SB 555 Oklahoma Senate · 2025 Regular Session

Schools; creating the Education Regulatory Sandbox Program; providing purpose; providing for application process. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 555 creates the "Education Regulatory Sandbox Program," allowing Oklahoma school districts to apply for temporary exemptions from certain state education regulations. The bill specifically prohibits exemptions for critical requirements including teacher due process rules, criminal background checks, disability education laws, state testing programs, minimum salary schedules, financial reporting, and participation in retirement/health insurance programs. School districts seeking exemptions must still comply with these 8 specific mandates. The bill establishes an application process for districts to request limited regulatory flexibility while ensuring core educational and operational standards remain in place. This is a procedural bill focused on defining the scope of allowable exemptions within the sandbox framework.

Issues: ✓ Education ✓ Healthcare

Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

Floor Vote

Governor

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Last action Mar 17, 2025

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What changed between versions

SB555 (3-11-25) (PUGH) FA1.PDF → Floor (Senate) · 6 edits

MODERATE

The bill was amended to create an Education Regulatory Sandbox Program that allows school districts to request temporary exemptions from specific state education requirements to test innovations. The original version included a list of prohibited exemptions (like teacher due process and salary schedules), but the floor version removed these restrictions to allow broader participation. The program requires districts to submit applications, implement innovations with measurable educational outcomes, submit annual progress reports, and allows for three-year renewal if improvements are demonstrated.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a limited exemption program with specific prohibited areas to a more flexible sandbox program that allows exemptions from state statutory requirements and administrative rules while maintaining a ban on federal education requirement exemptions.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed the list of prohibited exemptions that previously prevented districts from seeking exemptions from teacher due process, criminal history checks, employment contracts, special education laws, testing programs, salary schedules, financial reporting, and retirement/health insurance programs.

REQUIREMENT

Added specific application requirements including identification of the exemption sought, the innovation to implement, and measurable educational outcomes with metrics.

Added requirement for school districts to electronically submit annual progress reports to the State Department of Education.

TIMELINE

Added a requirement that the State Board of Education collect information from participating districts three years after program implementation and submit a comprehensive report to state leadership.

DEFINITION

Changed the program structure from a simple exemption list to a formal sandbox program with application, review, and reporting processes.

ENFORCEMENT

Added provision that renewal applications will be denied if annual progress reports do not show evidence of the educational outcome improvements sought in the initial application.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Mar 4, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported Do Pass Education committee; CR filed

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

First Reading

upper

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors