HB 3298: Civil procedure; Uniform Judicial Interview of Children Act; terms; scope; judicial officer; judicial interview; considerations; training; procedure; record; codification; effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill text was updated from the House version to the Senate version, incorporating specific formatting changes, updated legislative session dates, and refined legal definitions. The most significant substantive change involves the definition of a 'covered proceeding,' which was expanded to include 'any other matter involving custodial responsibility' beyond the specific list previously provided. Additionally, the requirement for judicial officers was adjusted from needing 'training' to requiring 'certain training,' and the act's title was slightly modified to 'creating' rather than 'enacting.'

Scope change

The scope of the act was expanded to cover a broader range of custodial matters, including those not explicitly listed in the original House version.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'covered proceeding' was expanded to include 'any other matter involving custodial responsibility,' broadening the situations where a judicial interview can occur.

REQUIREMENT

The requirement for judicial officers was changed from having 'training' to having 'certain training,' altering the specificity of the mandate.

TECHNICAL

The act's title was updated from 'enacting' to 'creating,' and the legislative session date was updated to April 14, 2026.

Formatting and punctuation were updated, including changing quotation marks from straight to curly quotes and adjusting indentation.

Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was converted from a Senate Committee version to the House Floor version, resulting in significant formatting and structural changes. The primary substantive change is the removal of co-sponsors (Schreiber, Osburn, McCane, Menz, and Rader) from the bill's origin list, leaving only Representative Timmons as the sponsor. Additionally, the text was reorganized to align with House floor procedures, including updated headers and a shift in how the act's purpose is summarized.

Scope change

The scope of the bill itself (the Uniform Judicial Interview of Children Act) remains substantively unchanged; the changes are primarily related to the bill's administrative status and sponsorship.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed five co-sponsors (Schreiber, Osburn, McCane, Menz, and Rader) from the list of bill authors, indicating a change in the legislative coalition supporting the bill.

TECHNICAL

Replaced the 'Committee Substitute' header with 'House of Representatives - Floor Version' and updated the bill's introductory summary to reflect House floor formatting standards.

Adjusted page numbering and layout headers to match the House floor version format, including the addition of notes indicating where committee amendments appear in bold face.

Engrossed → Senate Committee Substitute for House Bill · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from an 'Engrossed' version to a 'Committee Substitute,' indicating it has been amended by the Senate. The primary substantive change is the addition of the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to the list of territories included in the definition of 'State,' expanding the bill's geographic applicability. Minor formatting adjustments were made to the definitions section, including changing 'authorized under other law' to 'authorized by law' and updating the citation for the International Child Abduction Remedies Act.

Scope change

The bill's scope was slightly expanded to include Puerto Rico within the definition of 'State,' ensuring the Uniform Judicial Interview of Children Act applies there as well. The definition of 'Court' was also slightly tightened by removing the word 'other' before 'law.'

DEFINITION

Added the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico to the list of territories included in the definition of 'State.'

Changed the definition of 'Court' from 'authorized under other law' to 'authorized by law,' removing the qualifier 'other.'

Updated the citation for the International Child Abduction Remedies Act to remove the word 'Section' before '9001 et seq.'

TECHNICAL

Changed the possessive apostrophe in 'Child's attorney' and 'Child's attorney' to the standard curly apostrophe format ('Child’s attorney').

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 3 edits · Apr 29, 2026

MINOR

The bill was renumbered from an 'Amended and Engrossed' version to the final 'Engrossed' version, incorporating Senate amendments. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a new exemption in Section 3, which now explicitly states that the act does not apply to interviews conducted by anyone other than a judicial officer. This clarifies that the specific judicial interview procedures defined in the bill cannot be used by private individuals or non-judicial staff.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by adding a specific exclusion for interviews conducted by non-judicial personnel, ensuring the act only applies to formal interviews led by a judge or authorized judicial officer.

SCOPE

Added an explicit exemption stating the act does not apply to interviews conducted by anyone other than a judicial officer, preventing the use of these specific procedures by private parties or non-judicial staff.

TECHNICAL

Updated the document header and section numbering to reflect the final 'Engrossed' status and correct statutory citations (Sections 3401-3404 of Title 12).

Replaced co-author attribution lines with the formal enactment clause ('BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA').

Enrolled (final version) → Amended And Engrossed · 3 edits · Apr 29, 2026

MINOR

The bill was amended to update the list of co-authors and restructure the document's formatting. The substantive legal text, including definitions and procedures for judicial interviews, remains unchanged from the enrolled version.

TECHNICAL

Updated the list of co-authors to include Senate co-author Nice and House co-authors Menz and Dollens.

Reformatted the document title and enacting clause to reflect the amendment status.

Reorganized the layout of the bill text, moving definitions and sections to new page numbers and adjusting line breaks.

Introduced → Enrolled (final version) · 3 edits · Mar 25, 2026

MINOR

The bill was transitioned from its initial introduction to its final enrolled version, incorporating minor stylistic updates and clarifications. The core policy provisions regarding judicial interviews of children remain substantively identical, with no changes to eligibility, funding, or enforcement mechanisms.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains unchanged; it continues to apply to civil proceedings involving child custody, visitation, and guardianship, while explicitly excluding juvenile and children's code proceedings.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill title and sponsor list to reflect the final enrolled version, adding Senate sponsors and changing the session header.

Adjusted punctuation and spacing in the definitions section for consistency, such as changing 'authorized under other law' to 'authorized by law' and standardizing the list of covered proceedings.

Refined the list of factors for judicial officers to consider, adding 'the judicial officer's ability to mitigate harm' and 'availability of other processes' to ensure child safety and appropriate interview methods.

Civil procedure; Uniform Judicial Interview of Children Act; terms; scope; judicial officer; judicial interview; considerations; training; procedure; record; codification; effective date.

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