reasonable time - Suspension of criminal proceedings - Civil commitment. A. If the person is found to be incompetent prior to conviction because he or she is a person requiring treatment as defined in Section 1-103 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, but capable of achieving competence with treatment within a reasonable period of time as defined by Section 1175.1 of this title, the court shall suspend the criminal proceedings and order the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to provide treatment, therapy or training which is calculated to allow the person to achieve competency. The Department may designate a willing entity to provide such competency restoration services on behalf of the Department, provided the entity has qualified personnel. The court shall further order the Department to take custody of the individual as soon as a forensic bed becomes available, unless both the Department and the county jail where the person is being held determine that it is in the best interests of the person to remain in the county jail. Such competency restoration services shall begin within a reasonable period of time after the court has determined that the person is not competent to stand trial. The person shall remain in the custody of the county jail until such time as the Department has a bed available at the forensic facility unless competency restoration services are provided by a designee of the Department, in which case custody of the person shall be transferred to the Department. B. The Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services or designee shall make periodic reports to the court as to the competency of the defendant. C. If the person is determined by the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services or designee to have regained competency, or is no longer incompetent because the person is a person requiring treatment as defined by Section 1-103 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, a hearing shall be scheduled within twenty (20) days: 1. If found competent by the court or a jury after such rehearing, criminal proceedings shall be resumed; 2. If the person is found to continue to be incompetent because the person is a person requiring treatment as defined in Section 1- 103 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, the person shall be returned to the custody of the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services or designee; 3. If the person is found to be incompetent because the person is an individual with intellectual disability as defined by Section 1408 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the court shall issue the appropriate order as set forth in Section 1175.6b of this title; 4. If the person is found to be incompetent for reasons other than the person is a person requiring treatment as defined by Section 1-103 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, and other than the person is an individual with intellectual disability as defined in Section 1408 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes, and is also found to be not dangerous as defined by Section 1175.1 of this title, the court shall issue the appropriate order as set forth in Section 1175.6b of this title; or 5. If the person is found to be incompetent for reasons other than the person is a person requiring treatment as defined by Section 1-103 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, and other than the person is an individual with intellectual disability as defined in Section 1408 of Title 10 of the Oklahoma Statutes, but is also found to be dangerous as defined by Section 1175.1 of this title, the court shall issue the appropriate order as set forth in Section 1175.6c of this title. D. If the person is found to be incompetent because the person is a person requiring treatment as defined by Section 1-103 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, but not capable of achieving competence with treatment within a reasonable period of time as defined by Section 1175.1 of this title, the court shall commence civil commitment proceedings pursuant to Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes and shall dismiss without prejudice the criminal proceeding. If the person is subsequently committed to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services pursuant to Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, the statute of limitations for the criminal charges which were dismissed by the court shall be tolled until the person is discharged from the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services pursuant to Section 7-101 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes. E. For a person undergoing competency restoration services, within thirty (30) days after the expiration of the reasonable period of time as defined by Section 1175.1 of this title, the court shall hold a hearing to determine whether the person has been restored to competency. 1. No less than fifteen (15) days prior to the hearing the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services shall submit a report to the court, the person’s attorney, and the prosecuting agency detailing the person’s status and progress in being restored to competency including the person’s historical and current compliance with medication and treatment and a plan for competency restoration if additional competency restoration services are ordered by the court. 2. If the court determines that the person has been restored to competency, the criminal proceedings shall resume. 3. If the court determines that the person has not been restored to competency, the court shall determine whether additional competency restoration services are likely to be beneficial in restoring the person to competency. If the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that additional competency restoration services are: a. likely to be beneficial in restoring the person to competency, the court shall order the person to remain in or be transferred to the custody of the Department which shall continue to provide treatment, therapy, or training calculated to restore the person to competency for a period of time not to exceed the lesser of an additional two (2) years or the maximum sentence specified for the most serious offense with which the defendant is charged, or b. not likely to be beneficial in restoring the person to competency, the court shall commence civil commitment proceedings pursuant to Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes and shall dismiss without prejudice the criminal proceeding. If the person is subsequently committed to the Department pursuant to Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes, the statute of limitations for the criminal charges which were dismissed by the court shall be tolled until the person is discharged from the Department pursuant to Section 7-101 of Title 43A of the Oklahoma Statutes. Added by Laws 2004, c. 106, § 6, eff. April 1, 2005. Amended by Laws 2015, c. 300, § 2, emerg. eff. May 11, 2015; Laws 2018, c. 290, § 2, emerg. eff. May 10, 2018; Laws 2019, c. 475, § 24, eff. Nov. 1, 2019; Laws 2025, c. 364, § 2, eff. Nov. 1, 2025.
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