HB 1565: Children; Children's Code; directing that certain referral be immediately reported to law enforcement agency; directing Department of Human Services to maintain certain record; effective date. - Oklahoma

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

MODERATE

This bill was amended during its passage from the House to the Senate floor, primarily adding the Senate sponsor's name and updating the bill's title to reflect Senate Floor Version. The substantive policy content regarding child abuse reporting requirements, hotline procedures, and mandatory reporting obligations appears to remain unchanged in the core text, with only minor formatting and versioning updates.

TECHNICAL

Added Senate Floor Version header with date (April 21, 2025) and Senate sponsor name (Weaver of the Senate)

Updated bill title to reflect 'ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL NO. 1565' with both House and Senate sponsors listed

Changed bill description to include 'requiring certain referrals be immediately reported in writing to law enforcement' and 'directing hotline supervisors to ensure reports have been made'

Updated page headers from 'HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES' to 'SENATE FLOOR VERSION' with new page numbering

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reformatted from a House Committee Substitute to the Floor Version, with minor text adjustments and reorganization of sections. The substantive policy content regarding child abuse reporting requirements, hotline procedures, and mandated reporter obligations remains unchanged.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; only formatting and structural adjustments were made.

TECHNICAL

Header information was updated to reflect Floor Version instead of Committee Substitute

Page numbering and footer information were reorganized for floor version formatting

Section text was reflowed and reorganized without changing substantive policy content

Enrolled (final version) → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to replace the entire original text with a new version that maintains most substantive provisions but removes the detailed enforcement and liability protections for reporters. The changes primarily affect formatting, title, and the removal of specific anti-retaliation provisions and detailed reporting requirements for physicians and school employees.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on child abuse reporting requirements, but the detailed protections for reporters and specific reporting obligations for certain professionals were removed in the amendment.

ENFORCEMENT

Removed detailed anti-retaliation provisions that protected reporters from employer discrimination and provided legal recourse for harmed individuals

REQUIREMENT

Removed specific reporting requirements for physicians regarding infants testing positive for alcohol or controlled substances

Removed detailed requirements for school employees to report to both the Department and local law enforcement

Simplified the hotline reporting requirements by removing detailed tracking categories and specific disclosure rules

TECHNICAL

Changed bill title from 'Enrolled House Bill' to 'Committee Amendment' and updated formatting throughout

Introduced → Engrossed · 7 edits · Apr 29, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was significantly rewritten from a general Department of Human Services referral act to a specific children's abuse and neglect reporting law. The new version establishes a centralized hotline, mandates immediate written reports to law enforcement for certain cases, and adds detailed requirements for school employees, healthcare professionals, and confidentiality protections for reporters.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a general departmental referral framework to specific mandatory reporting requirements for child abuse and neglect, including new provisions for school employees and healthcare professionals.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for a statewide centralized hotline for child abuse and neglect reporting with specific training and tracking systems.

New mandate requiring immediate written reports to local law enforcement when the alleged perpetrator is not responsible for the child's care.

New requirement for healthcare professionals to report infants testing positive for alcohol or controlled substances, including those with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome or Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder.

ELIGIBILITY

Added specific reporting requirements for school employees, distinguishing between minors and adults, and requiring dual reporting to both DHS and law enforcement for minors.

ENFORCEMENT

Added anti-retaliation provisions protecting reporters from employer discrimination or retaliation, with liability for damages and attorney fees.

DEFINITION

Added confidentiality protections for reporting school employees, requiring redaction of their identities in reports.

TECHNICAL

Changed bill title from 'Department of Human Services Referral Act' to focus on children's code amendments.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 3 edits · May 5, 2025

MINOR

This bill transitioned from an Engrossed version to an Enrolled (final) version, primarily involving formatting and page number changes rather than substantive policy modifications. The core requirements for child abuse reporting, hotline operations, and mandatory reporting obligations remain unchanged. The final version maintains the same legal provisions for reporting child abuse and neglect to the Department of Human Services and law enforcement.

TECHNICAL

Page headers changed from 'ENGROSSED HOUSE' to 'ENROLLED HOUSE' and page numbers were updated to reflect the final enrolled version.

Formatting adjustments including spacing, line breaks, and alignment were standardized between the engrossed and enrolled versions.

The subject line was added in the enrolled version reading 'SUBJECT: Children' which was not present in the engrossed version.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten by the House Committee to replace the original Proposed Policy Committee version. The new version establishes a centralized child abuse hotline, expands reporting requirements for school employees to include 18-year-olds, adds protections against retaliation for reporters, and clarifies confidentiality rules for school employee identities.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include mandatory reporting by school employees for 18-year-old students (previously only under 18), added protections for reporters from retaliation, and clarified that certain custody abandonment cases do not require reporting.

REQUIREMENT

Added requirement for the Department of Human Services to establish a statewide centralized hotline for child abuse/neglect reporting with specific training and tracking requirements.

Added requirement for the hotline to electronically record all referrals and maintain recordings for 12 months with secure storage.

Modified reporting requirements to specify that referrals where the alleged perpetrator is not responsible for the child's care must be immediately reported to law enforcement in writing.

ELIGIBILITY

Expanded school employee reporting requirements to include students age 18 and older, while maintaining the age 18 threshold for initial reporting obligations.

ENFORCEMENT

Added anti-retaliation protections for individuals who report suspected child abuse or neglect, allowing them to sue for damages if they face discharge or discrimination.

DEFINITION

Clarified that school employee identities must be kept confidential and redacted from reports unless ordered by a court, protecting reporters from identification.

Children; Children's Code; directing that certain referral be immediately reported to law enforcement agency; directing Department of Human Services to maintain certain record; effective date.

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