HB 4421: Children; Leo's Law; abuse and neglect; safety analysis; drug screening; Department of Human Services; law enforcement agency; rules; court; providing exception; Child Welfare Fentanyl Testing Revolving Fund; purpose; annual audit; annual report; child endangerment; definition; fines and penalties; defense; codification; effective date. - Oklahoma

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

MODERATE

The bill was transitioned from the House version to the Senate floor version, which includes specific committee amendments. The most significant substantive change is the addition of a requirement for the Department of Human Services to immediately refer cases involving suspected drug-endangered children to local law enforcement agencies. Other changes include clarifying the scope of drug screening to explicitly include fentanyl and prior history, and adjusting the reporting procedures for military parents.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to mandate immediate referrals to law enforcement for drug-endangered children, whereas the House version only required forwarding reports to district attorneys.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a mandatory requirement for the Department of Human Services to immediately refer drug-endangered cases to local law enforcement agencies.

REQUIREMENT

Expanded drug screening criteria to explicitly include fentanyl presence and prior history found in public court records.

TIMELINE

Clarified that safety analyses must be initiated within twenty-four hours upon receiving a report of a drug-endangered child.

DEFINITION

Added specific language regarding the definition of a 'drug-endangered child' and the handling of infants with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

HB4421 (5-05-26) (GOLLIHARE) FA3.PDF → Floor (House) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a Senate version to a House Floor version, which involved removing a specific funding appropriation for the Child Welfare Fentanyl Testing Revolving Fund and replacing it with a detailed list of substantive policy changes. The new text establishes strict timelines for safety analyses (24 hours) and mandates drug screening with mandatory fentanyl testing for parents and caregivers in cases of suspected abuse or neglect. It also creates specific protocols for handling cases involving military parents and children with substance-related disorders.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include specific operational requirements for the Department of Human Services, such as mandatory drug testing, fentanyl screening, and special procedures for military families, while the specific funding provision for the revolving fund was removed.

FISCAL

The specific appropriation of $1,220,000 to the Child Welfare Fentanyl Testing Revolving Fund was deleted.

REQUIREMENT

New requirements mandate that safety analyses be conducted within 24 hours of receiving a report of child abuse or neglect.

The bill now requires immediate drug screening and mandatory fentanyl testing for parents or caregivers when substance use is suspected or confirmed.

New mandates require the Department to develop a plan of safe care for infants diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder if the referral is not accepted for investigation.

ENFORCEMENT

If a parent refuses drug screening after a safety analysis, the Department must notify a district attorney within 24 hours to request a court order compelling the test.

DEFINITION

Specific procedures were added for determining the military status of parents and notifying the Department of Defense Family Advocacy Program.

House Committee Substitute → HB4421 (4-29-26) (GOLLIHARE) FS FA1.PDF · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a 'Committee Substitute' to a 'Floor Substitute,' indicating it has been amended and is ready for final floor consideration. The substantive text was completely rewritten to replace the original 'Leo's Law' provisions. The new version expands the definition of abuse to include ordinary physical discipline (spanking/paddling) and introduces a new 'Abandonment' definition. It also shifts the safety analysis timeline from 24 hours to a more flexible 'certain amount of time' and removes specific mandates for drug screening and the creation of a Fentanyl Testing Revolving Fund.

Scope change

The bill's scope was significantly altered by removing the creation of a dedicated revolving fund for fentanyl testing and changing the specific timeline for safety analyses from a strict 24-hour window to a general requirement.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'Abuse' was changed to explicitly exclude ordinary physical discipline methods like spanking, switching, or paddling, which were previously ambiguous or potentially included.

A new definition for 'Abandonment' was added, covering willful intent not to return for a child, failure to maintain a significant relationship, and failure to respond to deprived proceedings.

REQUIREMENT

Mandatory drug screening requirements for parents and guardians, including specific protocols for fentanyl testing, were removed from the bill.

FISCAL

The creation of the 'Child Welfare Fentanyl Testing Revolving Fund' and requirements for annual audits and reports regarding this fund were deleted.

TIMELINE

The requirement for the Department of Human Services to conduct a safety analysis within 24 hours was removed and replaced with a general mandate to conduct the analysis within 'certain amount of time' in certain circumstances.

ENFORCEMENT

Provisions directing the Department of Human Services to automatically refer cases to law enforcement agencies in specific circumstances were removed.

Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 → House Committee Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to replace the original committee substitute text. The new version adds a mandatory requirement for the Department of Human Services to immediately refer cases involving drug-endangered children to law enforcement for criminal investigation. It also clarifies that safety analyses must be completed within 24 hours and expands the circumstances under which drug screening is required.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to explicitly mandate law enforcement referrals for drug-related child endangerment cases, whereas the previous version focused primarily on internal safety analysis and drug testing protocols.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a new requirement for the Department of Human Services to immediately refer drug-endangered child cases to local law enforcement for criminal investigation.

TIMELINE

Clarified that the safety analysis for drug-endangered children must be initiated within 24 hours.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific criteria determining when drug activity is indicated, triggering the mandatory law enforcement referral.

TECHNICAL

Removed the 'Proposed Committee Substitute' header and replaced it with 'Committee Substitute', indicating the text has been finalized by the full committee.

Engrossed → Proposed Committee Substitute (full committee) 1 · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten from scratch, replacing the original text with a new version that adds specific timelines for safety analyses, mandates drug screening for parents and caregivers, and requires referrals to law enforcement. The new version also creates a revolving fund for fentanyl testing and modifies the definition of child endangerment.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include mandatory drug screening protocols, specific timelines for safety analysis, and a new revolving fund for testing costs, while the original text was entirely replaced.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement to conduct a safety analysis within 24 hours of receiving a report of abuse, neglect, or drug endangerment.

Mandated drug screening for parents, guardians, or caregivers when substance use is suspected or confirmed, including mandatory fentanyl testing.

Removed the specific provision regarding notifying the military Department of Defense family advocacy program for parents on active duty.

FISCAL

Created a new 'Child Welfare Fentanyl Testing Revolving Fund' to support drug testing efforts.

ENFORCEMENT

Changed the process so that if a parent refuses consent to drug screening, the Department must notify a district attorney within 24 hours to request a court order.

DEFINITION

Modified the definition of child endangerment to include specific circumstances related to drug activity and safety analysis findings.

Introduced → Engrossed · 3 edits · Mar 26, 2026

MINOR

The bill was transitioned from an 'Introduced' draft to an 'Engrossed' version, indicating it has passed both legislative chambers and is ready for the Governor's signature. The substantive legal text remains largely consistent, though the formatting was updated to reflect the official engrossed status.

TECHNICAL

The header was updated to change the status from 'Introduced' to 'Engrossed' and added the full list of sponsors (Hilbert, Hefner, Provenzano, West, and Gollihare), while the legislative session date was removed.

The bill title was reorganized to list key topics like 'Leo's Law', 'drug screening', and 'Child Welfare Fentanyl Testing Revolving Fund' in a structured format rather than a single paragraph.

The section headers were updated to clarify that the amendments are to existing law ('Amendatory') and that new text is not to be codified in the statutes ('New Law').

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