March 12th Friday Focus- Tracking the Policies Shaping Oklahoma’s Classrooms and Kids
What a BUSY week at the Capitol!
This week’s Friday Focus highlights which bills impacting Oklahoma classrooms and kids passed the floor in their respective chambers and bills to help us champion and oppose in the coming weeks!
Next week's session is a light week due to Spring Break - they will only meet Mon/Tues. The following week is deadline week to get all bills that have passed through committee to be heard on the floor of their original chamber. Anything that does NOT pass by March 26th will be considered dead for the year. Occasionally, surprises can slip into a "zombie bill", but that is very rare.
Bills We Are Championing
STAY TUNED FOR ADVOCACY ACTION ALERTS ON THESE BILLS OVER THE NEXT 2 WEEKS - YOUR ACTION IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE - KEEP IT UP!
HB 3638 – Summer EBT Implementation - BIG NEWS! THIS BILL PASSED THE HOUSE FLOOR THIS WEEK AND IS HEADED TO THE SENATE - GREAT JOB TEAM! HB 3638 creates a pathway for Oklahoma to participate in the federal Summer EBT program beginning in 2027, helping ensure kids have access to food when school meals are unavailable. (B.O.O.K. Safe, Healthy & Supportive Schools)
SB 1895 – Community Eligibility Provision for No-Cost Meals - THIS BILL PASSED COMMITTEE AND IS WAITING ON A SENATE FLOOR HEARING - requires public school districts in Oklahoma to notify the State Department of Education each year if they are eligible for the federal “community eligibility provision” but choose not to participate, identifying barriers districts may be facing and allow data informed approaches in coming years to address those barriers and ensure more children receive access to no-cost healthy meals while at school. (B.O.O.K. Safe, Healthy & Supportive Schools)
SB1481 & SB2045 - Increased Recess Time - THESE BILLS BOTH PASSED COMMITTEE AND ARE WAITING ON SENATE FLOOR HEARINGS - these bills require public elementary schools in Oklahoma to provide students with up to 40 minutes more of outside recess time daily. Up next - Senate Floor! (B.O.O.K. Improving Student Performance)
Bills We Are Opposing
STAY TUNED FOR ADVOCACY ACTION ALERTS ON THESE BILLS OVER THE NEXT 2 WEEKS - YOUR ACTION IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE - KEEP IT UP!
HB 3885 - Mandatory Suspensions & Expulsions - THIS BILL PASSED COMMITTEE AND IS WAITING ON A HOUSE FLOOR HEARING - mandates in- and then out-of-school suspension for kids grades 3-5 who act in a manner that could cause bodily injury to school employees or volunteers. 1st offense: three-day in-school suspension; second offense: seven-day out-of-school suspension, 3rd offense: expulsion. There are no exceptions for students with disabilities. (B.O.O.K. Creating Safe, Healthy and Supportive School Environments)
HB3705 - Parental Choice Tax Credit Expansion - THIS BILL PASSED TWO COMMITTEES AND IS WAITING ON A HOUSE FLOOR HEARING - increasing the total amount of tax credits authorized for private school tuition and fees. Specifically, for the fiscal year 2027 and subsequent fiscal years, the annual limit for these credits will be $300 million, with provisions to increase this limit by $50 million each succeeding fiscal year if 90% of the previous year's credit limit is claimed. (B.O.O.K. Ensuring Adequate Resources)
Bills We Are Watching
Literacy Reform and Teacher Pay/Benefits Bills - there are still several bills alive in these categories. We will be reevaluating the bills that made it through round one and monitoring both categories for positive or negative changes. (B.O.O.K. Improving Student Performance and Supporting the Teaching Profession)
Other Ed Bills Passed This Week
The following bills passed off their chamber floor this week and are headed to start committee hearings in the opposite chamber starting March 30th.
HB 3151 - School Calendars - hotly contested this past week, this bill did pass, but with significant last minute changes. The link takes you to the newest version. In its original form, this bill removed the ability to count professional development or parent conference hours into the school calendar minimum hours. It would have effectively extended the school year for 7 days with no funding for additional teacher hours worked or additional operational costs for transportation, nutrition, utilities, etc. The substitute includes several important changes: Delayed implementation tied to funding - the policy would not take effect before the 2027–2028 school year and only after state education funding increases by $175 million above current levels. Professional development and parent-teacher conferences preserved - school districts would continue to have the flexibility to count these days toward minimum instructional day/hour requirements but would need to offer an in-person option for parent-teacher conferences.Hours-based calendars adjusted - districts using an hours calculation would now need at least 173 instructional days (currently 166) beginning in 2027-2028. No change to overall instructional requirements - the bill does not change current law requiring at least 1,086 instructional hours or 181 instructional days. Bottom line - while still not an optimal version that we support, the amended and passed version is much better than the original. Thank you to all who advocated against this bill - you made a difference in getting floor amendments. Stay tuned for more advocacy opportunity on this bill. (B.O.O.K. - Supporting the Teaching Profession - STRONGLY OPPOSED)
HB1937 - Teacher/Student Communication - updates rules governing communication between school personnel and students and when staff can be placed on administrative leave during investigations. It clarifies that “students” include anyone enrolled in K–12 seeking a diploma and expands the definition of electronic communication to include various online messaging platforms. The bill also requires a corroborated report—verified by evidence—before placing school personnel on administrative leave, rather than a report alone. If no misconduct is found, that determination must be documented in the employee’s file; if misconduct is confirmed, the incident must be reported to law enforcement.(B.O.O.K. Creating Safe, Healthy and Supportive School Environments - NEUTRAL)
HB 2978 - Library Media/Book Bans - amends existing law regarding school library media materials (B.O.O.K. Ensuring Adequate Resources - OPPOSED)
HB 3076 - Teacher Certification - modifies existing laws to create new and innovative pathways for individuals to become certified teachers in Oklahoma, primarily by expanding and clarifying alternative teacher preparation programs. It replaces the State Board of Education with the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability (CEQA) as the approving body for these programs.(B.O.O.K. - Supporting the Teaching Profession - OPPOSED)
HB 3288 - Physical Education & Recess - requires schools to provide at least 150 minutes of physical education each week for pre-K through 5th grade (up from 60 minutes) and ensures PE cannot be withheld as punishment except for serious safety concerns. Elementary schools must also provide an average of 60 minutes of additional weekly physical activity, such as recess or movement breaks, and are encouraged to schedule activity before tests. The bill also requires school boards to adopt PE policies for grades 6–12 and recommends two 15-minute recess periods daily for younger students while ensuring most PE class time is spent actively moving. (B.O.O.K. Creating Safe, Healthy and Supportive School Environment - NEUTRAL)
HB 3467 - Maternity Leave - expands paid maternity leave for full-time education employees in Oklahoma to include adoption of a child under age four and requires the leave to begin immediately after the adoption. It allows employees to use accrued sick leave to extend the six-week paid leave for bonding or infant care, without additional approval if they have available leave, though extensions beyond 12 total weeks require medical certification. The bill also clarifies that maternity leave is separate from other pregnancy-related sick leave, protects employee benefits during leave, and directs the Legislature or State Board of Education to fund the benefit and adopt implementation rules. (B.O.O.K. Supporting the Teaching Profession - SUPPORT)
HB 4115 - Professional Development - increases professional development requirements for early-career teachers in Oklahoma. Teachers with fewer than five years of full-time teaching experience in the previous ten years must complete up to 200 hours of professional development over a five-year period, instead of the current 150 hours. All other classroom teachers remain capped at 150 hours over five years. Districts will continue to set professional development plans through local committees. (B.O.O.K. Supporting the Teaching Profession - NEUTRAL)
SB 1317 - Career Teacher Definition - updates Oklahoma law on “career teacher” status. It allows teachers who have already earned career status in one district to retain that status when hired by another district, if the new district’s school board approves it. The bill also clarifies the statutory definition of “teacher” and makes a minor technical correction to the teacher hearing statute referencing the Oklahoma Constitution.(B.O.O.K. Supporting the Teaching Profession - SUPPORT)
SB 1489 - Special Education - requires the Oklahoma State Department of Education and school districts to fully comply with the federal Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) and clarifies that eligible students are those ages 3–21 who meet IDEA’s definition of a child with a disability. It strengthens parent rights by requiring schools to provide IEP-related documents at least five business days before meetings and allowing parents to bring anyone they choose to those meetings. The bill also requires OSDE to publish special education dispute resolution options on its website and adds IDEA-focused training requirements for school principals as part of certification and renewal. (B.O.O.K. Creating Safe, Healthy and Supportive School Environment - SUPPORT)
SB 1546 - Teacher Recruitment - renames Oklahoma’s Inspired to Teach Program to the New Educators for Excellence in Teaching and Education (NEXT-ED) Program and increases scholarships for future teachers. Awards rise to $2,000 per year for students with fewer than 90 credit hours and $5,000 for students in their final year, raising the maximum total scholarship from $5,500 to $11,000. The program continues to provide financial support to students preparing to teach in Oklahoma public schools and includes incentives for graduates who commit to teaching in the state for at least five years. (B.O.O.K. Supporting the Teaching Profession - SUPPORT)
SB 1614 - Teaching Certification - updates Oklahoma’s alternative teaching certification law for adjunct teachers. It requires adjunct teachers—individuals with subject-matter expertise who do not follow the traditional certification pathway—to have at least a high school diploma and prohibits them from being hired as full-time K–5 math or English language arts teachers in public or charter schools. The bill also makes technical updates to statutes governing alternative certification programs. (B.O.O.K. Supporting the Teaching Profession - SUPPORT)
What's Coming Up Next
There are still many other public education bills alive and waiting for floor hearings that we have not highlighted here. You can check them out on our 2026 Bill Tracker to follow the whole set of what is still moving. Visit https://www.advanceokkids.org/billtrack
The next major deadline is March 26th, when all remaining bills have to be voted for on their respective floors in order to cross over and advance to the opposite chamber.
Amendments and negotiations often intensify at this stage.
To keep up with what bills are being scheduled to be heard on the floor, or to watch floor debate, visit the links below for Floor Agendas & Livestreams daily to stay updated
Ways To Take Action
Advocate Action Immediately Ahead
Now is when you will start hearing from us during the week - if any of our key champion bills or opposition bills come up for vote, WE WILL NEED YOUR VOICES! Stay tuned for increased activity where YOU can now get directly involved in active advocacy!
Friday Focus is a weekly legislative update from Advance Oklahoma’s Kids, a project of Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, tracking policies impacting students and families across Oklahoma.
Advance Oklahoma's Kids Coalition Members in the News - none this week
Upcoming Events & Important Dates
Legislative Deadlines:
March 26 - bills out of chamber of origin
April 9 - Senate bills out of House chamber policy & sub committees
April 23 - Senate bills out of House oversight and appropriations committees, House bills out of Senate committees
May 7 - all bills out of opposite chamber and to Governor
May 31 - Sine Die (end of session)
Advance Oklahoma’s Kids is a coalition led by organizations, parents, and students who are working to make Oklahoma's public schools more equitable and ensure they’re fully funded.
Our B.O.O.K. (Better Outcomes for Oklahoma's Kids) Policy Initiative calls on Oklahomans to set aside partisanship to deliver a bold, realistic agenda for Oklahoma's public schools. We will inspire Oklahomans to work together toward advancing 16 policy recommendations across four themes: Strengthening the Teaching Profession, Ensuring Adequate Resources, Improving Student Performance, and Creating Healthy, Safe and Supportive School Environments. With over 700,000 students depending on public education, B.O.O.K. lays out a roadmap to strengthening our schools and securing better outcomes for every Oklahoma child.
Oklahoma Appleseed Center for Law & Justice
Oklahoma Instititute for Child Advocacy
Generation Citizen
Oklahoma Rural Schools Coalition
Restorative Justice Institute of Oklahoma
My Brother’s Keeper