Education

passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 1, 2026

HB 4115: Teachers; professional development hours; effective date; emergency.

HB 4115 amends Oklahoma law to require certified public school teachers to complete a maximum of 200 professional development hours over any five-year period, replacing a previous 150-hour cap. The bill mandates annual training on child abuse recognition, autism awareness for early childhood educators (grades K-3), and dyslexia/dysgraphia awareness for all teachers. It maintains existing requirements for data-driven professional development focused on improving student outcomes like test scores, graduation rates, and closing achievement gaps. The law directly affects all certified teachers in Oklahoma public schools and includes reporting requirements for school districts to the State Department of Education.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationIncreases teacher PD hours (200 max vs 150), mandates child abuse/autism/dyslexia training, and maintains data-driven student outcome focus.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Oklahoma · House Apr 1, 2026

HB 2950: Postsecondary education; prohibiting institutions from having differentiated standardized test score requirements for certain students; removing certain differentiated grade point average and test score requirements; effective date; emergency.

HB 2950 requires Oklahoma public universities, colleges, and career technology schools to treat homeschool graduates equally with public and private school graduates regarding standardized test score requirements for admission, scholarships, and program eligibility. It prohibits institutions from setting higher minimum ACT, SAT, or equivalent test score thresholds for homeschoolers than those applied to other students. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and State Board of Career and Technology Education must ensure compliance and develop necessary rules. The law takes effect November 1, 2026.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRequires equal treatment of homeschool graduates in higher education admissions and scholarships, expanding access to postsecondary opportunities.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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passed · Oklahoma · House Feb 23, 2026

HB 2197: Higher education; creating the Making College More Affordable Act; prohibitions; research universities; meal plans; effective date; emergency.

HB 2197 prohibits Oklahoma public universities from requiring students to purchase meal plans as a condition for enrollment or on-campus housing. This directly affects all students attending institutions in the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, removing a mandatory cost tied to enrollment or housing. The law takes effect July 1, 2025, and eliminates a specific financial requirement for students. It does not change other meal plan policies or costs.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill prohibits mandatory meal plans at public universities, reducing student costs and increasing affordability/access to higher education, directly supporting educational access.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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signed · Oklahoma · Senate Jun 11, 2025

SB 235: Teachers; establishing the Grow Your Own Educator Program; providing for grant application process. Effective date. Emergency.

SB 235 creates Oklahoma's "Grow Your Own Educator Program," which provides matching grants to eligible public school districts that help current employees pursue teaching degrees. School districts must have existing tuition or loan repayment programs for staff enrolled in accredited teacher preparation programs to qualify. The state establishes a dedicated "Grow Your Own Educator Revolving Fund" to cover the matching portion of these grants, awarded on a first-come basis with funds limited by available appropriations. Districts must report annually on employee progress and outcomes, while the state submits broader program reports to elected officials.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationSB 235 establishes matching grants for school districts to help staff pursue teaching degrees via a dedicated revolving fund, directly funding teacher development and retention in K-12 education.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 30, 2025

HB 1287: Schools; authorizing the Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma to create a math tutoring pilot program for certain students; effective date; emergency.

HB 1287 authorizes the University of Oklahoma's Board of Regents to create a high-dosage math tutoring pilot program for ninth-grade students who scored lowest on Oklahoma's eighth-grade math assessment. The program targets public high schools in districts with 30,000+ enrolled students and public charter schools. It requires the University of Oklahoma's College of Education to administer the tutoring, focusing on intensive, frequent support for struggling math students. The bill takes effect July 1, 2025, with an emergency clause allowing immediate implementation upon approval.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationAuthorizes high-dosage math tutoring pilot for struggling students, strengthening academic support in targeted schools per bill's explicit purpose.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 30, 2025

HB 1282: Scholarships; Oklahoma Rising Scholars Award; renaming; eligibility; awards; waivers; effective date; emergency.

HB 1282 renames Oklahoma's scholarship program to the "Oklahoma State Regents' Academic Rising Scholars Award Program" and updates eligibility criteria to include top Oklahoma students (top 0.5% test scores, National Merit Scholars, and institutional nominees), as well as students demonstrating exceptional promise through academic achievements or overcoming obstacles. The program provides funding covering tuition, fees, room, board, and required textbooks for up to five years at Oklahoma colleges, with public institutions capped at their annual tuition costs and private institutions receiving funding equivalent to the highest public tuition rates. It requires institutions to administer scholarships, mandates full-time enrollment, and establishes separate funding levels based on student eligibility categories. The bill, signed into law on May 30, 2025, directly affects Oklahoma students meeting these academic criteria who attend public or private accredited colleges within the state.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationBill expands scholarship eligibility and funds tuition/fees for top students, directly increasing educational access and financial support for higher education.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 30, 2025

HB 1087: Education; length of school year; extending amount of classroom instruction time; minimum salary schedule; adding years of experience to minimum salary amounts; effective date; emergency.

HB 1087 establishes a new minimum salary schedule for Oklahoma public school teachers based on years of experience and education level, directly affecting all certified teachers in the state's public schools. The bill sets specific annual salary amounts ranging from $39,601 for entry-level teachers with a Bachelor's degree to $65,319 for those with 35+ years of experience and a Doctorate. It clarifies that "fringe benefits" exclude certain retirement contributions and requires school districts to notify teachers if salary adjustments would fall below the minimum schedule. The law takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year after being approved by the governor on May 30, 2025.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationEstablishes minimum teacher salaries increasing pay based on experience/education, directly supporting educator compensation and funding.95% confidence ✓ Labor & EmploymentSupports Labor & EmploymentIncreases minimum teacher salaries from $39,601 to $65,319 based on experience/education, directly advancing compensation standards for public school educators.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

signed · Oklahoma · House May 30, 2025

HB 1727: Higher education; Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program; eligibility for children of certain teachers; effective date; emergency.

HB 1727 amends Oklahoma's Higher Learning Access Program (OK HAP) to add a new eligibility category for children of certified classroom teachers. Specifically, it allows students whose parents are certified teachers to qualify for tuition assistance without needing to meet standard financial need requirements (normally required under Section 2603). The bill does not change other eligibility criteria like residency, academic performance, or admission standards. This change directly affects students pursuing higher education in Oklahoma whose parents work as certified teachers in the state. The policy went into effect June 10, 2025, after Governor approval.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves financial need requirement for children of teachers to access tuition assistance, expanding educational access under OK HAP without altering other criteria.92% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

died · Oklahoma · Senate May 30, 2025

SB 1054: Tulsa Reconciliation Education and Scholarship Program; modifying eligibility; removing certain eligibility criteria.

SB 1054 would have modified the Tulsa Reconciliation Education and Scholarship Program by removing specific eligibility requirements for applicants. The bill aimed to expand access to the scholarship program, which supports education-related opportunities tied to Tulsa reconciliation efforts. It directly affected students or applicants who previously met the excluded criteria. The proposed change focused solely on revising the program's qualification rules, without altering funding or other program structures. (Note: The bill was withdrawn and died in conference; this summary reflects its intended policy changes.)

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationRemoves eligibility barriers to expand scholarship access, directly advancing educational access for students under the Tulsa Reconciliation program.90% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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vetoed · Oklahoma · House May 29, 2025

HB 1521: Schools; subject matter standards; personal financial literacy; AP courses; updating references; permitting alternate diploma for certain students; repealer; effective date; emergency.

HB 1521 changes Oklahoma high school graduation requirements for math credits. It mandates four math units, including Algebra I and either Algebra II or Geometry, plus a third course at or above Algebra I rigor (such as Finance, Computer Science, or dual-credit math). Schools may also use locally developed, applied math courses that connect to real-world contexts. The bill directly affects Oklahoma public high school students and school districts setting graduation standards. It updates existing requirements but does not alter personal financial literacy or AP course policies.

Topics ✓ EducationSupports EducationMandates rigorous math requirements (4 units including Algebra I/II/Geometry) and allows applied courses, strengthening curriculum standards without restricting access or funding.95% confidence | Rep's Stance ✓ Voted Yes ✓ Supports Education

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