SB 1338 amends Oklahoma's Strong Readers Act by removing the existing three-year pilot program for literacy instructional teams and adding a requirement for the State Department of Education to submit biennial reports to the Governor and legislative leaders. School districts that decline literacy team support become ineligible for certain state funds under this provision. The bill mandates reports evaluating team effectiveness, tracking student reading proficiency improvements, and offering recommendations for the program. These reports must be submitted by December 31 of each odd-numbered year starting in 2026. The changes take effect July 1, 2026, with an emergency declaration.
SB 2084 caps settlement amounts for wrongful termination claims by employees of Oklahoma public institutions of higher education (like state universities) at two years of their base salary at termination. It limits total settlements to include back pay and damages but excludes accrued unpaid wages, leave, and retirement contributions already earned. The bill specifically applies to state law claims, not federal ones, and takes effect November 1, 2026. This directly affects public university employees filing termination disputes under Oklahoma law.
SB 1633 removes provisions allowing undocumented students to qualify for Oklahoma resident tuition by submitting immigration status applications or affidavits. It eliminates language ensuring these students would not be disqualified from state scholarships or financial aid based on immigration status. The bill aligns Oklahoma’s higher education residency rules with Section 3242.2, which generally prohibits non-residents from receiving resident tuition benefits or state financial aid. This change directly affects students who previously relied on the removed documentation pathways to access in-state tuition rates.
HB 4326 expands eligibility for Oklahoma's Higher Learning Access Program to include students in court-ordered custody of private nonprofit child-placing agencies or federally recognized Indian tribes during specific grades (8th-11th). It removes the income requirement for these students and adds eligibility for students whose parent is a certified classroom teacher. The bill amends existing program rules to broaden access for these groups while maintaining other standard requirements like residency, academic performance, and admission standards. This change directly affects students in foster care or tribal custody who previously faced financial barriers to qualify.
SB 2045 requires public elementary schools serving full-day pre-kindergarten through fifth grade to provide at least 30 minutes of daily recess as a condition of state accreditation. This applies to all students in those grades, with recess allowed to be split into segments and required to occur outdoors when weather and conditions permit. The bill removes previous recommendations about recess and instead mandates it as a distinct requirement separate from the existing 60-minute weekly physical education requirement. Schools must comply by July 1, 2026, or risk losing accreditation.
HB 3467 modifies leave policies for education employees in Oklahoma, specifically expanding maternity and adoption leave to cover children under four years old. The bill directly affects public school staff and other education employees who take leave for childbirth or adoption. Its key provision limits eligibility to cases where the child is under four years of age, narrowing the scope of existing leave coverage. The bill was amended to include this age restriction and referred to the Education Oversight committee for further review.
HB 2749 creates a special fund called the Intergenerational Education Revolving Fund within the Oklahoma Health Care Authority. It establishes a competitive grant program to connect nursing facilities participating in Oklahoma's Medicaid program with public school districts for collaborative intergenerational education initiatives. Grant awards, provided as rate adjustments to qualifying facilities, will fund these partnerships. The program begins July 1, 2025, with funds limited to the total amount deposited into the revolving fund.
HB 3016 requires Oklahoma schools to provide binocular vision screenings for students in kindergarten, first, and third grades to identify convergence insufficiency (a vision disorder affecting near focus). Screenings, conducted within 30 days of the school year start by trained school nurses or vision professionals, must be performed in addition to existing vision screenings. The bill establishes a Binocular Screening Revolving Fund in the state treasury to cover program costs using state appropriations, which must supplement - rather than replace - current school vision funding. The program begins in the 2026-2027 school year.
HB 3240 requires Oklahoma public school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy allowing daily prayer or reading of the Bible or other religious texts during school hours, effective for the 2026-2027 school year. The policy must include a consent form for students and employees, acknowledging their choice to participate, specifying opportunities for individual or group activities, and waiving legal claims under the First Amendment. Schools must prohibit participation without consent, ban public address system use for religious content, and ensure the activity does not replace instructional time. Parents or students may revoke consent at any time, and schools must provide a model consent form. This bill directly affects all Oklahoma public schools, students, and employees.
SB 1477 limits concurrent enrollment in college courses to high school students under 21 years of age, prohibiting those 21 or older from participating. The bill amends Oklahoma Statutes Section 628.13 to establish this age restriction, affecting high school students aged 21 and above who would no longer qualify for college course enrollment through their high school program. This change directly alters eligibility for concurrent enrollment, a program allowing students to earn college credit while still in high school. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
