HB 1199 Summary

• Amends Oklahoma law (10 O.S. 2001, Section 5) to expand grandparental visitation rights to include former legal guardians in addition to grandparents.

• Requires courts to find visitation is in the child's best interest and either parent is unfit or child would suffer harm without the visitation, with an intact family exception where both fit parents object.

• Establishes 9 conditions triggering eligibility for visitation, including parental death, divorce proceedings, incarceration, or when a former guardian previously had custody of the child.

• Creates enforcement procedures including mediation requirements, specific visitation schedules, compensatory visitation time, bonds, and authority to award attorney fees and court costs.

• Effective date: November 1, 2011.