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1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1717 By: Prieto
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5 AS INTRODUCED
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6 An Act relating to child custody; amending 10A O.S.
6 2021, Section 1-4-201, which relates to circumstances
7 authorizing taking a child into custody; modifying
7 certain evidentiary standard for taking child into
8 protective custody; updating statutory language; and
8 providing an effective date.
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11 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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12 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 10A O.S. 2021, Section 1-4-201, is
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13 amended to read as follows:
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14 Section 1-4-201. A. Pursuant to the provisions of this
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15 section, a child may be taken into custody prior to the filing of a
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16 petition:
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17 1. By a peace officer or employee of the court, without a court
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18 order if the officer or employee has reasonable suspicion clear and
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19 convincing evidence that:
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20 a. the child is in need of immediate protection due to an
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21 imminent safety threat,
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22 b. the circumstances or surroundings of the child are
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23 such that continuation in the child's home or in the
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24 care or custody of the parent, legal guardian, or
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1 custodian would present an imminent safety threat to
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2 the child, or
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3 c. the child, including a child with a disability, is
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4 unable to communicate effectively about abuse, neglect
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5 or other safety threat or is in a vulnerable position
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6 due to the inability to communicate effectively and
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7 the child is in need of immediate protection due to an
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8 imminent safety threat; or
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9 2. By an order of the district court issued upon the
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10 application of the office of the district attorney. The application
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11 presented by the district attorney may be supported by a sworn
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12 affidavit which may be based upon information and belief. The
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13 application shall state facts sufficient to demonstrate to the court
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14 that a continuation of the child in the home or with the caretaker
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15 of the child is contrary to the child's welfare and there is
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16 reasonable suspicion clear and convincing evidence that:
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17 a. the child is in need of immediate protection due to an
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18 imminent safety threat,
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19 b. the circumstances or surroundings of the child are
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20 such that continuation in the child's home or in the
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21 care or custody of the parent, legal guardian, or
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22 custodian would present an imminent safety threat to
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23 the child, or
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1 c. the child, including a child with a disability, is
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2 unable to communicate effectively about abuse, neglect
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3 or other safety threat or is in a vulnerable position
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4 due to the inability to communicate effectively and
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5 the child is in need of immediate protection due to an
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6 imminent safety threat.
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7 The application and order may be verbal and upon being advised by
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8 the district attorney or the court of the verbal order, law
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9 enforcement shall act on such order. If verbal, the district
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10 attorney shall submit a written application and proposed order to
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11 the district court within one (1) judicial day from the issuance of
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12 the verbal order. Upon approval, the application and order shall be
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13 filed with the court clerk; or
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14 3. By order of the district court when the child is in need of
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15 medical or behavioral health treatment in order to protect the
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16 health, safety, or welfare of the child and the parent, legal
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17 guardian, or custodian of the child is unwilling or unavailable to
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18 consent to such medical or behavioral health treatment or other
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19 action, the court shall specifically include in the emergency order
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20 authorization for such medical or behavioral health evaluation or
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21 treatment as it deems necessary.
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22 B. 1. By January 1, 2010, the Department in consultation with
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23 law enforcement and the district courts shall develop and implement
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24 a system for joint response when a child is taken into protective
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1 custody by a peace officer pursuant to paragraph 1 of subsection A
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2 of this section. The system shall include:
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3 a. designation of persons to serve as contact points for
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4 peace officers, including at least one backup contact
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5 for each initial contact point,
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6 b. a protocol for conducting a safety evaluation at the
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7 scene where protective custody is assumed to determine
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8 whether the child faces an imminent safety threat and,
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9 if so, whether the child can be protected through
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10 placement with relatives or others without the
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11 Department assuming emergency custody,
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12 c. the development of reception centers for accepting
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13 protective custody of children from peace officers
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14 when the Department is unable to respond at the scene
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15 within a reasonable time period,
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16 d. a protocol for conducting a safety evaluation at the
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17 reception center within twenty-three (23) hours of the
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18 assumption of protective custody of a child to
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19 determine whether the child faces an imminent safety
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20 threat and, if so, whether the child can be protected
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21 through placement with relatives or others without the
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22 Department assuming emergency custody, and
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23 e. a protocol, when the child cannot safely be left in
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24 the home, for transporting a child to the home of a
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1 relative, kinship care home, an emergency foster care
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2 home, a shelter, or any other site at which the
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3 Department believes the child can be protected,
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4 provided that the Department shall utilize a shelter
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5 only when the home of a relative, kinship care home,
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6 or emergency foster care home is unavailable or
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7 inappropriate.
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8 2. Beginning January 1, 2010, no child taken into protective
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9 custody under paragraph 1 of subsection A of this section shall be
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10 considered to be in the emergency custody of the Department until
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11 the Department has completed a safety evaluation and has concluded
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12 that the child faces an imminent safety threat and the court has
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13 issued an order for emergency custody.
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14 3. If the safety evaluation performed by the Department of a
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15 child taken into protective custody under paragraph 1 of subsection
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16 A of this section indicates that the child does not face an imminent
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17 safety threat, the Department shall restore the child to the custody
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18 and control of the parent, legal guardian, or custodian of the
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19 child.
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20 C. When an order issued by the district court pursuant to
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21 subsection A of this section places the child in the emergency
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22 custody of the Department of Human Services pending further hearing
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23 specified by Section 1-4-203 of this title, an employee of the
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1 Department may execute such order and physically take the child into
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2 custody in the following limited circumstance:
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3 1. The child is located in a hospital, school, or day care
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4 facility; and
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5 2. It is believed that assumption of the custody of the child
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6 from the facility can occur without risk to the child or the
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7 employee of the Department.
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8 Otherwise, the order shall be executed and the child taken into
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9 custody by a peace officer or employee of the court.
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10 D. The court shall not enter a prepetition emergency custody
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11 order removing a child from the home of the child unless the court
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12 makes a determination:
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13 1. That an imminent safety threat exists and continuation in
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14 the home of the child is contrary to the welfare of the child; and
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15 2. Whether reasonable efforts have been made to prevent the
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16 removal of the child from the child's home; or
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17 3. An absence of efforts to prevent the removal of the child
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18 from the home of the child is reasonable because the removal is due
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19 to an emergency and is for the purpose of providing for the safety
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20 and welfare of the child.
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21 E. Whenever a child is taken into custody pursuant to this
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22 section:
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23 1. The child may be taken to a kinship care home or an
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24 emergency foster care home designated by the Department, or if no
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1 such home is available, to a children's shelter located within the
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2 county where protective or emergency custody is assumed or, if there
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3 is no children's shelter within the county, to a children's shelter
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4 designated by the court;
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5 2. Unless otherwise provided by administrative order entered
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6 pursuant to subsection F of this section, the child may be taken
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7 before a judge of the district court or the court may be contacted
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8 verbally for the purpose of obtaining an order for emergency
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9 custody. The court may place the child in the emergency custody of
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10 the Department or some other suitable person or entity pending
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11 further hearing specified by Section 1-4-203 of this title;
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12 3. The child may be taken directly to or retained in a health
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13 care facility for medical treatment, when the child is in need of
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14 emergency medical treatment to maintain the child's health, or as
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15 otherwise directed by the court; or
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16 4. The child may be taken directly to or retained in a
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17 behavioral health treatment facility for evaluation or inpatient
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18 treatment, in accordance with the provisions of the Inpatient Mental
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19 Health and Substance Abuse Treatment of Minors Act, when the child
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20 is in need of behavioral health care to preserve the child's health,
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21 or as otherwise directed by the court; and
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22 5. Unless otherwise provided by administrative order entered
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23 pursuant to subsection F of this section, the district court of the
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24 county where the custody is assumed shall be immediately notified,
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Req. No. 2717 Page 7
1 verbally or in writing, that the child has been taken into custody.
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2 If notification is verbal, written notification shall be sent to the
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3 district court within one (1) judicial day of such verbal
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4 notification.
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5 F. The court may provide, in an administrative order issued
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6 pursuant to this section, for the disposition of children taken into
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7 custody and notification of the assumption of such custody.
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8 1. Such order or rule shall be consistent with the provisions
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9 of subsection E of this section and may include a process for
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10 release of a child prior to an emergency custody hearing. The
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11 administrative order shall not include a provision to modify
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12 protective custody of a child to emergency custody of the Department
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13 upon admission of a child to a shelter; and.
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14 2. The administrative order may require joint training of peace
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15 officers and Department staff deemed necessary by the court to carry
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16 out the provisions of the administrative order.
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17 G. No child taken into custody pursuant to this section shall
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18 be confined in any jail, adult lockup, or adult or juvenile
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19 detention facility.
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20 H. When a determination is made by the Department that there is
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21 a significant risk of abuse or neglect, but there is not an imminent
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22 safety threat to the child, the Department may recommend a court-
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23 supervised and Department-monitored in-home placement. The
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24 Department shall assist the family in obtaining the services
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1 necessary to maintain the in-home care and correct the conditions
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2 leading to the risk determination.
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3 I. Any peace officer, employee of the court, or employee of the
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4 Department is authorized to transport a child when acting pursuant
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5 to this section. Such persons and any other person acting under the
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6 direction of the court, who in good faith transports any child or
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7 carries out duties pursuant to this section, shall be immune from
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8 civil or criminal liability that may result by reason of such act.
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9 For purposes of any proceedings, civil or criminal, the good faith
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10 of any such person shall be presumed. This provision shall not
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11 apply to damage or injury caused by the willful, wanton or gross
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12 negligence or misconduct of a person.
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13 J. A parent or person responsible for the child who is arrested
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14 on a charge or warrant other than child abuse or neglect or an act
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15 of child endangerment may designate another person to take physical
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16 custody of the child. Upon this request, the peace officer may
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17 release the child to the physical custody of the designated person.
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18 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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20 60-2-2717 TEK 1/14/2026 11:40:30 AM
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Req. No. 2717 Page 9Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.