SB 1570: Children; creating the Department of Child Safety and Wellbeing; transferring certain powers, duties, and employees from specified agencies. Effective date. - Oklahoma

SB1570 (3-24-26) (ROSINO) FS FA1.PDF → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised from a 'Floor Substitute' to a 'Committee Substitute' version, incorporating amendments made during Senate committee review. The primary substantive change is the addition of an 'emergency' clause to the bill's subject matter, allowing the Governor to declare an emergency to expedite the implementation of the new Department of Child Safety and Well-being. Several technical corrections were made, including standardizing the department name from 'Well-being' to 'Wellbeing' and clarifying the transfer of powers and employees from existing agencies.

Scope change

The scope of the bill was expanded to include emergency powers, allowing for faster implementation of the new department if necessary. The bill's title and subject description were also updated to reflect this new capability.

TIMELINE

Added an 'emergency' clause to the list of topics covered by the bill, enabling the Governor to declare an emergency to speed up the creation of the new department.

DEFINITION

Corrected the spelling of the new department name from 'Child Safety and Well-being' to 'Child Safety and Wellbeing' throughout the text.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill header from 'Floor Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute' to reflect the version passed by the Senate committee.

Adjusted the transition timeline in the text, changing the start date for the transition plan from November 1, 2026, to September 1, 2026, to align with the new start date for administrative rules.

Committee Substitute → SB1570 (3-24-26) (ROSINO) FS FA1.PDF · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reclassified from a 'Committee Substitute' to a 'Floor Substitute' after amendments, indicating it has moved to the final stage of the legislative process. The substantive policy content regarding the creation of the Department of Child Safety and Well-being and the transfer of agencies remains largely unchanged, though the formatting and page references were updated to reflect the new version number.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's content remains the same; the change is procedural, reflecting that the bill has been amended on the floor of the legislature.

TECHNICAL

The bill title was updated from 'Committee Substitute' to 'Floor Substitute' to reflect its current legislative status.

The bill number was updated to include the specific version identifier 'SB1570 (3-24-26) (ROSINO) FS FA1.PDF'.

Page numbers and request numbers (Req. No.) were updated to correspond with the new version of the document.

Formatting changes were made to the summary of the act and the codification section to align with the new version.

Engrossed → Committee Substitute · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was revised from a formal 'Engrossed' version to a 'Committee Substitute,' which typically indicates that the bill was amended during committee review to address concerns or incorporate new language before moving to the full legislature. The substantive policy content regarding the creation of the Department of Child Safety and Well-being, the transfer of powers from other agencies, and the timeline for implementation (July 1, 2027) appears to remain largely consistent, though the text was reorganized and some specific phrasing was refined.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's intent remains the same: creating a new department and transferring functions from existing agencies. However, the text was restructured to include a detailed summary of the bill's purpose at the beginning, which was absent in the original version.

TECHNICAL

The header was changed from 'ENGROSSED SENATE' to 'COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE,' indicating the bill has been amended by a committee.

DEFINITION

A detailed summary paragraph was added at the beginning of the bill to explicitly list all actions taken by the act, such as creating the new department, transferring employees, and abolishing old entities.

REQUIREMENT

The text regarding the transfer of administrative rules was clarified to specify that rules previously made by the Director of Human Services or the Board of Juvenile Affairs will now fall under the authority of the new Board of Child Safety and Wellbeing.

The requirements for the transition plan were slightly rephrased to ensure clarity on resource allocation and the delineation of functions between the new department and the Department of Human Services.

Introduced → Engrossed · 6 edits · Mar 26, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to replace a temporary task force with a permanent new department called the Department of Child Safety and Well-being. This new department will take over child welfare responsibilities from existing agencies on July 1, 2027, and includes a detailed plan for transferring staff, assets, and functions.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a temporary study group to the creation of a permanent state agency with broad authority over child welfare services.

SCOPE

Removed the creation of a temporary Child Welfare Task Force that was scheduled to dissolve on November 1, 2027.

Added the creation of a permanent Department of Child Safety and Well-being, including a Commissioner and various divisions.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from November 1, 2026, to July 1, 2027, to allow time for the transition of powers and employees.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirements for developing a comprehensive transition plan that details how to move staff, property, and functions from old agencies to the new department.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified employee transfer rules to require written consent from employees before they are moved to the new department and to guarantee they do not lose their salary or benefits.

DEFINITION

Changed the statutory citation from Title 10A Section 1-10-104 to Title 10A Section 3-1-101.

Children; creating the Department of Child Safety and Wellbeing; transferring certain powers, duties, and employees from specified agencies. Effective date.

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