Education

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 3, 2026

SB 1293: State Department of Education; creating the LETRS Training Revolving Fund to provide certain training to certain teachers. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1293 creates a new "LETRS Training Revolving Fund" within Oklahoma's State Department of Education to provide training in Language Essentials for Teachers of Reading and Spelling (LETRS) to pre-K through third-grade public school teachers. The fund, financed by state appropriations, will cover training costs for all eligible teachers within five years, subject to available funding. This policy change directly affects certified teachers in Oklahoma public schools serving early grades, aiming to improve foundational literacy instruction. The bill establishes the fund as a continuing resource, allowing repeated use of allocated funds for ongoing training needs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates fund to cover LETRS training costs for early-grade teachers, advancing teacher development and literacy curriculum through dedicated state funding.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Early Childhood

Track

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 21, 2025

HB 1417: School safety; creating the School Access for Emergency Response Act; definitions; grant program; grant selection committee; revolving fund; effective date.

HB 1417 creates the "School Access for Emergency Response Act" (SAFER Act), establishing a grant program through the Oklahoma State Department of Education to fund public school districts and brick-and-mortar charter schools. The bill provides grants for interoperable communication hardware, software, maintenance, and training, enabling school safety teams to directly communicate with first responders during emergencies. Key requirements include adopting FEMA’s Incident Command System (ICS) protocols and training staff using FEMA’s IS-0100.c standards. The program aims to improve emergency response coordination by ensuring schools and emergency services can share real-time communication systems.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill creates grant program for school safety communication systems, funding infrastructure to enhance school safety - a direct support for educational environment and student safety.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Safety Tags Public Safety

Track

died · Oklahoma · House Feb 7, 2025

HB 1519: Revenue and taxation; Oklahoma Revenue and Taxation Act of 2025; effective date.

HB 1519 expands Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit Program by increasing the maximum annual tax credit for private school tuition from $5,000 to $7,500, removing the previous cap. It creates income-based tiers for the credit amount (ranging from $5,000 to $7,500 depending on household income) and broadens eligible expenses to include tutoring, textbooks, and standardized test fees. The bill directly affects Oklahoma taxpayers with children enrolled in accredited private schools, including schools serving homeless students or financially disadvantaged students (defined as 90% of enrollment below 250% of the federal poverty threshold). It requires taxpayers to submit receipts for qualified expenses and allows unused credit to be refunded. The program would apply to tax years 2024 and beyond, administered by the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesExpands tax credit program with income-based tiers, providing tax relief for families using private education. Directly modifies tax policy to reduce taxpayer liability.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands tax credits for private school tuition and related expenses, increasing educational access and financial support for families, directly aligning with education access indicators.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Higher Education School Choice Testing & Assessment

Track

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 13, 2026

SB 346: School personnel; requiring certain affidavit from previously employed full-time teacher to include certain attestation. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 346 modifies Oklahoma's school employee background check rules for teachers moving between districts. It allows full-time teachers applying to new districts to skip a new criminal history check if they provide a copy of a check done within the last five years and a letter from their previous district. This letter must specifically state whether allegations of inappropriate behavior between the teacher and a student were raised or if an investigation was pending. The bill also includes similar exceptions for substitute teachers moving between positions within the same or different districts under specific conditions. The policy aims to reduce redundant background checks for educators with stable employment records.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires disclosure of past allegations to protect student safety during teacher transfers, enhancing school personnel safety protocols.80% confidence

Sub-Topics Teachers

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 73: Transportation; Oklahoma Vehicle License and Registration Act collections; limiting certain apportionment to certain amount. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 73 amends Oklahoma's vehicle license fee distribution rules to cap the percentage of funds apportioned to school districts at the level established for the 2015 fiscal year (ending June 30, 2015). For fiscal years beginning July 1, 2019, and later, school districts will continue to receive 36.20% of vehicle registration fees, but the total amount cannot exceed what was distributed in 2015. Any excess funds above this cap will be directed to the Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety Fund instead of school districts. This bill directly affects school districts that receive vehicle registration fee distributions under Oklahoma law.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesCaps school district vehicle fee funding at 2015 level, restricting growth of public school allocations from this tax source.95% confidence ✗ EducationOpposes EducationCaps school district vehicle fee funding at 2015 levels, preventing future increases and limiting education funding growth despite rising revenue.85% confidence ✓ TransportationSupports TransportationRedirects excess vehicle registration fees to Rebuilding Oklahoma Access and Driver Safety Fund, enhancing transportation infrastructure funding and safety initiatives.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Fees & Licensing Transportation Funding Vehicle Registration

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 12, 2025

HB 1393: Special education; individual education program; parental consent; effective date; emergency.

HB 1393 amends Oklahoma's special education law to clarify how alternate achievement standards are applied in Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities. It replaces the phrase "based on alternate academic achievement standards" with language requiring assessments "that promote access to and progress in the general education curriculum." This change directly affects students with disabilities in Oklahoma public schools who use alternate assessments, ensuring their IEPs focus on meaningful engagement with standard curriculum content. The bill specifies that alternate assessments must support students' ability to access and advance in regular classroom learning, not just measure them against different standards. The amendment became law after Governor approval on May 9, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAmends special education law to require assessments promoting access to general curriculum for students with disabilities, strengthening educational access and inclusion in K-12 schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Special Education

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 10, 2025

HB 1983: Schools; media literacy and cybersecurity to be taught in sixth, seventh, or eighth grades; State Department of Education to adopt curriculum standards; effective date.

HB 1983 requires Oklahoma public schools to teach media literacy and cybersecurity to students in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade starting in the 2027-2028 school year. It mandates a half-unit course covering specific topics like identifying online scams, fake news, deepfakes, password security, and protecting personal information. The State Department of Education must develop curriculum standards, guidelines, teacher training, and accessible resources to support this instruction, including accommodations for English learners and students with disabilities. The bill becomes effective November 1, 2025, with implementation beginning for incoming sixth graders in 2027.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates media literacy/cybersecurity curriculum in grades 6-8, requiring state-developed standards and teacher training to enhance digital literacy skills for students.90% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyMandates cybersecurity and media literacy education covering data privacy protection, password security, and identifying online threats, directly advancing digital safety and privacy education in schools.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Curriculum Teachers Cybersecurity Data Privacy

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 408: Higher education; prohibiting certain institutions from taking certain actions due to a student's pregnancy. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 408 prohibits Oklahoma public higher education institutions from requiring pregnant students to take leave, withdraw from programs, or restricting their studies solely due to pregnancy. It mandates reasonable accommodations like health-related safety adjustments, makeup work for missed assignments, and a six-month extension for completing degrees or exams. Institutions must create written policies on pregnancy accommodations, make them available to all students, and the Attorney General’s Civil Rights Enforcement Office will handle related complaints. This bill directly affects pregnant students enrolled in Oklahoma’s public colleges and universities, effective July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProhibits discrimination against pregnant students in higher education, mandates accommodations, and protects educational access - directly advancing equity in postsecondary education.95% confidence

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 1761: Schools; screening for dyslexia; requiring certain students to rescreen every three years; effective date; emergency.

HB 1761 requires Oklahoma public schools to screen all kindergarten through third-grade students for characteristics of dyslexia if they are not meeting grade-level reading targets after the initial assessment. Students identified with dyslexia characteristics must be rescreened every three years until age 18 or until a rescreening shows no characteristics. School districts must report detailed data on screenings, rescreenings, and interventions to the state Department of Education annually, including student progress and screening tools used. The bill also mandates the State Board of Education to develop policies for screening, including approved tools and parent notification processes. This affects all Oklahoma public schools serving K-3 students and requires ongoing monitoring of dyslexia identification.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates dyslexia screening for K-3 students not meeting reading targets, requiring interventions and annual reporting to improve early identification and support, advancing educational access and student outcomes.95% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education Testing & Assessment

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 7, 2025

HB 1601: Schools; creating the Advancing Rights for Caregiving, Health, and Extended Recovery (Maternity Leave Protection for Teachers) Act; effective date.

HB 1601, the "ARCHER Act," extends maternity leave protections for eligible public school teachers in Oklahoma. It amends existing sick leave rules (70 O.S. § 6-104.8) to require school districts to provide extended leave for teachers who have worked at least 1,250 hours in the past year, specifically covering pregnancy-related needs beyond standard sick leave. The bill creates a dedicated exception to current sick leave policies, ensuring teachers can take leave for maternity without losing pay, aligning with federal Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) standards. This directly affects full-time classroom teachers in public school districts who meet the employment threshold. The law became effective after Governor approval on May 6, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExtends maternity leave for public school teachers, protecting employment during pregnancy-related needs and strengthening educator welfare within K-12 education policy.95% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareBill mandates extended leave for pregnancy-related health needs, protecting teachers' access to healthcare during maternity without penalty, aligning with patient rights protection.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends maternity leave protections for teachers, creating dedicated leave beyond standard sick leave for pregnancy needs, strengthening employment standards and workers' rights.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Substance Abuse Paid Leave