In the Matter of McNeely

OPALA, Justice.

In Davis v. Davis1 we held 10 O.S. 1981 § 11302 to be a public-law/state-action statute whose grounds are invocable only by the state. The question here is whether the subsequent amendment of that statute, 10 O.S.Supp.1986 § 1130(D), which allows a private termination suit to be brought upon § 1130 grounds, may be applied retroactively to validate the father’s claim to severance of maternal ties in this case. We answer in the negative and reverse the trial court’s order that declared the parties’ child to stand in a “deprived” status and terminated the mother’s bond.

*1296Custody of…