A. The Office of Juvenile Affairs shall establish and maintain such methods of administration, including those necessary to establish and maintain a merit system of personnel administration, and shall promulgate such rules as it deems necessary for the efficient and effective operation of the juvenile institutions and facilities operated by the Office.

B. The Executive Director of the Office of Juvenile Affairs shall employ and fix the duties and compensation of a superintendent, and such other personnel as the Executive Director deems necessary, for each of the juvenile institutions and facilities operated by the Office of Juvenile Affairs. The Office shall promulgate, and in its hiring and employment practices, the Office shall adhere to, written minimum qualifications by position for personnel working with or around juveniles in said institutions and facilities. Such minimum qualifications shall be designed to assure that such personnel possess sufficient education, training, experience and background to provide adequate and safe professional care and services to said juveniles; and that the juveniles will not be exposed to abuse, deprivation, criminal conduct, or other unwholesome conditions attributable to employee incompetence or misconduct.

C. 1. The Office of Juvenile Affairs may directly request national criminal history records searches as defined by Section 150.9 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation for the purpose of investigating the criminal history of any employee or applicant of the Office of Juvenile Affairs. The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation may charge a search fee as provided in Section 150.9 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes. The fee shall be deposited in the OSBI Revolving Fund.

2. The Board of Juvenile Affairs shall promulgate rules for the Office of Juvenile Affairs to obtain national criminal history records for personnel described in subsection B of this section, except that such rules may permit employment of applicants pending receipt of the results of national criminal history record searches.

D. The superintendent of a juvenile institution or facility shall be the guardian of the person of each juvenile in the institution or facility for the limited purpose of providing care and protection for any life-threatening situation that may arise.

Added by Laws 1995, c. 352, § 94, eff. July 1, 1995. Amended by Laws 2003, c. 213, § 3, eff. July 1, 2003; Laws 2009, c. 234, § 19, emerg. eff. May 21, 2009. Renumbered from § 7302-6.2 of Title 10 by Laws 2009, c. 234, § 174, emerg. eff. May 21, 2009. Amended by Laws 2016, c. 307, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2016.