Oklahoma Senator Will Introduce Safety Legislation
State Senator Carrie Hicks plans to file a bill to reform supervised visitation protocols in the 2027 legislative session.
Updated on Oct. 2, 2026 in Legislative Policy
Senator Carrie Hicks will introduce the Supervised Visitation Safety and Accountability Act during the 2027 legislative session. The proposal follows the 2025 death of six-year-old Elizabeth Feaster during a court-ordered supervised visit.
Why it matters
The legislation aims to address identified failures in how high-risk visitation cases are monitored and reported. It seeks to enforce stricter safety standards to prevent future tragedies during court-mandated custody exchanges.
The proposed legislation establishes new mandates for safety protocols, documentation, and reporting requirements in high-risk custody cases. These measures are intended to address existing gaps in oversight currently managed by the Oklahoma Department of Human Services.
The players
Carrie Hicks
Carrie Hicks is an Oklahoma State Senator who is championing reforms to child custody visitation laws.
Elizabeth Feaster
Elizabeth Feaster was a six-year-old who died while in the care of her father during a court-ordered visit in 2025.
Jill Walsh
Jill Walsh is a witness who provided testimony to the Oklahoma legislature regarding the need for stricter safety reforms.
Oklahoma Department of Human Services
The Oklahoma Department of Human Services is the state agency responsible for assessing safety risks in child visitation cases.
The details
The bill creates rigorous protocols for high-risk cases and mandates improved responses to visitation violations. It directly responds to the death of Elizabeth Feaster, ensuring that state agencies and courts adhere strictly to established safety guidelines.
Timeline
June 2025: Elizabeth Feaster died during a court-ordered overnight visit.
September 21, 2026: Jill Walsh provided testimony regarding visitation failures during an interim legislative study.
2027: Senator Carrie Hicks plans to introduce the bill during the legislative session.
Political Context
Opponents of similar legislative mandates often raise concerns regarding the administrative burden placed on the Oklahoma Department of Human Services. Dissenting voices may also argue that stricter state-level oversight could lead to unintended jurisdictional conflicts with local family courts.
Families navigating the court-ordered visitation system in Oklahoma may soon see changes in how their safety assessments are conducted and documented. These new standards are designed to increase state accountability and oversight for parents and children currently in the high-risk monitoring process.
The takeaway
This proposal highlights the legislative response to systemic failures in child safety protections during custody disputes. Residents can track the bill's progress throughout the 2027 session to see how these safety protocols evolve during the committee review process.
Further reading
For more on state-level regulatory changes, see Legislative Policy.
Source note: This article includes information reported by KOCO.
