Oklahoma § 56-162 - Duties and powers of the Director

§ 56-162. Duties and powers of the Director

A. The Governor shall have the power and duty to select a

Director of Human Services who shall serve as executive and

administrative officer of the Department of Human Services. The

Director shall be appointed wholly on the basis of ability, training

and experience qualifying him or her for public welfare

administration. The Director shall serve, subject to the

confirmation of the Senate, at the pleasure of the Governor. The

salary of the Director shall be fixed by the Governor.

B. The Director shall formulate the policies and adopt rules

and regulations for the effective administration of the duties of

the Department.

C. 1. The Director shall take the appropriate steps to ensure

rules and policies are promulgated to conduct appropriate background

searches of individuals both prior to and, if necessary, during

their employment with the Department. The job categories within the

Department that are subject to background searches prior to

employment shall be determined at the Director’s discretion. Such

background checks shall include, but not be limited to:

a.

a search of the Oklahoma State Courts Network,

including Oklahoma District Court records,

b.

a search of the Restricted Registry maintained by the

Department pursuant to Section 405.3 of Title 10 of

the Oklahoma Statutes,

c.

a search of the Department of Corrections files

maintained by the Department pursuant to the Sex

Offender Registration Act,

d.

a search of the Department of Corrections Violent

Offender Registry, also known as the Mary Rippy

Violent Crime Offender Registry,

e.

a search of all applicable out-of-state child abuse

and neglect registries if the subject of the search

has not lived continuously in Oklahoma for the past

five (5) years,

f.

a search of the community services worker registry

maintained by the Department pursuant to Section

1025.3 of this title; and

g.

a fingerprint-based national criminal history record

check. The Department may directly request a national

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 56. Poor Persons

criminal history record check 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 Department.

2. In addition, the Director shall ensure rules and policies

are promulgated to conduct a search of the Department’s records of

abuse and neglect both prior to and, if necessary, during the

employment of any person with the Department and whose scope of

employment will bring that individual into direct contact with any

vulnerable population.

D. The Director shall require and set the amount of the bond

for employees.

E. The Director shall cooperate with the federal Department of

Health and Human Services, or other similar agencies created by

Congress, in any reasonable manner as may be necessary to qualify

for federal aid to states in providing assistance to needy persons

in conformity with the provisions of this title, including the

making of reports in the form and containing information as a

federal agency may from time to time require, and comply with any

other similar federal agency requirements necessary to ensure the

correctness and verification of the reports.

F. The Director shall publish an annual report, not later than

four (4) months after the close of each fiscal year. The report

shall be presented to the Governor, the Speaker of the House of

Representatives and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate. Annual

reports shall provide information about the operations and programs

administered by the Department and shall include, but shall not be

limited to:

1. Statistical information regarding services provided and the

number of persons served by Department programs;

2. Financial data including a reasonable amount of detailed

information regarding revenues and expenditures and a breakdown and

comparison of the Department budget with actual expenditures;

3. Status of the workforce and productivity of the Department;

4. Information about Department efforts to ensure program

accountability and service delivery quality and integrity;

5. Demographic data and trends and their anticipated impact on

demand for services; and

6. Information regarding public and private institution-based

services.

G. The Director shall assume the statutory duties of the

Commission for Human Services.

Added by State Question No. 226, Initiative Petition No. 155, § 2,

adopted at election held July 7, 1936. Amended by Laws 1939, p. 86,

§ 2, emerg. eff. May 9, 1939; Laws 2012, c. 344, § 1, eff. Nov. 7,

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 56. Poor Persons

2012; Laws 2018, c. 30, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2018; Laws 2021, c. 43, §

1, eff. Nov. 1, 2021.