2018 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 57. Prisons and Reformatories
§57-589. Registered offenders prohibited from certain employment - Penalties - Civil damages.
A. It is unlawful for any person registered pursuant to the Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act or the Mary Rippy Violent Crime Offenders Registration Act to work with or provide services to children or to work on school premises, or for any person or business which contracts for work to be performed on school premises to knowingly and willfully allow any employee to work with children or to work on school premises who is registered pursuant to the Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act or the Mary Rippy Violent Crime Offenders Registration Act. Upon conviction for any violation of the provisions of this subsection, the violator shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). In addition, the violator may be liable for civil damages.
B. 1. A person or business who offers or provides services to children shall ensure compliance with subsection A of this section by conducting a name search of employees at least annually against the registries maintained pursuant to the Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act and the Mary Rippy Violent Crime Offenders Registration Act while such person is working with or serving children. All persons working with or providing services to children shall be required to sign a statement declaring that he or she is not currently required to register under the provisions of the Oklahoma Sex Offenders Registration Act or the Mary Rippy Violent Crime Offenders Registration Act. Compliance with the signed statement shall be mandatory for all persons working with or providing services to children, and there shall be no liability or obligation placed upon any person or business to ascertain the truthfulness of the affidavit. Any person or business having a contract with a school shall ensure compliance as provided by Section 6-101.48 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
2. Failure of any person or business who works with or provides services to children to conduct the annual name search of each person employed shall be a misdemeanor. Upon conviction for failure to conduct a name search, the violator shall be guilty of a misdemeanor punishable by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). Refusal of any person who is employed to work with or provide services to children to sign a statement declaring they have no requirement to register as provided in this section shall be a misdemeanor, upon conviction, punishable by a fine not to exceed One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00), and the person shall be immediately terminated from employment. Any person discovering an employment or registration violation as required by any provision of law for any person currently employed to work with or provide services to children has a duty to and shall immediately report such findings to the district attorney.
C. It is unlawful for any law enforcement agency to employ any person as a peace officer or criminal investigator who has received a verdict of guilty or pled guilty or nolo contendere to any offense required to register pursuant to the Sex Offenders Registration Act or the Mary Rippy Violent Crime Offenders Registration Act, including those receiving a verdict of guilt, pleading guilty or nolo contendere as part of a deferred judgment or other provision of law authorizing a delayed or suspended judgment or sentence. Every person receiving a verdict of guilty or pleading guilty or nolo contendere to any offense required to register pursuant to the Sex Offenders Registration Act or the Mary Rippy Violent Crime Offenders Registration Act shall be prohibited from being certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training (CLEET) as a peace officer, private investigator, or security guard, and if at the time of the verdict or plea such person has been previously CLEET certified such certification shall be revoked. Any violator shall be guilty of a misdemeanor upon conviction of noncompliance with the provisions of this subsection.
Added by Laws 1998, c. 411, § 5, eff. July 1, 1998. Amended by Laws 1999, c. 200, § 1, emerg. eff. May 24, 1999; Laws 2002, c. 460, § 35, eff. Nov. 1, 2002; Laws 2004, c. 358, § 10, eff. Nov. 1, 2004; Laws 2008, c. 162, § 2, eff. July 1, 2008.
