Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 1437: Schools; creating the Donald J. Trump Physical Fitness Act. Effective date.

SB 1437 requires Oklahoma school districts to administer the Presidential Fitness Test starting in the 2026-2027 school year, using guidelines established by the State Department of Education. These guidelines must include staff training, exemptions for students with disabilities or medical conditions, and a parent opt-out option. School districts must use test results to promote physical activity, adjust fitness programs, and encourage participation in exercise both at school and in the community. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and directs the guidelines to align with recommendations from the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness, and Nutrition.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates fitness testing to promote student physical activity, aligning with school health programs and enhancing student wellness initiatives under K-12 education.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · Senate May 29, 2026

SB 1726: Higher education; directing certain institutions of higher education to establish certain training program for graduate instructors. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1726 requires Oklahoma public universities to create mandatory training programs for graduate students serving as primary instructors in undergraduate courses. The training must cover teaching methods, classroom management, grading, student accommodations, academic integrity, and specific protections for student speech under the First Amendment - ensuring students aren't penalized for lawful expression. It applies to all institutions within Oklahoma's State System of Higher Education and takes effect July 1, 2026. The bill was designated an emergency to expedite implementation.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates instructor training on teaching methods, academic integrity, and student speech protections, strengthening educational quality and academic freedom in higher education.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

passed both · Oklahoma · Senate May 14, 2026

SB 1338: Education; creating the Education Impact and Innovation Revolving Fund; providing for competitive grants pool; providing for use of grants. Effective date.

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.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill replaces temporary pilot with permanent biennial reporting and ties funding to literacy team participation, strengthening accountability and implementation of K-12 literacy programs.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 12, 2026

HB 3718: Special education; Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program; requiring certain meeting in certain time period; evaluations; exceptions; eligibility; calculation of scholarship; effective date.

This bill establishes and clarifies the Lindsey Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program in Oklahoma, allowing parents of students with special needs to use state funds to enroll their children in eligible private schools. The legislation defines specific eligibility criteria, including students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs), children of military families, and those in foster care or juvenile justice placements, while requiring parents to secure private school admission before receiving funding. It also sets a 45-day deadline for school districts to determine special education eligibility, deeming students eligible for scholarships if the district fails to decide within that timeframe, and outlines financial responsibilities such as transportation costs remaining with the family. The bill ensures continuity of educational choice by allowing scholarships to remain active until a student graduates, turns 22, or re-enrolls in public school, while mandating that private schools meet state accreditation standards to participate.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access by allowing state funds for private school enrollment for students with disabilities, strengthening support for special needs education.85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 12, 2026

HB 3467: Education employees; maternity leave; adoption; purpose; effective date; emergency.

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.

Topics ✗ EducationOpposes EducationBill restricts maternity/adoption leave eligibility to children under four, narrowing coverage and reducing employee benefits compared to broader existing policies.95% confidence ✗ Labor & EmploymentOpposes Labor & EmploymentRestricts maternity/adoption leave eligibility to children under 4, narrowing existing coverage scope per bill summary.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 12, 2026

HB 2153: Schools; school athletic association requirements; requirement that certain hearings be subject to certain act; effective date; emergency.

HB 2153 modifies Oklahoma charter school enrollment rules, primarily affecting students, families, and school districts. It requires charter schools to give enrollment priority to students with siblings already enrolled (over other preferences), limits admissions to specific geographic "academic enterprise zones" (60%+ free/reduced lunch eligibility), and establishes new rules for virtual charter schools. Effective July 2024, virtual charter schools become statewide entities, students transferring to them are considered "transfer students" requiring district record transfers within 3 days, and virtual charter students may not participate in Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSAA) events (only intramural activities). The bill also prohibits enrollment restrictions based on factors like ethnicity, income, or academic performance, except for specified cases.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands educational access by prioritizing sibling enrollment and enabling statewide virtual charter schools, strengthening charter school options in underserved areas (60%+ free/reduced lunch zones).85% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 11, 2026

HB 3076: Teachers; new and innovative pathways toward teacher certification; alternative teacher preparation programs; alternative placement teaching certificates; effective date; emergency.

HB 3076 creates a pilot program for alternative teacher certification pathways in Oklahoma, allowing organizations like school districts or colleges to offer non-traditional teacher preparation programs. It requires the State Board of Education Commission to approve providers meeting specific criteria (such as financial stability, infrastructure, and program effectiveness) within 60 days, and mandates that approved programs use research-based methods to prepare teachers. The bill permits teacher candidates to demonstrate competency through non-traditional means like work experience or industry certifications, rather than solely standardized tests. The pilot program is limited to a two-year timeframe ending July 1, 2026, and requires annual reporting on program success rates.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationCreates alternative teacher certification pathways to expand educator recruitment and support, aligning with teacher support and access indicators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

passed · Oklahoma · Senate May 7, 2026

SB 1884: School employees; modifying the access statewide professional educators' associations have to school employees; allowing termination of certain membership at any time. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 1884 ensures school districts grant statewide professional educators' associations (like teacher unions) equal access to school employees for activities such as distributing materials, speaking at meetings, and using school facilities. It prohibits schools from conditioning this access on fees, meals, or donations and requires districts to notify the State Board of Education if access is denied within 15 days. The bill also allows school employees to terminate membership in these associations at any time without restrictions or requiring a reason, and invalidates any existing agreements that limit this right. These changes take effect July 1, 2026, applying directly to school employees and educators' associations in Oklahoma.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEnsures equal access for teacher unions to school employees, prohibits fees/donations for union activities, strengthening educator association operations and support.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentEnsures equal access for educator unions to organize, prohibits fees/conditions on union activities, directly strengthening collective bargaining rights for school employees.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

Track

signed · Oklahoma · House May 6, 2026

HB 3700: Higher education; requiring policy ensuring student grades are evaluated solely on an academic basis; directing the State Regents to withhold state-appropriated funds for failure to adopt a policy; effective date; emergency.

HB 3700 requires all Oklahoma public colleges and universities to adopt a policy ensuring student grades are based solely on academic factors like attendance, course knowledge, and performance standards - prohibiting grades from being influenced by a student's personal opinions, beliefs, or unrelated conduct. This policy must be implemented by the 2026-2027 academic year, with institutions required to submit compliance verification to the State Regents for Higher Education. Failure to adopt the policy will result in the State Regents withholding all state funding from the noncompliant institution until adoption occurs. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates academic-only grading policies to protect educational integrity, aligning with 'protect' indicator under support stance.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 6, 2026

HB 3590: Revenue and taxation; Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act; eligibility; removing federal law reference; authorizing payment be made via secure electronic funds transfer; effective date.

HB 3590, the Oklahoma Opportunity Scholarship Act of 2026, expands tax credits for Oklahoma taxpayers who contribute to scholarship-granting organizations. It increases the maximum annual tax credit: to $5,000 for single filers (up from $1,000), $10,000 for married couples filing jointly (up from $2,000), and $250,000 for businesses (up from $100,000). Taxpayers who commit to contribute the same amount for two consecutive years qualify for a 100% credit (up from 75%) on those contributions. The bill affects Oklahoma taxpayers making eligible contributions and requires scholarship organizations to submit annual financial reports to the Oklahoma Tax Commission. It takes effect January 1, 2027.

Topics ✗ Budget & TaxesOpposes Budget & TaxesExpands tax credits, including $250k business credit, creating breaks primarily for wealthy entities per bill's tax relief structure.85% confidence ✓ EducationSupports EducationExpands tax credits for scholarship donations, increasing access to private education options through enhanced incentives for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✗ Voted No ✗ Opposes Education