HB 4146 expands paid maternity leave eligibility to full-time school employees in Oklahoma who have worked at least 1,250 hours over the past year. This includes employees in public school districts, technology center districts, rehabilitation services, correctional facilities, and juvenile affairs. Eligible employees receive six weeks of paid leave immediately after childbirth, which supplements but does not replace existing sick leave for pregnancy-related needs. The bill requires state funding through a revolving fund or allocated education budget to cover the leave costs, effective July 1, 2026.
HB 3551 changes Oklahoma's rules for in-state college tuition eligibility. It requires students without legal U.S. immigration status to provide proof of an active application with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (via the federal SAVE Program) to qualify for resident tuition, rather than using a simple affidavit. This directly affects undocumented students or those with pending immigration status seeking in-state tuition at Oklahoma public colleges. The bill also clarifies that students who already qualified for resident tuition before the 2006-2007 academic year remain exempt from these new verification rules. The law takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 3051 creates the Tulsa Reconciliation Education and Scholarship Program to provide financial aid to students directly affected by the 1921 Tulsa race massacre. It awards scholarships covering tuition costs (up to resident rates) to Tulsa Public School District students meeting specific criteria: family income under $125,000, attendance at schools with high free/reduced lunch participation, and residence in designated high-poverty census blocks. The program also allows preference for applicants who can verify lineage as direct descendants of Greenwood Area residents (1921), with documentation verified by the Oklahoma Historical Society. Scholarships are limited to students under 21 years old at application, with additional awards for high school students to preserve historical awareness of the 1921 event.
HB 3703 requires Oklahoma public school districts to cover tuition costs for high school students enrolled in concurrent college courses. Specifically, it mandates districts to provide tuition waivers for seniors (up to 18 credit hours) and juniors (up to 9 credit hours), funded by district resources. Students who withdraw after the deadline must reimburse 50% of the course cost. The bill also requires districts to grant academic credit for correlated college courses and mandates annual reports tracking participation, waiver usage, graduation rates, and college degree attainment. These provisions aim to expand access to college courses while ensuring financial accountability for students and districts.
HB 4262 provides financial and programmatic support for Oklahoma public school teachers seeking National Board certification. It covers up to $1,800 of certification costs annually for up to 100 teachers through the Education Leadership Oklahoma program, offers free mentoring for up to three years, and grants two additional professional leave days for portfolio development. The bill also establishes an annual $5,000 bonus for certified teachers - payable for five years for those certified after June 30, 2013, or ten years for those certified before - funded by lottery dollars and paid directly to eligible teachers. This bonus does not count toward minimum salary schedules or retirement calculations, and recipients are ineligible for the additional salary increment under the minimum salary schedule.
HB 1181 extends Oklahoma's School Resource Officer (SRO) pilot program from three to five years and increases the annual spending limit for the School Security Revolving Fund from $50 million to $75 million. The bill directly affects public school districts by allowing them to use state funds for SROs, security equipment (like cameras and ballistic shelters), and facility upgrades, while requiring new hires to complete specific training. Key provisions include prioritizing active law enforcement officers for SRO roles, permitting retired officers or licensed security guards under strict authorization rules, and mandating that fund use supplements - rather than replaces - existing school security funding. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, and declares an emergency to allow immediate implementation.
HB 3019 reduces maximum class sizes for Oklahoma public schools in kindergarten through fifth grade over a three-year phase-in. Starting in 2026-2027, classes in kindergarten through second grade may not exceed 22 students; this limit drops to 20 students in 2027-2028, and 18 students starting in 2028-2029. To comply, schools must employ a teacher’s assistant in classes exceeding these limits (with exceptions for special education and certain other classes), and teacher assistants cannot count toward the class size limit. School districts that fail to meet these requirements face reduced state funding calculated based on the number of students over the limit.
HB 3379 prohibits Oklahoma public colleges and universities from asking about a prospective student's criminal history on initial application forms or during early admissions decisions, except for convictions related to sex offenses listed in Oklahoma law (21 Okl. Stat. §§ 843.5, 1111, etc.). After admission, institutions may inquire about criminal history for counseling, campus participation decisions, or specific programs like teacher preparation, but must consider factors like time passed, rehabilitation, and the offense's relevance. The bill specifically prevents denial of admission or academic program continuation for students seeking licensed careers (e.g., teaching) based solely on criminal history, requiring institutions to offer counseling about licensing requirements instead. It takes effect July 1, 2026.
HB 3069 changes Oklahoma's charter school application process by removing the requirement that applicants must submit applications either to a sponsor or their school district. Instead, applicants for traditional charter schools (not virtual charters, which still submit to the Statewide Charter School Board) can choose where to submit their application. The bill also adds a 10-hour training requirement for applicants and sponsors on charter school processes, to be completed before submission. These changes apply to applications filed after July 1, 2024, and aim to streamline the application pathway for new charter schools.
HB 3461 prohibits Oklahoma school districts from using state aid funds to cover certain administrator expenses, including severance payments, contract buyouts, or termination settlements for superintendents and other central office administrators. The bill requires these costs to be paid exclusively with local revenue instead of state funds, shifting the financial responsibility from the state to school districts. It defines "administrators" broadly to include superintendents, principals, and assistant principals, and specifies that administrative expenditures cover compensation, benefits, and related payments for these roles. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.
