An Oklahoma state senator is preparing legislation aimed at strengthening protections for children involved in court-ordered supervised visitation, following the death of six-year-old Elizabeth “Lizzy” Feaster during an overnight visit with her father in June 2025.
State Sen. Carrie Hicks said she plans to introduce the Supervised Visitation Safety and Accountability Act, known as “Lizzy’s Law,” during the 2027 legislative session. The proposal follows an interim legislative study that examined concerns about how supervised visitation is conducted and whether existing safeguards are adequately enforced.
Hicks said testimony presented during the study revealed a gap between the protections established in law and how those protections are carried out in practice.
“What we’ve discovered through this study, and through the hearing, and testimony of countless Oklahomans, is that the letter of the law is not being followed in real life,” Hicks said, according to KOCO. “I’m pursuing policy that will help us implement and hold those accountable.”
The proposed legislation is intended to address concerns about the safety of children who are ordered by courts to spend time with a parent or other individual under supervision, particularly in cases involving allegations of abuse or other high-risk circumstances. Lizzy Feaster’s death brought renewed attention to the safeguards intended to protect children during supervised visitation.
According to reports, the six-year-old was killed by her father during a court-ordered supervised overnight visit in June 2025. Her grandmother, Jill Walsh, spoke before lawmakers during an interim study on Sept. 21, urging officials to examine how such a tragedy could occur under a court-ordered arrangement intended to provide protection.
“Lizzy had no safe haven from her abuser. And again, this occurred under courtordered supervisedovernight visitation,” Walsh told lawmakers.
Walsh also described the family's decision to withhold the children's return to visitationuntiltheOklahoma Department of Human Services determined it was safe for them to resume. The case has raised difficult questions about what supervision should require, how risks are assessed and what happens when court-ordered safety measures are not followed.
Supervised visitation is generally intended to allow a child to maintain contact with a parent or another person while reducing potential risks. Depending on the circumstances and court order, supervision may involve monitoring interactions, enforcing restrictions and documenting concerns.
The level of protection depends on the specific arrangements and how effectively they are implemented. Hicks has identified several priorities for the legislation, including establishing clearer safety protocols for high-risk cases, creating standards for documentation and reporting, and developing proceduresforresponding to violations or ending visits that are determined to be unsafe.
The proposal also is expected to address accountability when established requirements are not followed.
“What does ‘supervised visitation’ actually mean, if we don’t actually enforce the accountability mechanism to center the safety of vulnerable children?” Hicks said.
Another concern is access to qualified supervision, particularly in rural communities where providers and services may be limited. Hicks has identified provider capacity and rural access as issues lawmakers must consider while developing a workable statewide approach.
The legislation's specific enforcement provisions and other operational details remain in development as Hicks prepares the bill for the next legislative session. Hicks announced her plans following the September interim study and intends to introduce the legislation in 2027.
The proposal would then need to move through the legislative process before it could become law. For families navigating custody disputes and court-ordered visitation, the issue extends beyond the language of a court order.
It also involves whether the required safeguards are consistentlyapplied,whether concerns are documented and reported, and whether officials can intervene when a child's safety is at risk. The effort behind Lizzy’s Law seeks to make those protections more meaningful by establishing clearer expectations and stronger accountability for the supervised visitation system.
As lawmakers prepare for the next session, Lizzy Feaster’s death has become a central part of the debate over how Oklahoma can better protect vulnerable children and ensure that arrangements intended to keep them safe do not leave gaps in their protection.