Education

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 23, 2026

HB 3029: Schools; requiring the State Board of Education to create a four-year plan to address Department programming needs; effective date.

HB 3029 requires Oklahoma's State Board of Education to create a four-year plan addressing the Oklahoma Department of Education's program needs. The plan must include long-term goals, details on new programs, cost analyses, and specific implementation strategies. The State Board must submit this annual plan to the Governor and legislature by December 1 each year, with updates reviewed yearly. The bill takes effect September 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires State Board to create annual plan for education programs, including new initiatives and cost analysis, aiming to improve program coordination and resource allocation.90% confidence

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signed · Oklahoma · House May 6, 2026

HB 3671: Teachers; definition for career teacher; effective date.

HB 3671 redefines "career teacher" in Oklahoma law for public school educators. To qualify, teachers must meet specific criteria: either 3+ consecutive years in one district with certain evaluation ratings, 4+ years with averaged "effective" ratings, or a district petition process for those who don't meet standard requirements. This definition directly affects teachers seeking career status, which typically provides enhanced job protections. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRedefines career teacher criteria to enhance job protections, strengthening educator retention and stability in K-12 schools.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentRedefines 'career teacher' to enhance job protections via specific evaluation criteria, strengthening employment security for educators under labor & employment standards.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 1899: Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program; providing eligibility for children of school district certified personnel. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1899 expands eligibility for Oklahoma's Higher Learning Access Program to include children of certified school personnel, such as teachers and other district employees. The bill amends Section 2603 of Oklahoma law to explicitly add "children of certified classroom teachers or certified personnel" as a qualifying group under financial need requirements. This change allows these students to receive tuition assistance equivalent to resident rates for their first semester of college, provided they meet other standard program criteria like high school graduation and academic requirements. The amendment updates existing eligibility rules without altering the program's core structure or funding mechanisms.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands tuition assistance for children of teachers, enhancing higher education access for educator families under Oklahoma's program.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education K-12 Education Student Financial Aid

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in committee · Oklahoma · House Mar 5, 2026

HB 3698: Unstable housing; Student Eviction Assistance Revolving Fund; Oklahoma State Department of Education; indigent defense; forcible entry and detainer; requirements; report; audit; effective date.

HB 3698 creates the Student Eviction Assistance Revolving Fund within Oklahoma's State Department of Education to address housing instability affecting students. The fund provides legal representation for low-income families (indigent tenants) with children enrolled in pre-K through 12th grade facing eviction (forcible entry/detainer cases), with referrals required through their school district. Funding comes from state appropriations, federal grants, and donations, and is allocated across all 77 counties based on poverty rates and chronic absenteeism data. The bill mandates annual audits of legal service organizations, requires detailed expenditure reports to state leaders, and takes effect November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates state appropriations to fund the Student Eviction Assistance Revolving Fund, directly advancing public service funding through state budget resources.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates Student Eviction Assistance Fund via State Department of Education to prevent housing instability-related absenteeism, directly supporting educational access for K-12 students.90% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingCreates Student Eviction Assistance Fund providing legal aid to low-income families facing eviction, directly protecting tenant rights and addressing housing instability for students.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Audits & Accountability Government Spending Early Childhood Tenant Rights

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 2068: Schools; requiring each public school district to create a library advisory committee for each grade level. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 2068 requires every public school district in Oklahoma to form a library advisory committee for each grade level taught. Each committee must include one school board member, one teacher from that grade, and one parent or guardian of a student in that grade. These committees will review and approve all library materials (including books, digital resources, and equipment) to ensure they meet community standards and student needs. The bill takes effect on July 1, 2026, and declares an emergency to expedite implementation.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationMandates committee review of library materials to align with 'community standards,' potentially restricting curriculum access and content availability in schools.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Libraries Teachers

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died · Oklahoma · House Feb 9, 2026

HB 3461: Schools; prohibiting school districts from paying certain administrator expenses with State Aid funds; effective date.

HB 3461 prohibits Oklahoma school districts from using state aid funds to cover certain administrator expenses, including severance payments, contract buyouts, or termination settlements for superintendents and other central office administrators. The bill requires these costs to be paid exclusively with local revenue instead of state funds, shifting the financial responsibility from the state to school districts. It defines "administrators" broadly to include superintendents, principals, and assistant principals, and specifies that administrative expenditures cover compensation, benefits, and related payments for these roles. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesBill shifts administrative costs from state to local revenue, restricting state budget expenditure on non-essential administrator expenses like severance payments.90% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits state aid use for admin expenses, shifting costs to local districts, effectively defunding such expenses with state funds per bill's explicit language.95% confidence

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passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 1, 2026

HB 3134: Higher education; Keep Accreditation About Academics Act; accrediting agencies; civil action; Attorney General; effective date.

HB 3134, the "Keep Accreditation About Academics Act," prohibits accrediting agencies from considering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices when reviewing or renewing accreditation for Oklahoma's public higher education institutions. It requires agencies to stop collecting or using any DEI-related information in accreditation decisions and mandates policies to prevent such data from influencing reviews. Students or employees of affected institutions can sue accrediting agencies for violations, and the Attorney General may enforce the law under anti-discrimination and consumer protection statutes. Violators face triple damages for fees paid by institutions, plus $1,000 per affected student. The law directly affects all Oklahoma public colleges and universities and their accrediting agencies, restricting how accreditation processes address DEI initiatives.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits DEI considerations in higher education accreditation, restricting diversity initiatives and academic policy integration per bill's explicit language.95% confidence

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died · Oklahoma · House Feb 19, 2026

HB 4149: Strong Readers Act; references; legislative findings; declaring intent of the Legislature; reading screenings; reading deficiencies; parent notifications; State Department of Education; reading panel; alternate reading assessments; promotion to fourth grade; retaining third grade; good-cause exemptions; intensive reading instruction; intensive acceleration class; reporting requirements; teacher training requirements; eighth-grade reading level; driver license; remedial reading for driver licenses; alternative reading proficiency tests; motorcycle licenses; testing site requirements; documentation requirements; out of state test results; school enrollment, completion, or lawful excuse for minors to obtain a driver license; violations; alternate route to obtain driver license; employer fines; attendance officers; Department of Public Safety; license cancellation; definitions; exceptions; forms; effective date; emergency.

HB 4149, the Strong Readers Act, requires Oklahoma public schools to screen all kindergarten through third-grade students for reading proficiency three times yearly using state-approved tools. It prohibits the "three-cueing system" (meaning/structure/visual cues) in reading instruction and mandates evidence-based teaching methods focused on phonological awareness, decoding, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Students who do not meet grade-level reading standards may be retained in third grade, with schools required to provide intensive reading instruction, notify parents, and establish acceleration classes for retained students. The law aims to ensure students achieve grade-level reading proficiency by the end of third grade through standardized assessments and targeted support.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates evidence-based reading instruction and screenings for K-3, prohibits ineffective methods (three-cueing system), and requires retention for non-proficient students to improve literacy outcomes in K-12 schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Teachers

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died · Oklahoma · House Feb 6, 2026

HB 4288: Schools; authorizing the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to create an alternative education pilot program for out-of-school suspended students; effective date.

HB 4288 authorizes Oklahoma's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to create a pilot program offering alternative education for students suspended from school for more than 14 days. The program must include therapy and restorative practices in daily instruction, allowing students to continue participating after their suspension ends. School districts can develop reintegration plans to help students return to regular classes and activities, with up to 10% of annual alternative education funds designated for this pilot. The bill applies directly to suspended students and school districts, effective November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeBill uses restorative practices and therapy to address school suspensions, preventing school-to-prison pipeline and reducing recidivism - aligning with criminal justice reform indicators.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates alternative education program with therapy/restorative practices for suspended students, enabling reintegration and continued learning. Expands educational access and support for at-risk students, directly advancing K-12 educational a...95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates therapy and mental health services within an alternative education program for suspended students, directly advancing mental health support as part of healthcare services.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Student Health Mental Health Substance Abuse

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in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Mar 5, 2026

SB 1782: Higher education; prohibiting the governing boards of certain institutions of higher education from establishing and maintaining tenure plans after certain date. Effective date.

SB 1782 prohibits the governing boards of eight specific Oklahoma public higher education institutions (including the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma State University, and community colleges) from creating new tenure systems for faculty hired after a certain date. The bill requires these institutions to electronically submit annual data on faculty numbers, tenure status, and graduate assistants to the Oklahoma State Regents by July 31 each year. The State Regents must then forward this data to state officials by September 1. This policy change directly affects faculty employment contracts and tenure eligibility at these institutions, with no new tenure plans permitted for hires after the effective date.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationProhibits new tenure systems at public universities, reducing faculty job security and benefits, directly restricting academic freedom and educator protections.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education

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