HB 3039 Oklahoma House · 2026 Regular Session

Children; In the Child's Best Interest Act; terms; adoptive, fostering, and legal guardianship; adults; care; void; Department of Human Services; preference; codification; effective date.

HB 3039, the "In the Child's Best Interest Act," requires that all approved adoption, foster care, and legal guardianship arrangements in Oklahoma consist of either one adult, two adults of opposite genders, or two biological relatives of the child. The bill mandates that courts and agencies invalidate any arrangement violating these rules, directing the Department of Human Services to find a compliant placement for the child, with preference given to the closest biological relatives who pass background checks. It allows other adults (like grandparents or friends) to assist in care without altering the official arrangement. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2026

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 2, 2026 Last action Feb 3, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Proposed Committee Substitute (sub committee) 1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended by the House Subcommittee to replace the entire text with a revised version that maintains the core purpose of establishing a 'In the Child's Best Interest Act' but updates formatting, page numbers, and reference numbers. The substantive policy content regarding child care arrangements, definitions, and effective dates remains substantially the same, with minor formatting adjustments to the document structure.

Scope change

No significant change to the bill's scope or applicability; the amendment primarily addresses formatting and document numbering rather than policy substance.

TECHNICAL

Document header changed from 'Introduced' to 'Proposed Subcommittee Substitute' indicating the bill has been reviewed by a subcommittee.

Reference number for the bill changed from 14327 to 16027 in the footer, likely an internal tracking number update.

Minor formatting adjustments to section headers and spacing throughout the document.

POLICY

Core provisions regarding child care arrangements, definitions of terms, and effective date (November 1, 2026) remain substantively the same.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Feb 3, 2026

Committee

Referred to Appropriations and Budget Human Services Subcommittee

lower

Feb 2, 2026

Introduced

First Reading

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors