2020 Oklahoma Statutes
Title 21. Crimes and Punishments
§21-852. Omission to provide for a child - Penalties.

A. Unless otherwise provided for by law, any parent, guardian, or person having custody or control of a child as defined in Section 1-1-105 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes who willfully omits, without lawful excuse, to furnish necessary food, clothing, shelter, monetary child support, medical attendance, payment of court-ordered day care or payment of court-ordered medical insurance costs for such child which is imposed by law, upon conviction, is guilty of a misdemeanor; provided, any person obligated to make child support payments who willfully and without lawful excuse becomes delinquent in said child support payments after September 1, 1993, and such delinquent child support accrues without payment by the obligor for a period of one (1) year, or exceeds Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) shall, upon conviction thereof, be guilty of a felony which is punishable in the same manner as any subsequent conviction pursuant to the provisions of this section. Any subsequent conviction pursuant to this section shall be a felony, punishable by imprisonment for not more than four (4) years in the custody of the Department of Corrections or by the imposition of a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. As used in this section, the duty to furnish medical attendance shall mean that the parent or person having custody or control of a child must furnish medical treatment in such manner and on such occasions as an ordinarily prudent person, solicitous for the welfare of a child, would provide; such parent or person having custody or control of a child is not criminally liable for failure to furnish medical attendance for every minor or trivial complaint with which the child may be afflicted.

B. Any person who leaves the state to avoid providing necessary food, clothing, shelter, court-ordered monetary child support, or medical attendance for such child, upon conviction, shall be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for not more than four (4) years in the custody of the Department of Corrections or by the imposition of a fine of not more than Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment.

C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to mean a child is endangered for the sole reason the parent, guardian or person having custody or control of a child, in good faith, selects and depends upon spiritual means alone through prayer, in accordance with the tenets and practice of a recognized church or religious denomination, for the treatment or cure of disease or remedial care of such child; provided, that medical care shall be provided where permanent physical damage could result to such child; and that the laws, rules, and regulations relating to communicable diseases and sanitary matters are not violated.

D. Nothing contained in this section shall prevent a court from immediately assuming custody of a child and ordering whatever action may be necessary, including medical treatment, to protect the health or welfare of the child.

E. Psychiatric and psychological testing and counseling are exempt from the provisions of this section.

F. If any parent of a child in cases in which the Department of Human Services is providing services pursuant to Section 237 of Title 56 of the Oklahoma Statutes is determined by the Department to be willfully violating the provisions of this section, the Department may refer the case to the proper district attorney for prosecution. The Department shall provide assistance to the district attorneys in such prosecutions. Any child support or arrears payments made pursuant to this section shall be made payable to the Department and paid through the Centralized Support Registry pursuant to Section 413 of Title 43 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

G. Except for a third or subsequent conviction, all felony convictions herein shall be administered under the provisions of the Community Sentencing Act.

H. It is the duty of any parent having legal custody of a child who is an alcohol-dependent person or a drug-dependent person, as such terms are defined by Section 3-403 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, to provide for the treatment, as such term is defined by Section 3-403 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, of such child. Any parent having legal custody of a child who is an alcohol-dependent person or a drug-dependent person who without having made a reasonable effort fails or willfully omits to provide for the treatment of such child shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. For the purpose of this subsection, the duty to provide for such treatment shall mean that the parent having legal custody of a child must provide for the treatment in such manner and on such occasions as an ordinarily prudent person, solicitous for the welfare of a child, would provide.

I. Venue is proper in prosecutions for violations of this section in:

1. Any county where the child resides;

2. The county in which the court-ordered support was entered or registered pursuant to the provisions of the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act; or

3. The county in which the defendant resides.

R.L.1910, § 2434. Amended by Laws 1975, c. 67, § 1, emerg. eff. April 18, 1975; Laws 1983, c. 44, § 1, operative Nov. 1, 1983; Laws 1987, c. 167, § 2, operative July 1, 1987; Laws 1989, c. 348, § 13, eff. Nov. 1, 1989; Laws 1990, c. 165, § 1, eff. July 1, 1990; Laws 1993, c. 173, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1993; Laws 1994, c. 132, § 1, eff. Sept. 1, 1994; Laws 1997, c. 6, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 1997; Laws 1997, c. 133, § 251, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 1999, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 5, § 155, eff. July 1, 1999; Laws 2006, c. 219, § 1; Laws 2008, c. 407, § 14, eff. Nov. 1, 2008; Laws 2009, c. 234, § 121, emerg. eff. May 21, 2009.

NOTE: Laws 1998, 1st Ex. Sess., c. 2, § 23 amended the effective date of Laws 1997, c. 133, § 251 from July 1, 1998, to July 1, 1999.