Budget & Taxes

HB 1760 creates tax credits for Oklahoma taxpayers who contribute to eligible scholarship-granting or educational improvement organizations. It allows a 50% tax credit (up to $1,000 for individuals, $2,000 for married couples, $100,000 for businesses) on contributions, increasing to 75% for those making a multi-year commitment with written proof. The bill also modifies how credits are allocated to business owners and requires annual financial reporting from participating organizations. These credits are subject to annual caps established by the Oklahoma Tax Commission.

HB 1280 (2025) requires Oklahoma school districts to spend at least 50% of their annual budget on classroom instruction starting in 2025-2026. If a district falls below this threshold, it must increase instructional spending by 2% annually until reaching 50%, or face a written warning and, after four years of non-compliance, a permanent 2% annual teacher pay raise for each year missed. The bill defines "annual budget" to exclude bond sales, fundraisers, and non-educational grants, and "instructional expenditures" per federal standards. The bill failed to pass (36-57) on March 27, 2025, so it is not law.

HB 1621, the State Department of Education Spending Transparency Act, requires Oklahoma’s State Treasurer to create a public online portal displaying detailed annual spending data from the Oklahoma State Department of Education (the "Submitting Party"). The portal must include searchable records of all expenditures - showing amounts, dates, payees, employee roles for payroll, and U.S. Census-based spending categories - and allow data downloads and summaries. It mandates annual agreements between the State Treasurer and the education department to maintain the portal, which must be prominently linked on both the Treasurer’s and education department’s websites, effective November 1, 2025.