SB 2170: Child custody; requiring supervised visitation for persons accused of sexual abuse of a child. Effective date. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was transitioned from the House version to the Senate floor version, resulting in significant formatting and structural changes. The Senate version adds a date (February 24, 2026) and reorganizes the text to include specific definitions for terms like 'supervised visitation' and 'domestic abuse' in a clearer list format. It also refines the roles of the associate district judge in appointing supervised visitation teams and clarifies the requirements for volunteer background checks and fitness determinations.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on child custody and supervised visitation for individuals with substantiated findings of sexual abuse of a child, but the Senate version provides more explicit definitions and procedural details for implementing the program.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to reflect the Senate Floor Version instead of the House of Representatives Floor Version, and a specific date was added.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'supervised visitation' was restructured to clearly state it involves court-ordered contact between a noncustodial parent and children in the presence of a responsible third-party observer.

The definition of 'domestic abuse' was moved to a numbered list format for better clarity alongside other defined terms.

REQUIREMENT

The duties of the judicial district supervised visitation team were expanded and reorganized to include identifying sites, individuals, training programs, and developing protocols and application forms.

The criteria for approving third-party volunteers were clarified to include specific background checks and affidavits regarding dependency or residence with registered sex offenders.

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

MINOR

The bill was converted from a Senate Committee Substitute to the House Floor version, resulting in significant formatting and layout adjustments. The substantive policy content regarding supervised visitation requirements for individuals with substantiated findings of sexual abuse against children remains unchanged.

Scope change

The scope of the bill's applicability and legal requirements has not changed; only the document structure and page headers were modified.

TECHNICAL

Page headers and footers were updated to reflect the House Floor version, including changes to the title block and page numbering format.

Line breaks and indentation were adjusted throughout the text to align with House formatting standards, though the legal text itself was preserved.

A note was added stating that 'BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments' to assist in reviewing the document.

Enrolled (final version) → House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill · 1 edit

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted from an enrolled version to a House Committee substitute, which involved adding line numbers and page markers. The substantive legal content regarding supervised visitation requirements, definitions, and judicial procedures remained unchanged.

Scope change

No change in the scope or applicability of the law; the text represents the same legislative intent with different formatting.

TECHNICAL

Added line numbers (e.g., '1', '2') and page headers/footers (e.g., 'Req. No. 17450') throughout the document, which are standard for committee substitutes but do not alter the law's meaning.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 3 edits · May 8, 2026

MINOR

The bill was finalized from its engrossed version by adding a co-sponsor from the House, reordering the legislative text for clarity, and expanding the requirements for supervised visitation. The most significant policy change is the addition of a mandatory requirement for supervised visitation when a person has substantiated findings of sexual abuse of a child, whereas the previous version only allowed courts to require it at their discretion. The bill also adds new protocols requiring supervision to occur in a professional setting if the parent exhibits suicidal or violent behavior.

Scope change

The bill's scope was expanded to mandate supervised visitation specifically for individuals with substantiated findings of sexual abuse of a child, removing the previous discretion for courts to decide if such supervision was necessary in those cases.

REQUIREMENT

Added a mandatory requirement for supervised visitation for any person with substantiated findings from the Department of Human Services relating to sexual abuse of a child.

Added a new requirement that supervised visitation must occur in a professional setting if the court determines the parent has exhibited suicidal or violent behavior.

TECHNICAL

Added a co-sponsor from the House and reorganized the text structure to reflect the final enrolled version of the bill.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 3 edits · May 4, 2026

MINOR

The bill was renumbered and reformatted from an 'Engrossed House Amendment' to a standalone 'Engrossed Senate Bill'. Substantively, the text of the act itself appears unchanged, retaining the requirement for supervised visitation for individuals with substantiated findings of sexual abuse of a child. The primary changes are technical, involving the removal of a specific amendment to swap the House author and the reorganization of the bill's header and page numbering.

Scope change

No change to the scope of the law; the bill remains applicable to child custody cases involving substantiated sexual abuse findings.

TECHNICAL

The document title and header were changed from 'ENGROSSED HOUSE AMENDMENT' to 'ENGROSSED SENATE BILL', indicating the bill is now being introduced as a standalone Senate measure rather than as a House amendment.

The authorship section was modified to remove Representative Newton as the principal House author and substitute Representative Worthen, while adding Representative Newton as a coauthor.

Page numbers and internal line numbering were reorganized and adjusted to reflect the new standalone bill format.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 2 edits · May 4, 2026

MINOR

The bill was amended to tighten eligibility criteria for supervised visitation, changing the requirement from being merely 'accused' of sexual abuse to having 'substantiated findings' by the Department of Human Services. Additionally, the bill's authorship was updated to remove Representative Newton and add Representative Worthen as a co-author.

Scope change

The scope of mandatory supervised visitation was narrowed; it now applies only to individuals with substantiated findings of sexual abuse by the Department of Human Services, rather than anyone accused of such abuse.

ELIGIBILITY

Changed the trigger for mandatory supervised visitation from an accusation of sexual abuse to a substantiated finding by the Department of Human Services.

TECHNICAL

Updated the bill's authorship to remove Representative Newton and substitute Representative Worthen as the principal author.

Child custody; requiring supervised visitation for persons accused of sexual abuse of a child. Effective date.

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