SB 244: Higher education; establishing the Program of American Civic Thought and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma; making an appropriation. Effective date. Emergency. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was moved from the House to the Senate floor, resulting in significant changes to the program's structure, governance, and funding. The House version established a 'Program' with 6 advisory board members, while the Senate version created a 'School' with 9 advisory board members and expanded the program's educational scope to include broader civic education and Western civilization studies.

Scope change

The program was renamed from 'Program of American Civic Thought and Leadership' to 'School of American Civic Thought and Leadership' and expanded from a single program to a school with broader educational mandates including political thought, Western civilization, and free market economics.

SCOPE

Changed the entity from a 'Program' to a 'School' with expanded educational purposes including Western civilization, great books, and free market economics.

REQUIREMENT

Increased advisory board membership from 6 to 9 members with new appointment requirements including representation from the Governor, Senate, and House of Representatives.

Added requirement for a Vice President of Civic Thought and Leadership position to be appointed by December 31, 2025.

FISCAL

Changed funding source from Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to General Revenue Fund of the State Treasury.

TIMELINE

Modified implementation timeline with initial course offerings available in fall 2027 and various appointment deadlines.

DEFINITION

Changed physical location requirement from 'stand-alone program' to general housing on the Norman campus.

SB244 (3-26-25) (DANIELS) FS FA1.PDF → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended from a Senate floor substitute version to a House floor version, primarily changing the bill title and authorship information. The substantive policy content regarding the establishment of the Program of American Civic Thought and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma remains unchanged, including program purposes, authorized activities, governance structure, and funding provisions.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; changes are primarily formatting and procedural (bill version designation and authorship attribution).

TECHNICAL

Changed document header from 'FLOOR SUBSTITUTE FOR SENATE BILL NO. 244' to 'ENGROSSED SENATE BILL NO. 244' to reflect the bill's current legislative status.

Updated sponsor attribution from 'By: Pugh (Daniels)' to 'By: Daniels and Pugh of the Senate and Lepak of the House' to reflect House floor version sponsorship.

Changed footer page references from 'Req. No. 1833' to 'SB244 HFLR' to indicate House Floor Legislative Report version.

Engrossed → SB244 (3-26-25) (DANIELS) FS FA1.PDF · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was reformatted from an 'Engrossed' version to a 'Floor Substitute' version, primarily changing the header information and page numbering while keeping the substantive legislative text identical. No policy, funding, or operational changes were made to the bill's content.

Scope change

None - the bill's scope, applicability, and substantive provisions remain unchanged.

TECHNICAL

Header changed from 'Engrossed Senate Bill' to 'Floor Substitute' with updated bill identifier and page numbering references.

Page footers updated from 'ENGR. S. B. NO. 244' to 'Req. No. 1833' with new timestamp information.

Removed original bill author attribution lines showing 'Daniels and Pugh of the Senate' and 'Lepak of the House' from the header.

Introduced → Engrossed · 4 edits · Mar 27, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to change the entity from a 'School' to a 'Program' of American Civic Thought and Leadership, reducing its formal stature and autonomy. The advisory board composition was significantly altered from nine members appointed by the Governor and Senate to six members appointed by the University's Board of Regents, shifting oversight from the executive branch to the university. The bill also reduced the initial funding amount from $3,000,000 to an unspecified amount and adjusted the program's reporting and strategic planning timelines.

Scope change

The bill's scope was narrowed by changing the entity from a standalone 'School' to a 'Program' within the university, and by moving the appointment authority for the advisory board from state officials to the university's Board of Regents.

SCOPE

Changed the entity name from 'School of American Civic Thought and Leadership' to 'Program of American Civic Thought and Leadership', reducing its formal status and suggesting less autonomy.

REQUIREMENT

Reduced the advisory board size from nine members to six members and changed appointment authority from the Governor and Senate to the University of Oklahoma Board of Regents.

FISCAL

Changed the initial appropriation from a specific $3,000,000 amount to an unspecified amount in the engrossed version.

TIMELINE

Adjusted the timeline for the program director to submit an annual strategic plan to March 1, 2027, and for faculty tenure policies to be established by the Board of Regents.

Higher education; establishing the Program of American Civic Thought and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma; making an appropriation. Effective date. Emergency.

What changed between versions

How they voted

Actions timeline

Sponsors