Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 14, 2025

HB 2287: Education; per-pupil expenditure definition; effective date; emergency.

HB 2287 clarifies and expands how Oklahoma defines "per-pupil expenditure" for reporting purposes. It requires school districts and the state to calculate this metric by dividing total daily school operation costs (including instruction, student support, administration, transportation, and nutrition) by the student count as of October 1. The bill specifically adds categories like career and technology education and concurrent graduation courses to the definition while excluding non-operational costs (e.g., building construction, debt). This change ensures the State Department of Education must publish detailed breakdowns of all spending categories alongside the overall per-pupil figure, starting July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands per-pupil expenditure definition to include career tech and concurrent courses, ensuring these programs are counted in funding calculations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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 | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 12, 2025

SB 553: Schools; directing revocation of certification and dismissal for failure to report suspected child abuse or neglect. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 553 amends Oklahoma law to add "knowingly and willfully failing to report suspected child abuse or neglect" as a specific reason for revoking teaching licenses or certifications. It directly affects school employees (including teachers, administrators, and support staff) who hold teaching credentials. The bill requires these employees to annually sign an attestation confirming they understand reporting obligations under Oklahoma law, and establishes that the State Board of Education must follow strict notice procedures (certified mail and email within 3 days) before revoking a license for this violation. This law strengthens accountability for mandatory child abuse reporting in schools by creating clear, enforceable consequences for non-compliance.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnforces mandatory child abuse reporting for educators, strengthening student safety protocols within schools, aligning with educational protection standards.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

passed both · Oklahoma · Senate May 12, 2025

SB 331: Schools; creating the Emerson Kate Cole Act; requiring a school employee to call 911 if Epinephrine is administered to a student; requiring certain training. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 331, the Emerson Kate Cole Act, requires Oklahoma school employees to call 911 immediately after administering Epinephrine to a student experiencing an allergic reaction. It also mandates schools to notify parents or guardians when a student has a possible allergic reaction and to provide annual training for teachers and staff on recognizing anaphylaxis and using Epinephrine. The law amends existing school medication policies to clarify procedures for handling allergic emergencies and ensures staff are trained on emergency response. This directly affects students with severe allergies, school employees, and school districts across Oklahoma.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires school staff training and emergency protocols for allergic reactions, strengthening student safety in K-12 school operations.92% confidence ✓ HealthcareSupports HealthcareMandates school staff training and 911 calls for epinephrine administration during allergic reactions, improving emergency medical response access and protecting student health in schools.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 7, 2025

HB 1995: Crimes and punishments; definitions of sex crimes; designating school resource officers as employees of a school system; emergency.

HB 1995 expands Oklahoma's definition of rape to include sexual acts between students aged 16-19 (while under school custody) and school employees (including resource officers) who are 18 or older. It explicitly designates school resource officers as school employees for these provisions and adds similar protections for foster children under 19 and secondary school students concurrently enrolled in higher education with staff. The law specifies that such acts are rape under Section 1111, with penalties including minimum 3-year prison terms (25 years for victims under 12). It also updates related provisions in Section 1123 regarding lewd acts with children under 16.

Topics ✓ Criminal JusticeSupports Criminal JusticeExpands rape definition to protect minors from school staff, strengthening legal accountability and victim protections in criminal justice context.92% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill enhances student safety by defining staff-student sexual acts as rape and designating resource officers as school employees, protecting educational environments.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 7, 2025

HB 1483: Schools; whistleblower protections; extending applicability of protections to support employees; effective date; emergency.

HB 1483 extends whistleblower protections to school support employees (like counselors, cafeteria workers, and administrative staff) in Oklahoma, alongside teachers. It prohibits school districts from disciplining these employees for reporting violations of law, the Oklahoma Constitution, or rules - whether to supervisors, school boards, law enforcement, or the State Department of Education. The bill requires school districts to prominently post this law and clarifies it doesn’t override student privacy rights under FERPA. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, after being approved by the governor on May 6, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExtends whistleblower protections to school support staff (counselors, cafeteria workers), protecting them from retaliation for reporting violations, thus strengthening educator safety and school environment.90% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentExtends whistleblower protections to school support staff, prohibiting retaliation for reporting violations, directly strengthening worker rights protections.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 7, 2025

SB 283: Oklahoma State System of Higher Education; expanding annual transaction limit of the master lease program. Effective date.

SB 283 expands the annual transaction limit for Oklahoma's master lease program, which allows public higher education institutions to lease equipment and facilities without upfront costs. The bill specifically adds certain refunded lease projects to the annual limit calculation, enabling institutions to count these previously settled transactions toward their yearly cap. This change affects Oklahoma's public universities and colleges that use the master lease program for facility and equipment financing. The amendment updates Section 3206.6a of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes and sets an effective date for implementation.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands master lease program access for higher ed institutions, enabling cost-effective facility/equipment upgrades without upfront costs, supporting institutional infrastructure funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 6, 2025

HB 1485: Teachers; temporary contracts; teachers with emergency or provisional certificates; effective date; emergency.

HB 1485 modifies Oklahoma's teacher contract rules by clarifying that temporary contracts for teachers with emergency or provisional certificates are exempt from the four-semester limit. It requires school districts to provide written contract terms upfront, or the contract becomes a continuing one, and grants teachers who complete a full school year on temporary contracts one year of service credit toward career status. The law also specifies that temporary contract teachers in federally or privately funded roles must follow evaluation rules but cannot exceed the four-semester limit unless replacing a leave-taking teacher or for emergency/provisional certificate holders. The bill, which became law without a governor's signature on May 6, 2025, directly affects school districts and teachers using temporary contracts.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationExempts emergency/provisional cert teachers from contract limits, mandates written terms, grants service credit - enhances teacher stability and career progression in K-12 education.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentProvides teachers with temporary contracts explicit rights: written terms, service credit, and exemption from semester limits, strengthening employment protections for educators.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 6, 2025

HB 1256: Professions and occupations; construction skilled trade education; modifying contract terms; effective date.

HB 1256 creates a Skilled Trade Education and Workforce Development Fund using fines from license violations in electrical, mechanical, plumbing, and roofing trades. The fund finances contracts between the Construction Industries Board and career tech schools to develop trade-specific curriculum and promote skilled trade careers through public campaigns. It directs fines from four licensing revolving funds into this new account, requiring grantees to report on fund usage and program success. The bill directly affects trade workers, vocational schools receiving contracts, and the Construction Industries Board, which manages the fund and oversees program implementation.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates Skilled Trade Education Fund to finance career tech curriculum development and promote skilled trade careers, directly funding educational programs at career tech schools.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentCreates Skilled Trade Education Fund using license violation fines to develop curriculum and promote careers in construction trades, directly advancing workforce development and employment standards.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 5, 2025

SB 139: Schools; requiring school district boards of education to adopt certain cell phone policy.

SB 139 requires Oklahoma public school district boards of education to adopt cell phone policies by the 2025-2026 school year. Starting in the 2026-2027 school year, boards may choose to implement policies prohibiting students from using cell phones or personal electronic devices on school campuses "from bell to bell" during school hours. The bill directly affects school districts by setting a timeline for policy adoption and defining the scope of device restrictions during instructional time. This legislation, approved by the governor on May 3, 2025, provides a framework for district-level decisions without mandating specific enforcement.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires school districts to implement cell phone restrictions during instructional time to minimize distractions, supporting classroom focus and learning environment.85% confidence ✗ TechnologyOpposes TechnologyRestricts student cell phone use during school hours, limiting technology access in educational settings per bill's 'from bell to bell' device prohibition requirement.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education