SB 1189 requires Oklahoma's School Security Revolving Fund to allocate $50 million annually for three fiscal years (starting July 2026) to all public school districts equally. It removes previous spending limits on the fund and mandates that these funds supplement, not replace, existing school security funding. The bill directs funds toward security measures like resource officers, cameras, locks, and panic systems. It takes effect July 1, 2026, with an emergency declaration to expedite implementation. This directly affects all Oklahoma public school districts through guaranteed annual security funding.
HB 3026 requires Oklahoma school districts to create a specific policy allowing children of U.S. allied military members stationed at Oklahoma bases (like Fort Sill or Tinker AFB) to enroll in kindergarten if they will turn age 5 during the school year, rather than needing to turn 5 by September 1. This changes the standard age cutoff for kindergarten eligibility for these military dependents. School districts must adopt this policy to accommodate families who may have moved to Oklahoma mid-year due to military assignments. The bill takes effect July 1, 2026, and is designated as an emergency measure.
HB 2696 requires Oklahoma public schools to provide parents, guardians, or students aged 18+ with full access to individual student records - such as assessments, progress reports, and internal communications - without redaction or omission, except when legally prohibited. Schools must release these records promptly, free of charge, and in a timely manner per the Oklahoma Open Records Act. The bill clarifies that directory information (e.g., name, address, sports participation) may still be released only with parental consent for minors, but schools cannot withhold it without following federal privacy rules. This law, effective November 1, 2025, aims to increase transparency in educational record access while maintaining compliance with federal student privacy laws.
SB 1250 requires Oklahoma public school districts and charter schools to annually submit a list of all library materials to the State Department of Education, either through their online catalog or a written attestation. The bill prohibits any pornographic materials or sexualized content from being accessible to students under 18 in school libraries and mandates that schools establish a written policy for reviewing materials and handling complaints. Schools failing to comply face a 5% reduction in state funding, with the State Department of Education investigating reported violations, notifying parents, and allowing schools to request a hearing before the State Board of Education. This law aims to ensure age-appropriate library access while establishing clear reporting and enforcement mechanisms.
SB 1480 requires all Oklahoma technology center school districts to appoint an apprenticeship coordinator. These coordinators must build employer relationships, help students access apprenticeships, and work with schools that offer apprenticeships under the AIM Act. The bill also mandates that schools serving technology centers must collaborate with these coordinators to improve student participation in apprenticeship programs. This directly affects technology center districts, their partner schools, and high school students seeking work-based learning opportunities.
HB 3129 prohibits Oklahoma public colleges and universities from charging security fees to students or student organizations based on the content of their speech, a guest speaker's content, or anticipated reactions to that speech. It designates outdoor campus areas as public forums where students can peacefully assemble, protest, distribute literature, or express views without "free speech zones," while allowing reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions. The bill requires institutions to publicly post annual compliance reports detailing free expression policies and any disruptions to speech on their websites. These changes directly affect all students, student organizations, and campus administrators at Oklahoma's public higher education institutions.
HB 3134, the "Keep Accreditation About Academics Act," prohibits accrediting agencies from considering diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices when reviewing or renewing accreditation for Oklahoma's public higher education institutions. It requires agencies to stop collecting or using any DEI-related information in accreditation decisions and mandates policies to prevent such data from influencing reviews. Students or employees of affected institutions can sue accrediting agencies for violations, and the Attorney General may enforce the law under anti-discrimination and consumer protection statutes. Violators face triple damages for fees paid by institutions, plus $1,000 per affected student. The law directly affects all Oklahoma public colleges and universities and their accrediting agencies, restricting how accreditation processes address DEI initiatives.
HB 3132 requires Oklahoma public universities to stop using accrediting agencies that have implemented diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) practices within the past five years. By July 1, 2027, each university must switch to an accreditor without recent DEI practices or report to the legislature if no suitable option exists. Before new accreditation or renewals, universities must select an accreditor that has not used DEI practices in the last five years. The Attorney General can enforce these rules, investigate violations, and void agreements that circumvent the law.
HB 3706 requires all Oklahoma public elementary schools to provide at least 60 minutes of daily mathematics instruction for full-day kindergarten through fifth-grade students starting in the 2026-2027 school year. The instruction must align with the Oklahoma Academic Standards for Mathematics (OAS-M) approved by the State Board of Education. This law directly affects K-5 students and public elementary schools across Oklahoma, mandating a specific daily math time requirement. It becomes effective July 1, 2026, with an emergency declaration allowing immediate implementation upon approval. The bill does not change existing math standards but enforces a minimum daily instructional time.
HB 4420, the Strong Readers Act, requires annual reading screenings for all kindergarten through third-grade students in Oklahoma public schools to identify reading deficiencies. It mandates scientifically based reading instruction (banning the "three-cueing system" model), requires intensive intervention for students who don’t meet grade-level standards, and allows third-grade retention unless a "good cause" exemption applies. The bill also establishes summer reading academies, teacher training requirements, and parent notification protocols for reading progress. These provisions directly affect K-3 students, their schools, and educators, with implementation beginning in the 2025-2026 school year.
