We have made it halfway through session! All bills that were not passed off their respective chamber floors are now dead! All remaining House bills are now headed to Senate committees and Senate bills are now headed tot House committees!

There was a FLURRY of Education bills passed this week, so we will just drop the highlights in this email. Visit our Bill Tracker page here to get a comprehensive list of all the Education Bills which are still alive and kicking!

This week’s Friday Focus highlights which bills impacting Oklahoma classrooms and kids passed their respective chambers and are headed to start the process over in the opposite chamber committee!

Bills We Are Championing

HB3638 – Summer EBT Implementation - creates a pathway for Oklahoma to participate in the federal Summer EBT program beginning in 2027, helping ensure 55,000 kids have access to food when school meals are unavailable. Also infuses $75M of federal dollars into local grocery stores and community economies (B.O.O.K. Safe, Healthy & Supportive Schools).

SB1481& SB2045 - Increased Recess Time- 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)

HB4326 - OHLAP Expansion- expands the Oklahoma’s Promise for higher learning access to include career tech tuition, foster children, and children of counselors, librarians, school nurses, athletic trainers, tech school teachers. Up next - House Floor! (B.O.O.K. Strengthening the Teaching Profession)

ALL TEACHER PAY INCREASES - these include SB1339, SB201. (B.O.O.K. Strengthening the Teaching Profession)HB3638 – Summer EBT Implementation - creates a pathway for Oklahoma to participate in the federal Summer EBT program beginning in 2027, helping ensure 55,000 kids have access to food when school meals are unavailable. Also infuses $75M of federal dollars into local grocery stores and community economies (B.O.O.K. Safe, Healthy & Supportive Schools).

SB1481& SB2045 - Increased Recess Time- 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)

HB4326 - OHLAP Expansion- expands the Oklahoma’s Promise for higher learning access to include career tech tuition, foster children, and children of counselors, librarians, school nurses, athletic trainers, tech school teachers. Up next - House Floor! (B.O.O.K. Strengthening the Teaching Profession)

ALL TEACHER PAY INCREASES - these include SB1339, SB201. (B.O.O.K. Strengthening the Teaching Profession)

Bills We Are Supporting

HB3674 - Student Sexual Assault Reporting - mandates that all reports of sexual assault occurring within schools must be reported to a law enforcement agency, and school districts must ensure their school resource officers (SROs) have completed specific training related to sexual assault and sexual violence. (B.O.O.K. Safe, Healthy & Supportive Schools).

HB3467 - Expanded Maternity Leave - expands paid maternity leave for certain full-time education employees in Oklahoma to include the adoption of a child, provided the child is under four years old, and clarifies that this leave must be taken immediately following the adoption. (B.O.O.K. Strengthening the Teaching Profession)

HB4427&SB1614- strengthen requirements for adjunct teachers. (B.O.O.K. Strengthening the Teaching Profession)

SB1546 - Inspired to Teach Program Expansion - increases the scholarship amounts available to aspiring teachers in Oklahoma. (B.O.O.K. Strengthening the Teaching Profession)

HB3671 & SB1317 - expand the definition of a "career teacher" for evaluation purposes. (B.O.O.K. Strengthening the Teaching Profession)

SB1204 - requires school districts to provide three days of paid bereavement leave to teachers and support personnel employees following the death of their spouse or child, which also includes leave for a miscarriage. (B.O.O.K. Strengthening the Teaching Profession)

Bills We Are Opposing

HB 3240 - Mandating Prayer in Schools - requires school districts to adopt a policy that provides students and employees with an opportunity to participate in a period of prayer and reading of religious texts on each school day. Students and teachers already have the freedom to do this during the school day.

HB3151 - School Calendar Expansion - increases the minimum number of instructional days required for schools without adequately addressing the additional funding needed to do so.

HJR1055 - State Superintendent Changes - changes how the State Superintendent of Public Instruction is selected and removed - instead of elected, they would be appointed by the Governor. This HJR would create a state question to put to the vote of the people.

SB1250 & HB2978 - Book Bans - these books continue to remove local control surrounding library media selection.

Bills We Are Watching

Literacy Reform and Teacher Pay/Benefits Bills - there are still several bills alive in these categories. We will be monitoring both categories for positive or negative changes. (B.O.O.K. Improving Student Performance and Supporting the Teaching Profession)

What's Coming Up Next

Check out our 2026 Bill Tracker to follow the whole set of what ed bills are still moving. Visit https://www.advanceokkids.org/billtrack
The next major deadline is April 23rd, when all remaining bills must be out of their assigned committees. Anything on the remaining bill list that does not advance will be dead.
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

We will continue to push out opportunities for you to advocate when the time is right - stay tuned into your emails and our social media for Action Alerts! The turn around time is typically pretty swift!
Anything on the Bill Tracker that sparks your interest, reach out now to your House Reps or Senators and let them know your thoughts - if you don't know who they are, you can find out here. REMEMBER - House bills are now in the Senate and Senate bills are now in the House!
If you are headed to the Capitol in person, reach out and we can send you a bill list with talking points! Email erika@okappleseed.org

CLICK HERE TO VIEW OUR FULL 2026 OKLAED BILL TRACKER

CLICK HERE TO READ OUR B.O.O.K POLICY INITIATIVE - BETTER OUTCOMES FOR OKLAHOMA'S KIDS

*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.*

Committee Meetings & Livestreams

Upcoming Events & Important Dates

Legislative Deadlines:
- 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.