Guardian and ward; court appointed guardian; investigations; child abandonment; repealer; effective date.

HB 1967 updates Oklahoma's guardianship process for minors to prioritize child safety. It requires courts to conduct home studies and comprehensive background checks (including fingerprint checks, sex offender registry, and child abuse records) for prospective guardians and all household members aged 18+, except in emergencies. The bill also protects children in domestic violence shelters from custody removal without proper notice or if a protective order exists, and defines abandonment as leaving a child without care for 30+ days. It mandates 24-hour reporting of abandonment to DHS and law enforcement, repealing the previous guardianship law (30 O.S. 2021, Section 2-101), with effective date November 1, 2025.