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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
HOUSE BILL 1885 By: May
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to juvenile justice; creating the
Safeguarding Juvenile Justice Act; requiring the
recording of all interactions between juveniles and
certain persons; directing the court to assure
accurate recordings; requiring trained advocates or
social workers to be present during interactions;
directing the Supreme Court to establish rules
related to certain education and training
requirements; requiring judges with juvenile docket
responsibilities to attend and complete training;
setting number of training hours; directing the
Administrative Director of the Courts to develop and
administer procedures and rules; directing certain
attorneys to attend and complete training; setting
number of training hours; allowing judicial districts
to develop and administer procedures and rules for
training courses; amending 10A O.S. 2021, Section 2-
3-105, which relates to grievance procedures;
authorizing the investigation of complaints of
misconduct and inappropriate behavior; providing for
noncodification; providing for codification; and
providing an effective date.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Safeguarding
Juvenile Justice Act".
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SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-11-101 of Title 10A, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. Upon the effective date of this act, all interactions
between a juvenile and judge, attorney, court official, or any other
interested party of the juvenile case shall be recorded in order to
ensure transparency. The court shall ensure that recordings of
interactions are both visual and aural and recorded on film or
videotape or by other electronic means. The court shall further
assure that the recording equipment is capable of making accurate
recordings, the operator of the equipment is competent, the
recordings are accurate and have not been altered, and that every
voice on the recordings are identified. All parties of the
interactions shall be afforded the opportunity to view the
recordings.
B. A trained advocate or social worker shall be present during
all interactions occurring between a juvenile, the judge, attorneys,
or court officials.
SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2-11-102 of Title 10A, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. Upon the effective date of this act, the Supreme Court shall
be required to establish by rule, education and training
requirements for judges, associate judges, special judges, referees,
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and any other court officials who have juvenile docket
responsibility on the topics of appropriate and ethical behavior
when interacting with juveniles, grooming prevention, and what
constitutes grooming behaviors and reporting procedures.
1. All judges having juvenile docket responsibility shall
attend at least six (6) hours of training in such courses each
calendar year relating to the topics described in this subsection.
2. The Administrative Director of the Courts shall be
responsible for developing and administering procedures and rules
for such courses for judicial personnel, including monitoring the
attendance of judicial personnel at such training.
B. Any district attorney, assistant district attorney, public
defender, assistant public defender, attorney employed by or under
contract with the Oklahoma Indigent Defense System, court-appointed
attorney, or attorney employed by or under contract with a district
court whose duties include juvenile docket responsibility shall
complete at least three (3) hours of education and training annually
in courses relating to the topics described in subsection A of this
section. These education and training requirements may be
accomplished through a collaborative effort between the judiciary
and others with juvenile docket responsibilities.
C. Each judicial district shall be responsible for developing
and administering procedures and rules for such courses for
attorneys identified in subsection B of this section whose duties
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routinely include juvenile court docket responsibilities. The chief
judge of each judicial district, or any designee judge with juvenile
docket responsibilities, shall carry out this mandate within one (1)
year of the effective date of this act.
SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 10A O.S. 2021, Section 2-3-105, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 2-3-105. A. The Oklahoma Commission on Children and
Youth shall administer a grievance process to be utilized by
children detained in an adult jail, adult lockup, adult detention or
other adult facility. The grievance process shall be available to a
child at any time prior to or after adjudication or conviction or
during his or her incarceration. Grievances may be filed either by
the child or by a person responsible for the juvenile's health or
welfare as defined by Section 2-1-103 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma
Statutes acting on the child's behalf.
B. Grievances shall be directed to the Commission's Office of
Juvenile System Oversight for investigation, resolution and referral
to the appropriate agency if deemed necessary, including, but not
limited to, the State Department of Health.
1. The Office of Juvenile System Oversight shall have the
authority to investigate complaints, including, but not limited to,
the following:
a. placement,
b. treatment,
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c. psychological services,
d. social services,
e. educational services,
f. recreation,
g. abuse, neglect or misconduct,
h. cleanliness and hygiene, and
i. routine problems with employees, contractors or other
incarcerated persons within the facility, and
j. misconduct or inappropriate behavior by judicial or
court personnel.
2. The Office of Juvenile System Oversight shall notify the
Office of Juvenile Affairs compliance monitor or designee when a
grievance is received. The Office of Juvenile System Oversight
shall notify the Department of Human Services when a grievance is
received regarding a child in the custody of the Department of Human
Services.
C. Each facility in which children are being held shall:
1. Make all grievance policies and procedures available upon
request to any member of the public;
2. Make grievance policies and procedures readily accessible to
any children in the facility; and
3. Explain all grievance policies and procedures to every child
during his or her intake at the facility.
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D. The Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth shall
promulgate rules for the purposes of administering this section that
are consistent with grievance procedures available to children
detained in juvenile detention facilities as promulgated by the
Office of Juvenile Affairs.
E. The provisions of this section shall not apply to any child
housed in a Department of Corrections facility or housed under a
contract with the Department of Corrections.
SECTION 5. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
60-1-11661 GRS 01/11/25