, social, rehabilitative assistance and educational services
13
14 provided to children and youth by and through the courts and public
14
15 and private agencies;
15
16 2. “Client” means a child or a family member of a child who is
16
17 receiving services through the children and youth service system;
17
18 3. “Commission” means the Oklahoma Commission on Children and
18
19 Youth;
19
20 4. “Community partnership board” means the local district
20
21 planning and coordinating body for services to children and youth
21
22 established pursuant to Section 601.11 of this title;
22
23
23
24
24
Req. No. 825 Page 2
 1 5. “Community partnership district” means the local planning
1
2 and coordinating areas within the state established pursuant to
2
3 Section 601.11 of this title;
3
4 6. “Homeless children and youth” means a person twenty-one (21)
4
5 years of age or younger who is:
5
6 a. unaccompanied by a parent or guardian, and
6
7 b. without shelter where appropriate care and supervision
7
8 are available, or
8
9 c. without a parent or guardian who is willing and able
9
10 to provide shelter and care, or
10
11 d. without a fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime
11
12 residence. For the purposes of this paragraph,
12
13 “fixed, regular, or adequate nighttime residence”
13
14 shall not include a supervised publicly or privately
14
15 operated shelter or institution designed to provide
15
16 temporary living accommodations, transitional housing
16
17 arrangements, living in hotels, temporary living
17
18 arrangements with other people but without an
18
19 opportunity for permanent residence or a residential
19
20 lease, or a public or private place not designed for,
20
21 nor ordinarily used as, a regular sleeping
21
22 accommodation for human beings;
22
23 7. “Runaway” means an unmarried child less than eighteen (18)
23
24 years of age who is absent from the home of a parent, guardian or
24
Req. No. 825 Page 3
 1 other lawful placement without the consent of the parent, guardian
1
2 or lawful custodian;
2
3 8. “State and state-supported services to children and youth”
3
4 means services to children and youth, offered or provided by a
4
5 public or private agency or organization, that are supported in
5
6 whole or in part through state funds or federal funds administered
6
7 by the state;
7
8 9. 5. “State Plan for Services to Children and Youth” means the
8
9 planning document required by Section 601.9 601.6a of this title;
9
10 and
10
11 10. 6. “Youth at risk of homelessness” means a person twenty-
11
12 one (21) years of age or younger whose status or circumstances
12
13 indicate a significant danger of experiencing homelessness in the
13
14 near future, including but not limited to youth exiting out-of-home
14
15 placements, youth who previously were homeless, youth whose parents
15
16 or guardians are or were previously homeless, youth who are exposed
16
17 to abuse and neglect in their homes, and youth who experience
17
18 excessive conflict with their parents and runaways.
18
19 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 10 O.S. 2021, Section 601.1, is
19
20 amended to read as follows:
20
21 Section 601.1. A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma
21
22 Commission on Children and Youth which shall be composed of nineteen
22
23 (19) eighteen (18) members. The membership shall include:
23
24
24
Req. No. 825 Page 4
 1 1. The Director of the Department of Human Services, the State
1
2 Commissioner of Health, the Commissioner of the Department of Mental
2
3 Health and Substance Abuse Services, the State Superintendent of
3
4 Public Instruction, the Administrator of the Oklahoma Health Care
4
5 Authority, the Director of the State Department of Rehabilitation
5
6 Services, and the Chair of the SJR 13 Oversight Committee;
6
7 2. The Executive Director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs;
7
8 3. Five members who shall be appointed by the Governor from a
8
9 list submitted by the governing board of each of the following
9
10 organizations:
10
11 a. the Oklahoma Children’s Agencies and Residential
11
12 Enterprises,
12
13 b. one statewide association of youth services,
13
14 c. the Oklahoma Bar Association,
14
15 d. the Oklahoma District Attorneys Association, and
15
16 e. a statewide court-appointed Special Advocate
16
17 Association;
17
18 4. One member appointed by the Governor who shall represent one
18
19 of the metropolitan juvenile bureaus;
19
20 5. One member representing business or industry, appointed by
20
21 the Governor;
21
22 6. One member who is the parent of a child with special needs,
22
23 appointed by the Speaker of the House of Representatives;
23
24
24
Req. No. 825 Page 5
 1 7. One member with a demonstrated interest in improving
1
2 children’s services who is not employed by a state agency or a
2
3 private organization that receives state funds, appointed by the
3
4 President Pro Tempore of the Senate; and
4
5 8. One member who represents a community partnership board to
5
6 be elected pursuant to the guidelines established by the Oklahoma
6
7 Commission on Children and Youth; and
7
8 9. One member who shall be appointed by the Governor from a
8
9 list of three names submitted by the Post Adjudication Review Board.
9
10 B. The appointed members shall have had active experience in
10
11 services to children and youth and may serve four terms of two (2)
11
12 years each. Any appointed member serving on the Commission on the
12
13 effective date of this act shall be entitled to complete his or her
13
14 term and shall be eligible to serve one additional term of two (2)
14
15 years. Any person who served on the Commission prior to the
15
16 effective date of this act shall be eligible to serve one additional
16
17 term of two (2) years A person appointed to fill the remainder of a
17
18 vacant term shall, upon completion of that term, be eligible to
18
19 serve four additional two-year terms. Terms shall coincide with the
19
20 fiscal year.
20
21 C. The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth shall provide
21
22 a monthly report on commission Commission member attendance to the
22
23 appointing authorities following each Commission meeting.
23
24
24
Req. No. 825 Page 6
 1 SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 10 O.S. 2021, Section 601.5, is
1
2 amended to read as follows:
2
3 Section 601.5. A. The Oklahoma Commission on Children and
3
4 Youth shall appoint a Director who shall be a person having
4
5 experience in the operation and administration of services to
5
6 children and youth. Such Director shall be appointed for a term of
6
7 two (2) years, and may be reappointed. Such Director may be
7
8 dismissed only for cause. The Director shall:
8
9 1. Employ such staff as may be necessary to perform the duties
9
10 of the Commission, with the advice and approval of the Commission;
10
11 2. Prepare the State Plan for Services to Children and Youth,
11
12 the Annual Report required by Section 601.9 of this title an annual
12
13 report summarizing the activities of the Oklahoma Commission on
13
14 Children and Youth for the previous fiscal year, other reports as
14
15 necessary and appropriate, and an annual budget for the approval of
15
16 the Commission;
16
17 3. Formulate and recommend rules and regulations for approval
17
18 or rejection by the Commission;
18
19 4. Serve as chief executive officer of the Oklahoma Commission
19
20 on Children and Youth; and
20
21 5. Act as agent as authorized for the Commission in the
21
22 performance of its duties.
22
23 B. The Director may periodically convene issue-specific task
23
24 groups for the purpose of improving services for children and youth.
24
Req. No. 825 Page 7
 1 A copy of any report or recommendations which result from meetings
1
2 of a task group shall be provided to the Commission, Governor,
2
3 Speaker of the House of Representatives, President Pro Tempore of
3
4 the Senate and the director of each state agency affected by the
4
5 report or recommendations.
5
6 SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 10 O.S. 2021, Section 601.6a, is
6
7 amended to read as follows:
7
8 Section 601.6a. The Office of Planning and Coordination for
8
9 Services to Children and Youth shall:
9
10 1. Convene meetings of public and private agencies that provide
10
11 services to children and youth for the purpose of facilitating and
11
12 implementing joint planning and service coordination among said
12
13 agencies;
13
14 2. Provide the community partnership boards with fiscal and
14
15 other information related to the children and youth service system
15
16 necessary to assist the partnership boards with the performance of
16
17 their duties and responsibilities;
17
18 3. Annually prepare, with the advice and assistance of the
18
19 community partnership boards Prepare, with input from the Parent
19
20 Partnership Board and affected public and private agencies, the a
20
21 State Plan for Services to Children and Youth for the upcoming three
21
22 (3) years for the approval of the Commission;
22
23
23
24
24
Req. No. 825 Page 8
 1 4. Examine all plans, budgets and related documents pertaining
1
2 to the planning, coordination and development of the children and
2
3 youth service system;
3
4 5. Review, monitor and evaluate the children and youth service
4
5 system regarding the development of services, progress towards
5
6 effective joint planning and service coordination, and compliance
6
7 with established state policies and goals
7
8 3. Make recommendations, to be included in the State Plan, for
8
9 the development and improvement of services provided to children and
9
10 youth, including homeless children and youth and youth at risk of
10
11 homelessness; and
11
12 6. 4. Issue reports to the Governor, Speaker of the House of
12
13 Representatives, President Pro Tempore of the Senate, Chief Justice
13
14 of the Supreme Court of the State of Oklahoma, public and private
14
15 agencies, and such other persons as necessary and appropriate.
15
16 SECTION 5. AMENDATORY 10 O.S. 2021, Section 601.6b, is
16
17 amended to read as follows:
17
18 Section 601.6b. A. On or before July 1 of each year July 1,
18
19 2023, and on or before July 1 of every third year thereafter, the
19
20 Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth shall transmit to the
20
21 Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and to,
21
22 the director of each affected agency, the President Pro Tempore of
22
23 the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the
23
24
24
Req. No. 825 Page 9
 1 Governor a copy of the State Plan for Services to Children and Youth
1
2 for the next three (3) fiscal year years.
2
3 B. The Office of Planning and Coordination shall on or before
3
4 January 1 of each year provide a written report to the Legislature
4
5 on its expenditures to community partnership boards.
5
6 C. The Office of Planning and Coordination, with the assistance
6
7 of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services and affected
7
8 agencies, may assemble topic-specific reports regarding services to
8
9 children, youth, and families to include program descriptions, past
9
10 and current expenditures, future budget requests, and a description
10
11 of program outcomes as directed by the Legislature or the
11
12 Commission.
12
13 SECTION 6. AMENDATORY 10 O.S. 2021, Section 601.14, is
13
14 amended to read as follows:
14
15 Section 601.14. A. There is hereby created in the State
15
16 Treasury a fund for the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth to
16
17 be designated the “Children’s Endowment Fund of Oklahoma”. The fund
17
18 shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations,
18
19 and shall consist of all monies received through donations or
19
20 interest earned by investment of monies in the fund. The fund shall
20
21 be invested by the State Treasurer in accordance with Section 89.2
21
22 of Title 62 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
22
23 B. Funds deposited into the Children’s Endowment Fund of
23
24 Oklahoma and any earnings therefrom, including any interest,
24
Req. No. 825 Pa