Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
3 HOUSE BILL 3656 By: Tedford
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6 AS INTRODUCED
7 An Act relating to hazing; amending 10A O.S. 2021,
Section 1-2-101, as amended by Section 344, Chapter
8 486, O.S.L. 2025 (10A O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 1-2-
101), which relates to mandatory reporting of child
9 abuse or neglect; establishing reporting requirements
for hazing incidents; defining term; and providing an
10 effective date.
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14 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
15 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 10A O.S. 2021, Section 1-2-101, as
16 amended by Section 344, Chapter 486, O.S.L. 2025 (10A O.S. Supp.
17 2025, Section 1-2-101), is amended to read as follows:
18 Section 1-2-101. A. 1. The Department of Human Services shall
19 establish a statewide centralized hotline for the reporting of child
20 abuse or, neglect, or hazing to the Department.
21 2. The Department shall provide hotline-specific training
22 including, but not limited to, interviewing skills, customer service
23 skills, narrative writing, necessary computer systems, making case
24 determinations, and identifying priority situations.
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1 3. The Department is authorized to contract with third parties
2 in order to train hotline workers.
3 4. The Department shall develop a system to track the number of
4 calls received, and of that number:
5 a. the number of calls screened out,
6 b. the number of referrals assigned,
7 c. the number of calls received by persons unwilling to
8 disclose basic personal information including, but not
9 limited to, first and last name, and
10 d. the number of calls in which the allegations were
11 later found to be unsubstantiated or ruled out.
12 5. The Department shall electronically record each referral
13 received by the hotline and establish a secure means of retaining
14 the recordings for twelve (12) months. The recordings shall be
15 confidential and subject to disclosure only if a court orders the
16 disclosure of the referral. The Department shall redact any
17 information identifying the reporting party unless otherwise ordered
18 by the court.
19 B. 1. Every person having reason to believe that a child under
20 the age of eighteen (18) years is a victim of abuse or, neglect, or
21 hazing shall report the matter immediately to the Department of
22 Human Services. Reports shall be made to the hotline provided for
23 in subsection A of this section. Any allegation of abuse or,
24 neglect, or hazing reported in any manner to a county office shall
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1 immediately be referred to the hotline by the Department. Provided,
2 however, that in actions for custody by abandonment, provided for in
3 Section 2-117 of Title 30 of the Oklahoma Statutes, there shall be
4 no reporting requirement.
5 2. a. Every school employee having reason to believe that a
6 student under the age of eighteen (18) years is a
7 victim of abuse or, neglect, or hazing shall report
8 the matter immediately to the Department of Human
9 Services and local law enforcement. Reports to the
10 Department shall be made to the hotline provided for
11 in subsection A of this section. Any allegation of
12 abuse or, neglect, or hazing reported in any manner to
13 a county office shall immediately be referred to the
14 hotline by the Department. Provided, however, that in
15 actions for custody by abandonment, provided for in
16 Section 2-117 of Title 30 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
17 there shall be no reporting requirement.
18 b. Every school employee having reason to believe that a
19 student age eighteen (18) years or older is a victim
20 of abuse or, neglect, or hazing shall report the
21 matter immediately to local law enforcement.
22 c. In reports required by subparagraph a or b of this
23 paragraph, local law enforcement shall keep
24 confidential and redact any information identifying
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1 the reporting school employee unless otherwise ordered
2 by the court. A school employee with knowledge of a
3 report required by subparagraph a or b of this
4 paragraph shall not disclose information identifying
5 the reporting school employee unless otherwise ordered
6 by the court or as part of an investigation by local
7 law enforcement or the Department.
8 3. Every physician, surgeon, or other health care professional
9 including doctors of medicine, licensed osteopathic physicians,
10 residents and interns, or any other health care professional or
11 midwife involved in the prenatal care of expectant mothers or the
12 delivery or care of infants shall promptly report to the Department
13 instances in which an infant tests positive for alcohol or a
14 controlled dangerous substance. This shall include infants who are
15 diagnosed with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol
16 Spectrum Disorder.
17 4. No privilege or contract shall relieve any person from the
18 requirement of reporting pursuant to this section.
19 5. The reporting obligations under this section are individual,
20 and no employer, supervisor, administrator, governing body or entity
21 shall interfere with the reporting obligations of any employee or
22 other person or in any manner discriminate or retaliate against the
23 employee or other person who in good faith reports suspected child
24 abuse or, neglect, or hazing, or who provides testimony in any
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1 proceeding involving child abuse or, neglect, or hazing. Any
2 employer, supervisor, administrator, governing body or entity who
3 discharges, discriminates or retaliates against the employee or
4 other person shall be liable for damages, costs and attorney fees.
5 If a child who is the subject of the report or other child is harmed
6 by the discharge, discrimination or retaliation described in this
7 paragraph, the party harmed may file an action to recover damages,
8 costs and attorney fees.
9 6. Every physician, surgeon, other health care professional or
10 midwife making a report of abuse or, neglect, or hazing as required
11 by this subsection or examining a child to determine the likelihood
12 of abuse or, neglect, or hazing and every hospital or related
13 institution in which the child was examined or treated shall
14 provide, upon request, copies of the results of the examination or
15 copies of the examination on which the report was based and any
16 other clinical notes, x-rays, photographs, and other previous or
17 current records relevant to the case to law enforcement officers
18 conducting a criminal investigation into the case and to employees
19 of the Department of Human Services conducting an investigation of
20 alleged abuse or, neglect, or hazing in the case.
21 C. Any person who knowingly and willfully fails to promptly
22 report suspected child abuse or, neglect, or hazing or who
23 interferes with the prompt reporting of suspected child abuse or,
24 neglect, or hazing may be reported to local law enforcement for
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1 criminal investigation and, upon conviction thereof, shall be guilty
2 of a misdemeanor. Any person with prolonged knowledge of ongoing
3 child abuse or, neglect, or hazing who knowingly and willfully fails
4 to promptly report such knowledge may be reported to local law
5 enforcement for criminal investigation and, upon conviction thereof,
6 shall be guilty of a Class D1 felony offense and shall be punished
7 by imprisonment as provided for in subsections B through F of
8 Section 20N of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes. For the purposes
9 of this paragraph, "prolonged knowledge" shall mean knowledge of at
10 least six (6) months of child abuse or, neglect, or hazing.
11 D. 1. Any person who knowingly and willfully makes a false
12 report pursuant to the provisions of this section or a report that
13 the person knows lacks factual foundation may be reported to local
14 law enforcement for criminal investigation and, upon conviction
15 thereof, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor.
16 2. If a court determines that an accusation of child abuse or
17 neglect made during a child custody proceeding is false and the
18 person making the accusation knew it to be false at the time the
19 accusation was made, the court may impose a fine, not to exceed Five
20 Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) and reasonable attorney fees incurred
21 in recovering the sanctions, against the person making the
22 accusation. The remedy provided by this paragraph is in addition to
23 paragraph 1 of this subsection or to any other remedy provided by
24 law.
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1 E. Nothing contained in this section shall be construed to
2 exempt or prohibit any person from reporting any suspected child
3 abuse or, neglect, or hazing pursuant to subsection B of this
4 section.
5 F. As used in this section, "hazing" shall have the same
6 meaning as such term is defined in Section 1190 of Title 21 of the
7 Oklahoma Statutes.
8 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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10 60-2-15279 GRS 01/11/26
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Req. No. 15279 Page 7Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.