HB 1742 creates a tax credit program allowing Oklahoma taxpayers to claim credits for qualified education expenses paid for eligible students. The credit amount varies by household income (ranging from $5,000 to $7,500 annually) and covers tuition at accredited private schools, tutoring, textbooks, and standardized test fees. Eligible students include those attending accredited private schools or receiving education through approved alternative methods. Parents must submit receipts to the Oklahoma Tax Commission to claim the credit, which can be refunded if it exceeds their tax liability. This bill directly affects Oklahoma parents/guardians paying for qualifying education costs for their children.
HB 2253 requires Oklahoma's State Department of Education to create a system for coding and reporting data on all teacher certification pathways, including emergency and full-time adjunct certification. It establishes the Data Governance Council, composed of 13 appointed members from education stakeholders (such as university programs, school administrators, and teachers), to monitor how certification pathways affect student outcomes, standardize data on teacher workforce quality, and set best practices for secure data management. The Council must begin meeting by February 2026, operate without member compensation, and comply with Oklahoma's open meeting and records laws. The bill takes effect on November 1, 2025.
SB 247 creates the "Fund Students, Not Systems Education Savings Account Program" in Oklahoma, allowing eligible students (ages 5-18, including some with disabilities) to receive state education funds for qualified expenses. The State Department of Education calculates ESA amounts based on each student’s school district’s state aid factors, then transfers funds quarterly to cover approved costs like tuition, textbooks, therapy, and field trips. Families apply annually by April 1 to choose participating schools (public, private, charter, or homeschool), with funds restricted to specific educational services listed in the bill. The program aims to provide parental choice while requiring no new oversight for private schools or homeschools, though it does not change public school funding levels.
HB 2256 creates a revolving fund in the Oklahoma State Treasury to support apprenticeship scholarships for high school graduates. The fund, financed by state appropriations and private donations, will provide grants covering tuition and fees for eligible students entering federally approved technical apprenticeship programs through Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committees. Applications for these grants will be reviewed competitively statewide by the Oklahoma State Board of Career and Technology Education. The program becomes effective November 1, 2025.
HB 1287 authorizes the University of Oklahoma's Board of Regents to create a high-dosage math tutoring pilot program for ninth-grade students who scored lowest on Oklahoma's eighth-grade math assessment. The program targets public high schools in districts with 30,000+ enrolled students and public charter schools. It requires the University of Oklahoma's College of Education to administer the tutoring, focusing on intensive, frequent support for struggling math students. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, with an emergency clause allowing immediate implementation upon approval.
SB 794 requires Oklahoma teacher preparation programs accredited by the state's Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to provide either a minimum number of weeks of classroom practice or a job-embedded teacher apprenticeship program for teacher candidates. It directly affects all individuals training to become teachers in state-accredited programs. The law mandates the Commission to establish specific requirements through rules, with the policy taking effect July 1, 2025. The bill creates two concrete pathways for teacher candidates to gain practical experience before certification.
HB 2176 establishes a 7% tax on retail medical marijuana sales in Oklahoma, collected at the point of sale by the Oklahoma Tax Commission (replacing the Medical Marijuana Authority as collector). The Tax Commission retains 1.5% of collected funds as a fee, with the remaining revenue (after fees) split: $65 million annually first allocated to public school funding (59.23%), the Medical Marijuana Authority (34.62%), and drug rehabilitation programs (6.15%), with any surplus going to the state general fund. The bill also mandates permanent license revocation for medical marijuana businesses that intentionally fail to pay taxes. It takes effect November 1, 2025.
HB 1109 prohibits detaining students for school absences and bans suspensions for truancy. It requires school districts to create progressive intervention plans (with three tiers) and send written notices to families for absences, replacing punitive measures. The bill also limits court involvement by allowing reports of absences only under specific circumstances and prevents placing students in institutional facilities solely for truancy. These changes directly affect students, schools, and juvenile courts in Oklahoma, shifting focus from punishment to support systems for attendance issues.
HB 1181 extends Oklahoma's School Resource Officer (SRO) pilot program from three to five years and increases the annual spending limit for the School Security Revolving Fund from $50 million to $75 million. The bill directly affects public school districts by allowing them to use state funds for SROs, security equipment (like cameras and ballistic shelters), and facility upgrades, while requiring new hires to complete specific training. Key provisions include prioritizing active law enforcement officers for SRO roles, permitting retired officers or licensed security guards under strict authorization rules, and mandating that fund use supplements - rather than replaces - existing school security funding. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and declares an emergency to allow immediate implementation.
SB 1291 amends Oklahoma's Strong Readers Act by removing a three-year pilot program for literacy instructional teams and increasing the required number of literacy specialists from 10 to 100 per state. The bill directly affects Oklahoma public schools, particularly those supporting students with reading difficulties or dyslexia, by mandating more specialized staff to assist teachers. Key provisions include requiring biennial reports to state leaders on program effectiveness and updating specialist qualifications to prioritize dyslexia expertise. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, as an emergency measure.
