SB 346 Oklahoma Senate · 2026 Regular Session

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.

Issues: ✓ Education

Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Feb 2025

Committee Review

May 2026

Senate Passage

Mar 2026

House Passage

May 2026

Signed into Law

May 2026

Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Signed May 13, 2026

Maddy AI version diff · 4 comparisons

What changed between versions

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was transitioned from the House to the Senate floor, where it was amended to streamline criminal background checks for school employees. The Senate version expands exemptions for full-time teachers who have already been vetted and introduces a new 60-day temporary employment rule for prospective employees while waiting for results. It also clarifies that substitute teachers generally require a check, with specific exceptions for those recently employed by a district.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded to include a specific 60-day temporary employment provision for individuals awaiting background check results and refined the requirements for substitute teachers versus full-time teachers.

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement that prospective employees may be hired for up to 60 days pending background check results, with employment terminating if results are not received within that window.

Added specific rules for substitute teachers, requiring a background check unless they were employed by a district in the last year, and allowing one check to cover applications to multiple districts.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified the exemption for full-time teachers to explicitly require a letter from the previous school district attesting to the teacher's standing and lack of inappropriate behavior allegations.

DEFINITION

Added a definition for 'prospective employee' to clarify the status of individuals with job offers pending background check results.

Floor votes · Senate Mar 24, 2026 · House May 6, 2026

How they voted

47–0

Passed · 3 other

Total votes 50

Mar 24, 2026

D Democratic9

8 Yea 1

88% Yea

R Republican41

39 Yea 2

95% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

May 13, 2026

Signed into law

Approved by Governor 05/12/2026

upper

May 6, 2026

Committee

Referred for enrollment

upper

May 6, 2026

Lower · Passed

Third Reading, Measure and Emergency passed: Ayes: 89 Nays: 0

lower

Apr 13, 2026

Lower · Passed

CR; Do Pass Education Oversight Committee

lower

Apr 9, 2026

Lower · Passed

Policy recommendation to the Education Oversight committee; Do Pass Common Education

lower

Mar 30, 2026

Committee

Referred to Common Education

lower

Mar 25, 2026

Introduced

First Reading

lower

Mar 25, 2026

Upper · Passed

Engrossed to House

upper

Mar 24, 2026

Committee

Referred for engrossment

upper

Mar 24, 2026

Upper · Passed

Measure and Emergency passed: Ayes: 45 Nays: 0

upper

Mar 24, 2026

Introduced

General Order, Amended by Floor Substitute

upper

Mar 3, 2026

Upper · Passed

Reported Do Pass as amended Education committee; CR filed

upper

Feb 3, 2025

Introduced

First Reading

upper

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors