Education (School Choice)

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 4, 2025

HB 1283: School employees; liability insurance; Educators' Professional Liability Insurance Program; effective date.

HB 1283 creates the Educators' Professional Liability Insurance Program, providing all public and charter school employees in Oklahoma (including part-time staff) with automatic liability coverage up to $2 million per incident. The program, administered by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES), requires OMES to select insurers through competitive bidding or establish a self-insured pool, with costs covered by annual state appropriations. School districts and OMES must notify eligible employees in writing at hire and annually about this automatic coverage. The bill takes effect November 1, 2025, and does not alter existing tort claims laws or school district obligations.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides state-funded liability insurance for all school employees, protecting educators and strengthening support for staff through mandatory coverage and state appropriations.90% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 23, 2026

SB 1389: Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act; modifying annual limit for certain fiscal years. Emergency.

SB 1389 modifies Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit Act by increasing annual credit limits for parents or guardians paying qualified education expenses for eligible students. The bill sets income-based maximums: $7,500 for households earning under $75,000, decreasing to $5,000 for households earning over $250,000, with special provisions for schools serving homeless or financially disadvantaged students. It directly affects Oklahoma taxpayers who pay tuition or approved educational expenses (like curriculum, tutoring, or assessments) for students in accredited private schools or qualifying educational programs. The credit applies to tax years 2024 and beyond, with the Oklahoma Tax Commission required to publish specific administrative information. This bill adjusts existing credit limits without changing the program's core structure or eligibility rules.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesIncreases tax credit limits for middle-income families ($7,500 under $75k), providing direct tax relief while capping credits for higher earners.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases tax credits for education expenses, expanding access for lower-income families and disadvantaged students via income-based limits.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Curriculum Higher Education School Choice

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Mar 5, 2025

HB 1522: Schools; state student record system; request for proposals; requirements; State Board of Education to procure certain system by certain date; fund usage; State Aid Formula; calculation; effective date; emergency.

HB 1522 requires Oklahoma school districts to create and publicly post policies by January 1, 2022, defining how many transfer students they can accept per grade level at each school site. It limits students to two inter-district transfers per school year (except for those returning to their home district), allows automatic approval if a student’s home district doesn’t offer their grade level, and prohibits transfers based on unexcused absences (ten or more in a semester). Parents can appeal denials first to the district board and then to the State Board of Education if policies weren’t followed. The bill directly affects students seeking to transfer schools, their families, and school districts managing enrollment capacity.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationRestricts inter-district transfers (max 2/year) and prohibits based on absences, limiting student access to schools per bill requirements.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice School Transportation

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 6, 2025

HB 1159: Schools; student transfers; intra-district transfers; options; effective date; emergency.

HB 1159 allows Oklahoma students to transfer between schools within their district year-round, provided the receiving school's grade level has available space. It establishes specific preferences for transfers, including siblings of transferring students, children of district employees, students changing residence within the district, and those in foster care. School districts must publicly post capacity limits for transfers and prioritize students based on these preferences when space is limited. The bill requires districts to set and report these capacity limits annually, ensuring transparency in the transfer process.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands student access to schools within district via flexible transfer options with prioritized preferences for vulnerable groups.85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 686: Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act; applying authorized but unused credit to subsequent annual limitation. Effective date.

SB 686 amends Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit Act to allow taxpayers to carry forward unused portions of their annual credit amount to future tax years. This change specifically increases the annual credit limitation by the amount of certain unused credits from prior years, while removing the previous option to reallocate unused credits between different types of qualified education expenses. The bill affects Oklahoma taxpayers claiming the credit for eligible students' education costs, including private school tuition and related expenses, as defined under the existing program. It does not alter the credit amounts or income thresholds but changes how unused credit is handled administratively.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAmends tax credit to allow unused credits to carry forward, expanding tax relief for education expenses and increasing credit flexibility for taxpayers.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enables taxpayers to carry forward unused education tax credits, increasing flexibility and access to funding for K-12 education expenses without restricting options.92% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Higher Education School Choice

Track

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 9, 2025

HB 1396: Schools; Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act; prohibiting private schools from requiring parent to participate.

HB 1396 prohibits private schools in Oklahoma from requiring parents to participate in the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Program as a condition for enrolling their child. It requires schools to provide enrolled students using the tax credit a written tuition agreement showing the base rate, with future increases limited to the State Treasurer's annual inflation measure (based on local consumer index data) and requiring written notice at least one semester in advance. This applies only to students receiving the tax credit, not to other students. The bill aims to prevent schools from tying enrollment to tax credit participation while standardizing tuition increase notifications for tax credit users. It takes effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationProhibits private schools from mandating tax credit participation for enrollment, ensuring access and capping tuition increases at inflation, advancing educational choice and affordability.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 5, 2025

SB 682: Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act; modifying installment payment for certain eligible students. Effective date.

SB 682 modifies Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit Program to change how taxpayers claim credits for private school expenses. It establishes income-based credit limits (ranging from $5,000 to $7,500 annually) for parents or guardians paying tuition at accredited private schools, with higher amounts for families below certain income thresholds. The bill also prohibits the Oklahoma Tax Commission from reclaiming credits for eligible students and clarifies that credits cover tuition, fees, and approved educational materials. This directly affects Oklahoma families using the program to offset private school costs, with specific provisions for schools serving homeless or financially disadvantaged students.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesEstablishes income-based tax credits for private school tuition, providing targeted tax relief to lower-income families through modified credit limits and prohibited reclaiming.95% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates income-based tax credits for private school tuition, expanding access for families and enhancing educational choice options.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Higher Education School Choice

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · House Feb 10, 2025

HB 1758: Virtual charter schools; allowing statewide virtual charter schools that reach certain assessment achievements to receive additional funds for certain expenses; effective date; emergency.

HB 1758 would provide Oklahoma virtual charter schools with $100,000 annually if their academic performance is within 10 points of the state average on the Oklahoma State Report Card. Schools meeting this threshold could use the funds for facility costs, student testing, transportation, or student services. Funding is based on academic data from two years prior (e.g., 2022-2023 scores determine 2025 funding) and is in addition to existing district funding. The bill requires available state funds and takes effect July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesBill allocates $100,000 annually to virtual charter schools meeting academic thresholds, increasing state funding for education services through targeted budgetary appropriations.90% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationProvides $100k/year to virtual charter schools meeting performance targets for facility/testing costs, increasing funding beyond existing district allocations.95% confidence

Sub-Topics School Choice Testing & Assessment

Track

in committee · Oklahoma · Senate Feb 4, 2025

SB 1016: Income tax credit; requiring the Department of Human Services and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority verify certain claims by certain applicants; requiring certain entities submit documentation to tax commission for verification of income for parental choice tax credit. Effective date.

SB 1016 amends Oklahoma's Parental Choice Tax Credit Act to require the Department of Human Services and Oklahoma Health Care Authority to verify income claims for taxpayers seeking the credit. It also mandates that participating private schools submit documentation directly to the Oklahoma Tax Commission to verify income eligibility for families using the credit. The bill affects taxpayers who send children to accredited private schools or use alternative education methods, allowing them to claim tax credits of up to $7,500 annually based on family income levels. These verification steps aim to ensure accurate credit claims while maintaining the existing credit structure for private school tuition and related educational expenses.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill strengthens Parental Choice Tax Credit program by verifying income eligibility, enabling expanded educational access to private schools and alternative education options.85% confidence

Sub-Topics Higher Education School Choice

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 12, 2026

HB 2153: Schools; school athletic association requirements; requirement that certain hearings be subject to certain act; effective date; emergency.

HB 2153 modifies Oklahoma charter school enrollment rules, primarily affecting students, families, and school districts. It requires charter schools to give enrollment priority to students with siblings already enrolled (over other preferences), limits admissions to specific geographic "academic enterprise zones" (60%+ free/reduced lunch eligibility), and establishes new rules for virtual charter schools. Effective July 2024, virtual charter schools become statewide entities, students transferring to them are considered "transfer students" requiring district record transfers within 3 days, and virtual charter students may not participate in Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSAA) events (only intramural activities). The bill also prohibits enrollment restrictions based on factors like ethnicity, income, or academic performance, except for specified cases.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access by prioritizing sibling enrollment and enabling statewide virtual charter schools, strengthening charter school options in underserved areas (60%+ free/reduced lunch zones).85% confidence

Sub-Topics K-12 Education School Choice