[Oasfaa] FW: Legislative Update – February 21, 2020
Fair, Bryce
bfair at osrhe.edu
Fri Feb 21 16:19:50 CST 2020
This week’s legislative update is provided below. Following are a few highlighted items:
* Save the Date! Oklahoma’s Promise Day at the State Capitol will be Tuesday, April 7. More details to follow.
* SB 1120 creating a task force to study a requirement for high school students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) passed the Senate Education Committee 11-1 on Tuesday, February 18.
* SB 1092 related to the OKPromise application income limit is scheduled to be heard in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, Feb. 25. A new version of the bill is expected to be heard on Tuesday that would, after the income limit is increased from $55,000 to $60,000 in 2021 (which is already in law), adjust the income limit for inflation every four years thereafter. You can see the text of the new proposed language at http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2019-20%20COMMITTEE%20AMENDMENTS/Senate/SB1092%20PCS.PDF. If passed by the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, the bill would next be heard in the Senate Appropriations Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 26.
Next Thursday, Feb. 27, is the deadline for bills to have passed out of committee in their house of origin. Many bills will come off the tracking list at that point.
Bryce Fair
OKLAHOMA STATE REGENTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION
Memo
To: Higher Education Network
From: Chancellor Glen D. Johnson
Date: Friday, February 21, 2020
Subject: Legislative Update – February 21, 2020
The update below reflects the current status of major legislation concerning Higher Education during the week of February 17, 2020 – February 21, 2020.
If you have any questions, please contact LeeAnna McNally, Vice Chancellor for Governmental Relations, at lmcnally at osrhe.edu<mailto:lmcnally at osrhe.edu> or (405) 225-9424.
Legislative Report
February 21, 2020
Ad Valorem Taxes
Senate Bill 1305 (Senator Roland Pederson and Representative Trey Caldwell) Adds a category of exemption for the Ad Valorem Reimbursement Fund for which reimbursement can be claimed. It creates a qualification for the exemption.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Finance Committee then to the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill 1312 (Senator Roland Pederson) Modifies the payment amount authorized for payment of ad valorem taxes in installments.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Finance Committee.
Senate Bill 1436 (Senator Gary Stanislawski) Exempts from listing for ad valorem purposes personal property that had an acquisition cost of less than $10,000 or has fair cash or market value less than $5,000 for the tax year applicable to the listing. The bill defines the term “acquisition cost” to mean all costs required to put an item of tangible personal property into service.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Senate Bill 1563 (Senator Chuck Hall) Clarifies that under the Ad Valorem Tax Code, “transmission company” and “public service corporation” will not be construed to include cable television companies or fixed wireless Internet service companies that operate over Federal Communications Commission unlicensed frequencies.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Finance Committee.
Senate Bill 1706 (Senator Casey Murdock) Modifies the definition of the term “cost approach” in the Ad Valorem Tax Code. The bill modifies the duties of the Oklahoma Tax Commission's Ad Valorem Division to include providing, from year to year, schedules containing estimated replacement cost or reproduction cost, depreciation tables and instructions for the valuation of personal property in accordance with Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) requirements to aid county assessors in the assessment of personal property.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Finance Committee then to the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
House Bill 3048 (Representative Trey Caldwell) Changes the amount placed in the Ad Valorem Reimbursement Fund to 3.71 percent and adjusts the percentage of monies to other funds accordingly.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Finance Subcommittee and
then to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. Passed the House
Appropriations and Budget Finance Subcommittee 7-0 on Monday, February 17.
House Bill 3191 (Representative John Pfeiffer) Modifies the definition of the term “cost approach” in the Ad Valorem Tax Code. The bill modifies the duties of the Oklahoma Tax Commission's Ad Valorem Division to include providing, from year to year, schedules containing estimated replacement cost or reproduction cost, depreciation tables and instructions for the valuation of personal property in accordance with Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) and International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) requirements to aid county assessors in the assessment of personal property.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
Agency Administration
Senate Bill 177 (Senator Ron Sharp and Representative Daniel Pae) Requires all state agencies to make available on their website, or on a general website if a state agency uses a general website, each fiscal year, a balance sheet and statement of revenues, expenditures and changes in fund balances pursuant to the standards of the Governmental Accounting Standards Board, beginning Jan. 1, 2020. (Carryover bill)
Update: Passed off the Senate Floor 39-5 on Wednesday, February 19. Engrossed to the House.
Senate Bill 263 (Senator Nathan Dahm and Representative Tom Gann) Requires state agencies to publish their exempt rules on their website. The bill modifies the deadline for agencies to respond to requests from the Governor, the Legislature and small businesses to review certain rules. It reduces the deadline to 30 days for requests from the Governor and the Legislature and implements a 90-day deadline for small business requests. (Carryover bill)
Update: Passed the Senate Rules Committee 10-0 with title stricken on Thursday,
February 20.
Senate Bill 1163 (Senator Mark Allen) Requires the Archeological Survey of the State of Oklahoma, also known as the Oklahoma Archeological Survey, to relocate artifacts found on private property after a flood for assessment and preservation within 30 days of the property owner providing notice to the survey, unless otherwise agreed to by the parties.
Update: Passed the Senate General Government Committee 10-0 on Thursday, February 20.
Senate Bill 1167 (Senator Dewayne Pemberton) Permits the Oklahoma Employment Security Commission to release certain information to the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education and the Oklahoma State Regents of Higher Education.
Update: Prefiled.
Senate Bill 1284 (Senator Gary Stanislawski) Removes the requirement that the Division of Central Accounting and Reporting superintend the recovery of all debts due state government and that it certifies every requisition by a duly accredited disbursing officer for an advance of funds from the State Treasury to the Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for approval.
Update: Passed the Senate Finance Committee with title stricken 8-0 on Tuesday, February 18.
Senate Bill 1309 (Senator John Michael Montgomery) Prohibits state agencies from paying for hours worked on a computer and billed by the hour to the state unless those hours are verifiable by data generated by automatic billing verification software for any information technology that is more than one year behind schedule or for which the amount spent on the project is at least $1 million more than the original cost estimate.
Update: Failed to pass the General Government Committee 3-7 on Thursday, February
20.
Senate Bill 1355 (Senator Greg McCortney) Removes the minimum 500 participants requirement for payroll deductions for state agency employees of private insurance organization or service companies that provide legal services.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Retirement and Insurance Committee.
Senate Bill 1405 (Senator Nathan Dahm) Grants the Governor the authority to remove any officers appointed by him, notwithstanding any provision of law. It grants the Governor the authority to remove any gubernatorial appointments on any agency, board or commission at any time, subject to the provisions therein and notwithstanding any other provision of law or any appointments created by expiring terms or vacancies provided by law.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 1434 (Senator J.J. Dossett) Entitles a state employee hired on or after Nov. 1, 2020, who is a veteran with a service-connected disability rated at 30 percent or more by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs to additional credit without limit for sick leave with pay for the purpose of undergoing medical treatment, including mental health treatment, for his or her service-connected disability, in addition to any other sick leave with pay.
Update: Assigned to the Senate General Government Committee then to the
Senate Appropriations Committee. Passed the Senate General Government Committee 10-0 with title stricken on Thursday, February 20.
Senate Bill 1501 (Senator Nathan Dahm) Requires an agency’s report to the Office of Management and Enterprise Services of all funds available to the agency for expenditure to include, but not be limited to, information on federal funds that are under the agency’s control and subject to certain disclosure requirements. Also requires all political subdivisions to report federal funding.
Update: Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee as amended with title stricken 16-
4 on Wednesday, February 12.
Senate Bill 1701 (Senator Michael Brooks) Permits retired state employees to opt-out of the health and dental insurance benefits. It permits them to re-enroll during the next enrollment period.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Retirement and Insurance Committee.
Senate Bill 1820 (Senator Kimberly David) Modifies language related to state agencies and officials hiring legal representation. It requires the list of attorneys and firms desiring to furnish services and a schedule of fees for each attorney and firm be maintained and made available to the public. It establishes a schedule of fees for legal representation. It adds requirements to contracts between state agencies and officials and their legal representatives.
Update: Laid over in the Senate General Government Committee on Thursday, February 20.
Senate Bill 1824 (Senator Greg McCortney) Creates the Oklahoma Employees’ Right to Shop Act. The bill defines applicable terms. It requires a carrier offering a health benefit plan for state employees at the next open enrollment period for the plan year beginning Jan. 1, 2021, to establish for all health care plans a program in which employees are incentivized to shop for and choose low-cost, high-quality participating providers for comparable health care services. It establishes specific requirements for the program. It requires the Insurance Commissioner to promulgate necessary rules.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Retirement and Insurance Committee.
Senate Bill 1840 (Senator Greg Treat) Requires all state agencies, boards and commissions that desire to apply for a grant of more than $50,000, excluding those of the federal government, to obtain written approval of the appropriate cabinet secretary prior to beginning the grant application process. It requires the cabinet secretary to communicate the details of the grant application to the Secretary of Budget, if approved.
Update: Laid over in the Senate Appropriations and Budget Committee on Wednesday,
February 19,
Senate Bill 1846 (Senator David Bullard) Prohibits a state agency employing or utilizing a current employee or liaison using public or agency funds to primarily or secondarily represent the agency relative to the passage, defeat, approval or modification of public policy legislation that is being considered by the Legislature. It also prohibits any agency from using or permitting the use of public or agency funds for paid advertisement or public service announcements for the purpose of promoting the passage, defeat, approval or modification of public policy legislation that is being considered, or was considered during the previous legislative session, by the Legislature.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 1882 (Senator Julie Daniels) Permits, upon request by a rule-making agency, an expedited rule repeal process to be utilized when the rule meets certain criteria. It establishes publication requirements. The bill provides criteria for approval and disapproval of the proposed amendment under conditions.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 1911 (Senator John Michael Montgomery) Provides state employer matching amount for state employees electing to contribute certain amounts to a qualified Roth contribution program.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Retirement and Insurance Committee then to the
Senate Appropriations Committee.
House Bill 2865 (Representative Daniel Pae) Gives five days of paid parental leave every calendar year to every State of Oklahoma employee who regularly works at least 20 hours per week and has been employed for at least 180 days and gives those who have been employed for at least 90 days two paid days of parental leave.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
House Bill 2899 (Representative Justin Humphrey) Allows state agencies to adopt policies allowing full-time classified employees and regular unclassified employees who meet certain standards to have up to three hours a week of paid leave for the purpose of physical fitness and wellness.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget General Government
Subcommittee. Committee. Passed the House Appropriations and Budget General Government Subcommittee 6-2 on Monday, February 10.
House Bill 3040 (Representative Tammy West and Senator Brenda Stanley) Protects information about personal electronic communication devices of current and former public employees from public inspection without the permission of the current or former public employee or an order from a court of competent jurisdiction.
Update: Passed the House Government Efficiency Committee 10-0 on Wednesday, February 12.
House Bill 3068 (Representative Lundy Kiger) Changes the penalty for state employee’s punishment for being in violation of state income taxes to wage garnishment instead of termination of employment.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget General Government
Subcommittee. Passed the House Appropriations and Budget General Government
Subcommittee 8-0 on Monday, February 10.
House Bill 3103 (Representative Mike Osburn) Protects information about personal electronic communication devices of current and former public employees from public inspection without the permission of the current or former public employee or an order from a court of competent jurisdiction.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
House Bill 3133 (Representative Garry Mize) Allows a state agency to establish a savings program with a private or nonprofit entity for the benefit of state employees.
Update: Laid over in the House Government Efficiency Committee on Wednesday, February 12.
House Bill 3390 (Representative Terry O’Donnell) The bill requires the list of attorneys and firms desiring to furnish services and a schedule of fees for each attorney and firm be maintained and made available to the public. It permits an agency or official to agree to deviate from the schedule of fees only with the approval of the Attorney General if the new schedule of fees would not violate a fee schedule established by the bill.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 3439 (Representative Kelly Albright) Establishes family medical leave insurance benefits of 50 percent annual payroll for between four to eight weeks for a qualifying life event, such as birth or adoption of a child, caring for a family member with a serious health condition, having a serious health condition, caring for a covered service member, or qualifying exigency leave arising out of the fact that the family member of the covered individual is on covered active duty or has been notified of an impending call to order.
Update: Assigned to the House Insurance Committee.
House Bill 3613 (Representative Terry O’Donnell) Creates the Personal Privacy Protection Act. It defines terms used therein. It prohibits a public agency from: requiring any individual to provide the public agency with personal affiliation information or otherwise compel the release of personal affiliation information and requiring any entity organized under Section 501(c) of the Internal Revenue Code to provide the state agency or political subdivision with personal affiliation information or otherwise compel the release of personal affiliation information. Makes personal affiliation information exempt from the Oklahoma Open Records Act.
Update: Passed the House Government Efficiency Committee 10-0 on Wednesday,
February 19.
House Bill 3819 (Speaker Charles McCall) Requires any contract or agreement made by any state agency to be open for inspection to any member of the Legislature. It prohibits any state agency to prohibit any person or entity from communicating with any member of the Legislature.
Update: Assigned to the House Government Efficiency Committee. Reassigned to House
Rules Committee. Passed the House Rules Committee 8-0 on Tuesday, February 11.
House Bill 4025 (Speaker Charles McCall) Requires each agency or institution of the state to regularly transmit to the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency raw datasets as requested by the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency for the purpose of creating a data clearinghouse to aid in the work of the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency. It requires the Legislative Office of Fiscal Transparency to adopt policies and procedures pursuant to which a state agency must be required to comply with the provisions therein, including the format in which the data is transmitted, how the data is organized and such other matters as the Office prescribes.
Update: Passed the House Rules Committee 8-0 on Tuesday, February 11.
House Bill 4050 (Speaker Charles McCall) Requires the director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to ensure state agencies are charged no more than the actual cost of the services provided by the Office of Management and Enterprise Services. The bill provides such charges not include costs related to administration, overhead, insurance or any other additional costs indirectly related to the services provided.
Update: Passed the House Rules Committee 7-0 on Tuesday, February 11.
Budget and Taxation
Senate Bill 1161 (Senator George Young) Restores the refundability of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Finance Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Senate Bill 1179 (Senator Chuck Hall) Repeals tax exemptions related to the Oklahoma Research and Development Incentives Act.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Finance Committee.
Senate Bill 1562 (Senator Stephanie Bice) Requires the Oklahoma Tax Commission to, upon written notification of expenditure approval from the Commission on County Government Personnel Education and Training, distribute from the agency special account the approved amount, if available, to the Oklahoma State University Center for Local Government Technology or the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service County Training Program, as applicable.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
House Bill 2784 (Representative Collin Walke) Restores the refundability of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. Withdrawn from
the House Appropriations and Budget Committee and assigned to the House Rules
Committee.
House Bill 3137 (Representative Emily Virgin) Restores the refundability of the Earned Income Tax Credit.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
House Bill 3112 (Representative Brian Hill) Awards a tax credit to employees with certain degrees from programs that have been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology engineering in the field of electronics, physics, solar energy, chemistry or related fields of study.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Finance, 7-0 on Thursday, February 13. Assigned to the full House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
House Bill 3138 (Representative Emily Virgin) Creates a new state income tax system beginning on Jan. 1, 2021. The bill sets a 0.5 percent tax on the first $1,000; a 1.0 percent tax on the next $1,500; a 2.0 percent tax on the next $1,250; a 3.0 percent tax on the next $1,150; a 4.0 percent tax on the next $95,100; a 5.5 percent tax on the next $100,000; and a 6.0 percent tax on the remainder, for individuals and married individuals filing separately. The bill sets a 0.5 percent tax on the first $2,000; a 1.0 percent tax on the next $3,000; a 2.0 percent tax on the next $2,500; a 3.0 percent tax on the next $2,300; a 4.0 percent tax on the next $192,000; a 5.5 percent tax on the next $200,000; and a 6 percent tax on the remainder for married individuals filing jointly.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
House Bill 3968 (Representative Mark McBride) Modifies the maximum amount of outstanding principal with respect to obligations of the Oklahoma Capitol Improvement Authority to $250 million for the purpose of funding the backlog of the Endowed Chairs program.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education 11-0
on Tuesday, February 11.
CareerTech
Senate Bill 1397 (Senator Rob Standridge) Creates a revolving fund for the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education to be designated as the Oklahoma Central Career Tech Revolving Fund.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill 1531 (Senator David Bullard) Requires the State Board of Career and Technology Education, in conjunction with the State Board of Education, to establish and maintain a pilot program to provide grants to public school districts to offer career and technology programs to ninth through twelfth grade students. It establishes qualifications for public schools to receive a grant. The bill also establishes an application process for the grants.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
House Bill 2947 (Representative Trish Ranson) Directs the Department of Corrections and the State Board of Career and Technology Education to develop policies and procedures to ensure education credits earned by an inmate during any education or training program is fully accepted at technology center school districts throughout the state and that these credits can apply to any vocation and technical education courses and subjects upon their release from confinement.
Update: Assigned to the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee.
House Bill 2991 (Representative Forrest Bennett) Requires the Department of Career and Technology Education to consult and contract with the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to establish a job training program for persons receiving alcohol- and drug-dependency treatment services in areas in the state with the highest participation in alcohol- and drug-dependency treatment services or programs.
Update: Assigned to the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee.
House Bill 3378 (Representative Mickey Dollens) Creates an income tax credit, for taxable years beginning on or after Jan. 1, 2021, and ending not later than Dec. 31, 2025, for qualifying apprenticeship programs. The bill defines applicable terms. It caps the total annual amount of the credit at $3 million. It makes the credit non-refundable. It permits Governor's Council for Workforce and Economic Development, in coordination with the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, to adopt rules necessary to establish standards for participation and eligibility and to implement and administer the tax credit program. It requires the Council to consult with the Oklahoma Tax Commission to coordinate implementation and administration of the program. The bill requires the Council to report annually to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee and Senate Finance Committee chairs the effectiveness of the apprenticeship program no later than January 31st each year.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Committee 27-1 on Wednesday,
February 19.
Charter Schools
Senate Bill 1098 (Senator Gary Stanislawski and Representative Carol Bush) Prohibits persons who are related within the second degree by affinity or consanguinity from serving simultaneously on the same board of education of any charter school.
Update: Passed the Senate Education Committee 14-0 on Tuesday, February 11.
Senate Bill 1099 (Senator Ron Sharp) Requires additional oversight by sponsors of charter schools, including review of: state aid allocations, student assessment performance, cost of administration, and whether teachers, administrators and other personnel are employed by a charter school or a management organization.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1100 (Senator Ron Sharp) Requires additional oversight by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board, including review of: state aid allocations, student assessment performance, cost of administration, and whether teachers, administrators and other personnel are employed by a charter school or a management organization.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1153 (Senator Ron Sharp and Representative Andy Fugate) Prohibits charter schools from spending any state appropriated funds on advertising.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1203 (Senator Gary Stanislawski) Clarifies that charter school attendance is separate from the sponsor membership and attendance.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee. Passed the Senate Education Committee 14-0 on Tuesday, February 18.
Senate Bill 1313 (Senator Dewayne Pemberton and Representative Toni Hasenbeck) Prohibits the State Board of Education from sponsoring a charter school unless the State Department of Education has made a determination and recommendation that the board has the capacity, both in financial and personnel resources, to sponsor a charter school and the capacity to adhere to the contractual requirements and follow the sponsor contract guidelines outlined therein.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee
Senate Bill 1365 (Senator Gary Stanislawski) Requires the State Board of Education to deduct 5 percent the State Aid Allocation for statewide virtual charter schools sponsored by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board that have an average daily membership (ADM) of more than one thousand five hundred (1,500) students. This funding would be deposited into the State Public Common School Building Equalization Fund.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate
Appropriations Committee. Passed the Senate Education Committee 11-0 on Tuesday, February 18. Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee 20-0 with title stricken on Wednesday, February 19.
Senate Bill 1538 (Senator David Bullard) Prohibits, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, an application to transfer to a statewide virtual charter school from being denied by the student’s resident district if the resident district does not offer a full-time virtual education program that is equivalent to a program offered by the statewide virtual charter school.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1541 (Senator Gary Stanislawski) Changes the name of the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board to the Oklahoma Commission for Digital Learning. The bill increases the terms of office for commission members to five years. The bill adds the Chancellor of Higher Education and the Director of the Department of Career and Technology Education as members of the commission and makes them, as well as the State Superintendent of Public Instruction and the Secretary of Education, voting members, rather than non-voting ex officio members. The bill removes outdated language.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
House Bill 1362 (Senator Gary Stanislawski) Removes existing language regarding the State Board of Education’s administration of the State Public Common School Building Equalization Fund. It establishes monies to be deposited into the fund. It requires the fund be used to aid school districts and charter schools.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
House Bill 3065 (Representative Lundy Kiger) Prohibits the total funding received by a full-time virtual charter school from all public and private sources from exceeding $3,500 per student.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education.
House Bill 3066 (Representative Lundy Kiger) Prohibits virtual charter schools sponsored by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board from using State Aid Allocations or any other state-appropriated revenue to advertise or to contract with an individual or business entity to purchase or obtain advertising services.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education.
House Bill 3338 (Representative Andy Fugate) Expands the list of contents required on charter school annual reports to include student withdrawals and expulsions.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3339 (Representative Andy Fugate) Requires a charter school sponsored as provided for in Section 3-132 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes and a virtual charter school sponsored by the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board to be prohibited from using their State Aid Allocation or any other state-appropriated revenue to advertise or to contract with an individual or business entity to provide advertising services. It defines terms used therein. It requires the State Board of Education and the Statewide Virtual Charter School Board to promulgate rules.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education.
House Bill 3351 (Representative David Smith) Allows the governing body of any public, private, magnet, charter, or virtual charter school in this state to enter into an agreement with a private or public nursing home facility for the purpose of creating a volunteer internship program. It allows internships to be available to high school seniors for the purposes of acquiring work experience, earning volunteer hours, and earning course credit as the governing body will determine. It allows the internship to fulfill the requirement of elective courses as the student’s schedule permits. It allows a student to not use the internship to replace any other state education requirement. It requires the governing body of each school to have the authority to adopt policies regarding the creation of credits earned by the volunteering students.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3369 (Representative Jon Echols and Senator Kim David) Prohibits a sponsor of a charter school from retaining any additional State Aid Allocation or charging the charter school any additional fee above the amounts allowed therein unless the additional fees are for additional services rendered. It requires the charter school sponsor to provide to the State Department of Education financial records documenting any state funds retained by the sponsor for administrative services rendered for the previous year.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Committee 22-3 with title stricken
on Wednesday, February 19.
House Bill 3402 (Representative Mark McBride) Removes the requirement that the State Board of Education solicit proposals for grants from school districts and charter schools and shall determine the process for consideration of proposals if sufficient monies are available in the State Public Common School Building Equalization Fund.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee. Withdrawn from the House Rules
Committee and re-assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
House Bill 3405 (Representative Derrel Fincher) Requires the average daily membership of charter schools be determined by the end-of-year average daily membership of the preceding school year multiplied by the average weight for each student.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3492 (Representative Chris Sneed) Prohibits public school districts and charter schools from using State Aid Allocation or other state-appropriated revenue to contract with a business or entity to provide private extracurricular lessons to students. It also prohibits public school districts and charter schools from providing bonus payments to teachers or other personnel for recruiting teachers or students from another public school or charter school.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3640 (Representative Cyndi Munson) Requires the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training to offer instruction on how to alert a school district or a charter school about the presence of a minor child or a child who has reached 18 years of age and continues to be enrolled in high school if that child has been identified at the scene of a traumatic event or an event involving a response from an emergency 911 service. The bill only allows the peace officer to release the student’s name directly to the school district or charter school and state that the child was present at the scene of a traumatic event.
Update: Passed the House Public Safety Committee 12-1 on Thursday, February 20.
House Bill 4121 (Representative Sean Roberts) Allows students enrolled in charter schools or virtual charter schools to participate in the extracurricular activities offered by the resident school district. It provides for eligibility. It defines terms used therein.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
Common Education
Senate Bill 1283 (Senator Gary Stanislawski and Representative Jadine Nollan) Requires all persons appointed to fill board of education or technology center school districts serve only until the next succeeding election, at which time the office which they hold shall be placed on the ballot for the balance of the unexpired term. It removes the limitation that only those vacancies filled in the first half of the term be placed on the ballot for the balance of the unexpired term.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 1705 (Senator Chris Kidd and Representative John Pfeiffer) Requires, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, the assessment or assessments required to graduate from a public high school with a standard diploma be selected by each school district from a list of Board-approved assessments that have received peer review approval for high school assessments pursuant to the Every Student Succeeds Act. It requires the official state assessment or assessments be the one(s) selected by a majority of school districts over the previous three years. The bill requires each school district notify the Board in writing of its preferred assessment or assessments by August 1 of each school year. It requires school districts that do not notify the Board of their preference to use the official state assessment or assessments.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
House Bill 3389 (Representative Rhonda Baker and Senator Brenda Stanley) Requires the State Board of Education, in consultation with the State Regents for Higher Education and the State Board of Career and Technology Education, to conduct a study and make recommendations to the Legislature regarding possible changes to the units or sets of competencies required for students to graduate with a standard diploma. It states the purpose of the study. The bill establishes requirements for the study. The bill requires the board to submit any recommendations prior to the start of the 2021 Legislative Session and may continue the study and to make recommendations thereafter as needed.
Update: Passed the House Common Education Committee 15-2 on Tuesday, February
11.
House Bill 3398 (Representative Jadine Nolan) Requires any person employed by an Oklahoma school district prior to the effective date of this act who does not have an Oklahoma criminal history record check from the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation as well as a national criminal history record check on file with his or her employing district as required have until July 1, 2022, to complete the criminal history record checks. It exempts any person eligible to retire from the Teachers' Retirement System of Oklahoma.
Update: Passed the House Common Education Committee 16-0 on Tuesday, February 18.
House Bill 3881 (Representative Denise Brewer) Requires contracts between the board of education and teachers for the ensuing fiscal year to be entered into for at least a one-year period.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3885 (Representative Denise Brewer) Requires each district board of education to adopt a policy for restitution of a teacher's property that has been damaged or destroyed as a result of the actions of a student or students during a documented and verified incident at the school.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3908 (Representative Mark Vancuren) Modifies curriculum required for graduation with a standard diploma.
Update: Laid over in the House Business and Commerce Committee on Wednesday,
February 19
Concurrent Enrollment
Senate Bill 1086 (Senator Jason Smalley) Removes the requirement that a high school senior concurrent enrollment program must be fully funded in order for each high school junior who meets the eligibility requirements for concurrent enrollment to be entitled to receive a tuition waiver equivalent to the amount of resident tuition for a maximum of nine credit hours in their junior year.
Update: Prefiled.
Senate Bill 1091 (Senator Jason Smalley) Requires, beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, that college credit earned for courses taken through concurrent enrollment and paid for by a state tuition waiver be transferrable to any institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education.
Update: Prefiled.
House Bill 3169 (Representative Kevin West) Requires the Commissioners of the Land Office to transfer from the permanent school funds to the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education the money necessary to fund concurrent enrollment in college or university courses for eligible high school students. It requires the State Regents to spend the money for concurrent enrollment and not other purposes. It requires the State Regents to determine the amount of funds necessary to fund concurrent enrollment based on the performance of the revenues generated by the permanent school fund which are not already allocated for the use and benefit of the common schools. The bill creates the Concurrent Enrollment Revolving Fund.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee. No motion
received on Monday, February 17. Remains property of the committee.
House Bill 3255 (Representative Jadine Nollan) Changes the waiver amounts that high school students concurrently enrolled in college courses are entitled to receive. Instead of receiving a tuition waiver for the actual amount of resident tuition, a high school student would receive the lesser of: 1) the actual amount of resident tuition for the credit hours enrolled, or 2) the average amount of resident tuition of all the community junior colleges in the state.
Update: Passed the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee as amended by committee substitute 9-3 on Tuesday, February 18.
FAFSA
Senate Bill 1120 (Senator Dewayne Pemberton and Representative Jadine Nollan) Creates a task force to study a requirement for high school students to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Update: Passed the Senate Education Committee 11-1 on Tuesday, February 18.
House Bill 3002 (Representative Matt Meredith) Requires all high school seniors to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
Healthcare
Senate Bill 1201 (Senator Greg McCortney) Requires all health care entities to report data to the statewide health information exchange and to utilize the system.
Update: Passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee 10-0 on Monday,
February 10.
Senate Bill 1230 (Senator George Young) Creates the Radiologic Technologist Licensure Act. It defines terms used therein. It requires any individual who is not a licensed practitioner or a radiologist assistant licensed by the State Board of Medical Licensure and Supervision who performs fluoroscopy, nuclear medicine technology, radiation therapy, radiography, or other radiologic technology procedures for medical diagnostic or therapeutic purposes as determined by the Board, to be licensed by the Board after Jan. 1, 2022.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee then to Senate
Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill 1276 (Senator Roger Thompson and Representative Kevin Wallace) Increases from not less than 50 percent to not less than 75 percent of the subsidy for residency programs provided by the Physician Manpower Training Commission be used in the training of primary health care and family practice physicians for the rural and medically underserved areas of the state.
Update: Passed the Senate Health and Human Services Committee 9-0 on Monday,
February 10. Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee 20-0 with title stricken on
Wednesday, February 12.
Senate Bill 1290 (Senator Darrell Weaver and Representative Cynthia Roe) Modifies the definition of Medical Care Provider as it relates to assault and batters to include: laboratory technicians, radiologic technologists, physical therapists, physician assistants, chaplains, volunteers, pharmacists, nursing students, medical students and any other employees of a healthcare facility.
Update: Passed the Senate Public Safety Committee 11-1 on Monday, February 10.
Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee 20-0 with title stricken on Wednesday,
February 12.
Senate Bill 1391 (Senator Bill Coleman and Representative Marcus McEntire) Permits an Advanced Practice Registered Nurse to prescribe and administer Schedule II controlled dangerous substances that are indicated for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
Senate Bill 1848 (Senator Paul Rosino) Modifies definitions used in the Oklahoma Nursing Practice Act. The bill modifies the authority of Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists to administer anesthesia and controlled substances. It creates certain liability protections.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
Senate Bill 1917 (Senator Bill Coleman) Modifies prescriptive authority of certain Certified Nurse Practitioners.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
House Bill 2870 (Representative David Perryman) Creates the Small Oklahoma Hospital Survival Act, which guarantees a minimum reimbursement rate between health care insurers and small Oklahoma hospitals of at least 150 percent of the published Medicare reimbursement rate of 100 percent of the prevailing market rate for test, procedures and similar services paid to urban hospitals, and if the prevailing market rate is disputed, then it will be defined as 165 percent of the published Medicare reimbursement rate. The bill states payment for services rendered by a small Oklahoma hospital pursuant to prior authorization cannot be denied by an insurance company for any reason.
Update: Withdrawn from the House Insurance Committee. Re-assigned to the House
Rules Committee.
Higher Education
House Joint Resolution 1026 (Representative Tommy Hardin) Proposes a vote of the people on a constitutional amendment that would repeal the requirement that appropriations made by the Legislature for all State Regents of Higher Education institutions be made in consolidated form without reference to any particular institution. It would also eliminate the requirement that the State Regents for Higher Education allocate to each institution according to its needs and functions.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 1150 (Senator Tom Dugger and Representative Trish Ranson) Exempts from sales tax sales of textbooks to a student who has secured admission to and enrolled in an institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education or a private institution of higher learning located within Oklahoma.
Update: Referred to the Senate Finance Committee.
Senate Bill 1181 (Senator Gary Stanislawski and Representative Chad Caldwell) Adds exemptions to the definition of private vocational school which include: a school that “offers only a degree(s) and has and maintains proper approval by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education,” and “an entity that is based outside of Oklahoma, maintains regional or national accreditation by an accrediting organization approved by the U.S. Department of Education, does not offer degrees and provides all of its training through mechanism(s) of distance education.”
Update: Passed the Senate Education Committee 14-0 on Tuesday, February 11.
Senate Bill 1182 (Senator Gary Stanislawski and Representative Chad Caldwell) Authorizes the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools to promulgate rules to maintain student records and professional license and occupational certifications.
Update: Passed the Senate Education Committee 14-0 on Tuesday, February 11.
Senate Bill 1259 (Senator Kevin Matthews) Appropriates $150,000 to the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry to be transferred to Langston University-Tulsa for the purpose of a cooperative agricultural marketing pilot project with Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill 1267 (Senator George Young) Encourages the State Regents for Higher Education to use appropriated funds to support entrepreneurship with special emphasis upon providing such support to minority communities in the state. It also encourages the Regents to consider the allocation of resources to its institutions within that have a high likelihood of effective service delivery to minority populations or communities.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill 1336 (Senator Carri Hicks) Prohibits an institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education to inquire on an initial application form about a prospective student's criminal history with several detailed exceptions.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Common Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1339 (Senator John Michael Montgomery and Representative Melissa Provenzano) Requires the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the State Department of Career and Technology Education, and the Oklahoma Board of Private Vocational Schools to prepare and make available on their websites a report on student financing and debt beginning Nov. 1, 2020, and every two years thereafter. It specifies the information to be included in said report. It requires the information provided in the report to be aggregated by age, race and gender and comply with the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1352 (Senator Larry Boggs) Requires two-year colleges in the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education to offer a course on the U.S. Constitution and to grant credit for the course.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to Senate Appropriations
Committee. Laid over in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, February 18.
Senate Bill 1379 (Senator Frank Simpson and Representative Tommy Hardin) Modifies eligibility for in-state status for students who were discharged or released from a period of not fewer than 90 days of active duty uniformed services less than 15 years before the date of enrollment in the course concerned.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations.
Committee. Passed the Senate Education Committee 13-0 with title stricken on Tuesday, February 18.
Senate Bill 1449 (Senator Micheal Bergstrom) Permits, beginning with the 2020-2021 academic year, a student who enrolls in an Oklahoma State System of Higher Education institution to opt out of any special fee that is not a mandatory fee. The bill defines the term “special fee” to include, but not be limited to fees that support noninstructional student programs, activities, facilities, groups or services. It exempts from the definition any fee directly related to academic, administrative, health or safety services.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Senate Bill 1453 (Senator John Haste) Requires courses offered at the undergraduate level through Oklahoma State University-Tulsa and institutions within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education in Tulsa and Wagoner counties to only duplicate those offered by Tulsa Community College through concurrent enrollment in school districts located in municipalities with a population over 100,000 as determined by the latest Federal Decennial Census, beginning with the 2021-2022 academic year.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Senate Bill 1466 (Senator Julie Daniels and Representative Mark Lepak) Creates the Student and Administration Equality Act. It defines terms used therein. It requires a student enrolled at an institution of higher education who is accused of a violation of the disciplinary or conduct rules that carries a potential penalty of a suspension of ten or more days or expulsion to have the right to be represented, at the student’s expense, by a licensed attorney or, if the student prefers, a non-attorney advocate, who in either case can fully participate during the disciplinary proceeding or other proceeding adopted and used by the institution of higher education, except as provided therein.
Update: Passed the Senate Education Committee as amended 13-1 on Tuesday, February 18.
Senate Bill 1467 (Senator Marty Quinn) Creates the Student and Administration Equality Act. It defines terms used therein. It requires a student enrolled at an institution of higher education who is accused of a violation of the disciplinary or conduct rules that carries a potential penalty of a suspension of ten or more days or expulsion to have the right to be represented, at the student’s expense, by a licensed attorney or, if the student prefers, a non-attorney advocate, who in either case can fully participate during the disciplinary proceeding or other proceeding adopted and used by the institution of higher education, except as provided therein.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1475 (Senator Marty Quinn) Requires the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to establish a model policy that will be adopted by the governing board of regents for each institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education regarding research conducted using facilities, property, faculty, staff or students within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. It requires the State Regents to promulgate rules.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee. Laid over in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, February 18.
Senate Bill 1632 (Senator Nathan Dahm) Prohibits the tuition and fee rates charged to students enrolled at an institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education from rising above the tuition and rates approved by the Regents for the 2019-2020 academic year.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Senate Bill 1698 (Senator Michael Brooks) Prohibits an institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education to inquire on an initial application form about a prospective student's criminal history with several detailed exceptions.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1752 (Senator James Leewright and Representative Josh West) Modifies the purpose of the Oklahoma Viticulture and Enology Center Development Revolving Fund to include supporting viticulture programs and research at universities and colleges.
Update: Passed the Senate Appropriations and Budget Natural Resources and Regulatory
Services Subcommittee 7-0 on Wednesday, February 12. Passed the Senate Appropriations Committee 14-0 with title stricken on Wednesday, February 19.
Senate Bill 1796 (Senator Mary Boren) Prohibits an institution of higher learning from requiring an enrolled student to take a leave of absence, withdraw from a program, or limit her studies solely due to pregnancy. The bill requires an institution to reasonably accommodate pregnant students to they may complete their courses of study and research.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Senate Bill 1835 (Senator Kay Floyd and Representative Mike Osburn) Requires continued education credits for licensed behavioral practitioners earned from courses on empirically validated procedures be taught by instructors certified by the Chair of the Department of Psychology of the University of Central Oklahoma, rather than the North American Association of Masters in Psychology, its designees or successors.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
Senate Bill 1866 (Senator Julie Daniels) Allows a student-athlete or, if the athlete is a minor, the parent or guardian of the athlete, to cancel an agency contract by giving notice in a record of the cancellation to the athlete agent no later than 14 days after the contract is signed. It prohibits a student-athlete or, if the athlete is a minor, the parent or guardian of the athlete, from waiving the right to cancel an agency contract.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 1907 (Representative Nicole Miller) Requires all institutions within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education to grant priority enrollment and course registration to students who are active members of the military and to students who are eligible to receive educational financial assistance from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. (Carryover bill)
Update: Passed the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee as amended by committee substitute 13-0 on Tuesday, February 18.
House Bill 2922 (Representative Melissa Provenzano) Creates the Oklahoma Student Borrower’s Bill of Rights Act, directing the Attorney General to prepare a written statement for student loan borrowers listing their rights.
Update: Assigned to the House Banking, Financial Services, and Pensions Committee.
House Bill 2944 (Representative Monroe Nichols) Allows students who successfully completed the General Education Development test in Oklahoma and have lived in the state for at least two years to qualify for in-state tuition at an institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education.
Update: Assigned to the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee.
House Bill 2970 (Representative Josh West) Removes the requirement that money accruing to the Oklahoma Viticulture and Enology Center Development Revolving Fund for the benefit of the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry be used to establish a Viticulture and Enology Center on the campus of Redlands Community College.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Natural Resources and Regulatory
Services Subcommittee 7-0 on Monday, February 10. Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Committee 28-0 on Wednesday, February 19.
House Bill 3188 (Representative Tommy Hardin) Creates the Cooperative Extension Revolving Fund for the Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry. It requires money in the fund to be expended by the Department for the purpose of supporting Cooperative Extension Service offices.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Natural Resources and Regulatory Services Subcommittee 6-1 on Monday, February 10.
House Bill 3223 (Representative Jon Echols and Senator Darrell Weaver) Allows school, colleges and designated people to retain tissue from bodies distributed to them and to donate the tissue to a person or entity with the purpose of training a dog to search for human remains.
Update: Passed the House Public Safety Committee 12-0 on Thursday, February 13.
House Bill 3255 (Representative Jadine Nollan) Changes the waiver amounts that high school students concurrently enrolled in college courses are entitled to receive. Instead of receiving a tuition waiver for the amount of resident tuition, a high school student would receive the lesser of: The actual amount of resident tuition for the credit hours enrolled, or The average amount of resident tuition of all the community junior colleges in the state.
Update: Passed the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee as amended by committee substitute 9-3 on Tuesday, February 18.
House Bill 3347 (Representative Mickey Dollens) Prohibits an institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education or a private educational institution from upholding any rule, requirement, standard or other limitation that prevents a student of that institution who is participating in intercollegiate athletics from earning compensation as a result of the use of the student’s name, image or likeness. It requires earning compensation from the use of a student’s name, image or likeness to not affect the student’s scholarship eligibility.
Update: Assigned to the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee.
House Bill 3404 (Representative Jadine Nollan) Creates the Higher Education Act of 2020.
Update: Shell bill.
House Bill 3408 (Representative Jadine Nollan) Creates the Higher Education Reform Act of 2020.
Update: Shell bill.
House Bill 3430 (Representative Rhonda Baker) Requires the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to submit to the Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs, no later than Dec. 1 of each year, the data outlining the participation of students who are veterans at every state educational institution. It requires the department to prepare an annual report based on the student veteran data provided and submit it to the Governor, House Speaker, Senate President Pro Tempore and Chancellor of Higher Education no later than Feb. 1 of each year.
Update: Assigned to the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee.
House Bill 3807 (Representative Toni Hasenbeck) Requires the Commission for Education Quality and Accountability to issue a report to the Speaker of the House, Senate President Pro Tempore and Governor detailing factors in Oklahoma's public education system that contribute to improvements in the common education system, higher education and CareerTech systems, as well as the state’s workforce. It requires the report to contain recommendations on ways to address information gaps between state educational entities.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education 11-0
on Tuesday, February 11.
House Bill 3871 (Representative Jason Dunnington) Requires remediation to be provided to any high school student meeting certain conditions to address academic deficiencies, including extended instructional time, a summer academy, tutoring, online coursework, repetition of any course and any other supplementary services. No tuition shall be charged for any remedial course for which a student receives no credit unless such course is part of a corequisite model of remediation.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
Industrial Hemp
Senate Bill 1528 (Senator Lonnie Paxton) Amends the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program. It removes language that requires approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program to engage in the growth, cultivation, handling or processing of industrial hemp.
Update: Passed the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee 11-0 with title stricken on Monday, February 17.
Senate Bill 1712 (Senator Roland Pederson) Amends the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program. It removes language that requires approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program to engage in the growth, cultivation, handling or processing of industrial hemp.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee.
Senate Bill 1734 (Senator Rob Standridge and Representative Scott Fetgatter) Modifies the exemption from definition of the term "marijuana" for industrial hemp.
Update: Passed the Senate Public Safety Committee 7-2 on Monday, February 17.
Senate Bill 1783 (Senator Lonnie Paxton) Modifies the definition of industrial hemp as used in the Uniform Controlled Dangerous Substances Act. It requires industrial hemp to be grown pursuant to the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program and allows it to be shipped intrastate and interstate.
Update: Passed the Senate Agriculture and Wildlife Committee 11-0 on Monday,
February 17.
House Bill 3786 (Representative Scott Fetgatter) Amends the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program. It removes language that requires approval by the U.S. Department of Agriculture for the Oklahoma Industrial Hemp Program to engage in the growth, cultivation, handling or processing of industrial hemp.
Update: Assigned to the House Agriculture and Rural Development Committee.
OneNet/Information Technology
House Bill 1871 (Representative Scott Fetgatter) Creates the Telephone Meetings Act. (Carryover bill)
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
House Bill 2834 (Representative Tom Gann) Recreates the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Advisory Council until July 1, 2026.
Update: Assigned to the House Administrative Rules Committee.
House Bill 4018 (Speaker Charles McCall) creates the Rural Broadband Commission Act of 2020.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 1285 (Senator Gary Stanislawski and Representative Charles Ortega) Modifies the duties of the State Governmental Technology Applications Review Board. The bill changes the requirement that performance reporting metrics for each state employee who begins participating in telework be published through the data.ok.gov website and requires that it be made available as a data feed.
Update: Laid over in the Senate General Government Committee on Thursday, February
13.
Senate Bill 1898 (Senator Stephanie Bice) Removes the requirement that the Chief Information Officer also serve as Secretary of Information Technology and Telecommunications. It also removes the salary requirement and the position’s employment qualifications.
Update: Passed the Senate Finance Committee 6-1 with title stricken on Tuesday, February 18. Referred to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Public Safety/Campus Safety/Weapons
Senate Bill 1081 (Senator Nathan Dahm) Creates an Anti-Red flag Act to preemptively void any federal Red Flag law that would seek to limit gun ownership.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Senate Bill 1090 (Senator Nathan Dahm) Creates a non-refundable individual income tax credit equal to the fees required for the taxpayer to successfully complete a firearms training and safety course and apply for an original or renewal license to carry a concealed or unconcealed firearm under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Finance Committee.
Senate Bill 1398 (Senator Nathan Dahm) Authorizes individuals with a valid handgun license issued under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act to enter the State Capitol building with a handgun.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 1399 (Senator Gary Stanislawski) Authorizes individuals with a valid handgun license issued under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act to enter the State Capitol building with a handgun.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1400 (Senator Nathan Dahm) Modifies definitions related to firearms. It allows any citizen or permanent resident, who can lawfully purchase or possess a firearm under state and federal law, to carry or transport a concealed or unconcealed firearm in Oklahoma, as authorized under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act, or as may otherwise be provided by law. It modifies what constitutes lawful and unlawful carry.
Update: Assigned to Senate Public Safety Committee.
Senate Bill 1401 (Senator Nathan Dahm) Modifies allowable locations where unlawful carry cannot be prohibited, including any street, plaza, sidewalk or alley.
Update: Assigned to Senate Public Safety Committee.
Senate Bill 1490 (Senator Nathan Dahm) Clarifies preemption provisions related to firearms. It provides for expenses.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Senate Bill 1567 (Senator Nathan Dahm) Authorizes any person in possession of a valid handgun license issued pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act to carry a concealed handgun into or upon any public college, public university or public technology center school property or building in which the person is authorized to be.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Rules Committee.
Senate Bill 1570 (Senator David Bullard) Modifies the firearms and weapons allowed on school property to include a handgun carried onto public school property by school personnel who have been designated by the board of education, provided such personnel possess a valid handgun license authorized by the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Senate Bill 1605 (Senator David Bullard) Prohibits any municipality or other political subdivision from adopting any order, policy, ordinance, or regulation concerning in any way the sale, purchase, purchase delay, transfer, ownership, use, keeping, possession, carrying, bearing, transportation, licensing, permit, registration, taxation other than sales and compensating use taxes, or other controls on firearms, knives, firearm and ammunition components, ammunition, and supplies.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Senate Bill 1610 (Senator Wayne Shaw and Representative Harold Wright) Modifies the completed application procedure specified therein under the Oklahoma Self-Defense Act.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee.
Senate Bill 1673 (Senator Casey Murdock) Allows any person who is not otherwise prohibited by law from possessing or purchasing a firearm and is not carrying or transporting a firearm in the furtherance of a crime to transport in or on a vehicle a firearm, loaded or unloaded, at any time. It repeals language related to the transportation of a loaded firearm.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Public Safety Committee.
House Bill 1258 (Representative Kyle Hilbert) Allows any person issued an armed private investigator license or armed security guard license to carry a concealed or unconcealed firearm when on and off duty, provided the person is in possession of a valid driver license and either a valid armed private investigator license or valid armed security guard license. (Carryover bill)
Update: Laid over in House Public Safety Committee on Thursday, February 13.
House Bill 2336 (Representative Sean Roberts) Allows a board of education of a school district to adopt a policy authorizing persons possessing a valid handgun license to carry a handgun onto school property. (Carryover bill)
Update: Passed off the Senate Floor 37-7 on Wednesday, February 12. Referred for engrossment. Senate amendments received.
House Bill 2781 (Representative David Hardin) Creates the Second Amendment Preservation Act, which directs courts and law enforcement agencies to protect gun ownership rights.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 2785 (Representative Jim Olsen) Modifies language related to the Legislature's preemption authority under the Oklahoma Firearms Act of 1971. It provides that the preemption authority also applies to firearm and ammunition components and nullifies any municipalities or other political subdivisions' policies.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 2796 (Representative David Hardin) Allows members of the Oklahoma Legislature and retired peace officers to carry firearms in the State Capitol Building and any property owned or leased by the State of Oklahoma.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 2798 (Representative Jacob Rosecrants) Requires every school resource officer, security guard, reserve peace officer or individual otherwise contracted or authorized to carry a firearm on public school property to complete mandatory trauma-informed care and mental health training.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education.
House Bill 2901 (Representative Justin Humphrey) Allows members of the Legislature to carry a firearm in the State Capitol Building.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. Reassigned to the House Public
Safety Committee. Laid over in House Public Safety Committee on Thursday, February 20.
House Bill 2940 (Representative Jason Dunnington) The bill makes it unlawful to manufacture, import, transfer, advertise for sale or sell any large-capacity ammunition magazine in Oklahoma. The bill makes it unlawful for any person to possess, carry upon their person, use or attempt to use against another person a large-capacity ammunition magazine.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. Re-assigned to the House Rules Committee.
House Bill 2945 (Representative Monroe Nichols) Prohibits carrying an assault firearm in municipalities with a population over 100,000 as determined by the Federal Decennial Census. The bill specifies those assault firearms prohibited by the bill.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. Re-assigned to House Public Safety Committee.
House Bill 3010 (Representative Tom Gann) Removes references to a handgun license and brings consistency to the state’s firearm statues. The bill requires a person disclose they are in possession of a concealed or unconcealed firearm at the request of law enforcement. The bill describes how to safely carry a firearm in public.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee. Re-assigned to the House Public
Safety Committee. Passed the House Public Safety Committee 12-0 on Thursday,
February 20.
House Bill 3015 (Representative Denise Crosswhite Hader) Prohibits a person from pointing a gun, loaded or not, at another person unless acting in self-dense or a home or business owner acting in defense of their private property. The bill also removes references to a handgun license.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 3071 (Representative Jay Steagall) Modifies allowable locations where unlawful carry cannot be prohibited, including any street, plaza, sidewalk or alley.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 3167 (Representative Kevin West) Creates the Oklahoma Firearms Industry Nondiscrimination Act. The bill defines applicable terms. The bill makes it an unlawful discriminatory practice for any entity to refuse to provide any goods or services of any kind, refrain from continuing an existing business relationship, terminate an existing business relationship with, or otherwise discriminate against a trade association or person, because the trade association supports, or the person is engaged in, the lawful commerce of firearms or ammunition products.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 3357 (Representative Jason Lowe) Repeals constitutional carry by deleting exceptions to prohibited acts related to firearms.
Update: Failed in the House Public Safety Committee 1-12 on Thursday, February 20.
House Bill 3897 (Representative Jason Lowe) Prohibits the term firearm from including, and specifically excluding, rifles and shotguns.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee.
House Bill 4131 (Representative Sean Roberts) Requires any policy adopted by the board of education of a school district designating school personnel to carry a concealed handgun on public school property to be forwarded to the State Department of Education, which will be a repository for such policies and the policy will then be made available to the public.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
Scholarships/ Oklahoma’s Promise
Senate Bill 1092 (Senator Darcy Jech.) Increases the qualifying income level for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (Oklahoma’s Promise).
Update: Assigned to Senate Education Committee and then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Senate Bill 1300 (Senator John Michael Montgomery and Representative Mark Lawson) Adds students who were in the permanent custody of the Department of Human Services after completing the eighth grade and upon graduation to be eligible for Oklahoma’s Promise scholarships.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee and then to the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill 1534 (Senator David Bullard) Expands the grade level of students to be informed of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP) and the grade level and age of students who may enter into student agreements to include eleventh graders up to the age of 16. It sets the qualifying income level for eighth-, ninth-, tenth- or eleventh-grade students who are enrolled in a public or private school or students between the ages of 13 and 16 who are educated by other means who apply for participation in the program in the 2020-2021 school year at $55,000 per year.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee and then to the Senate
Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill 1535 (Senator David Bullard) Requires the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to include a form with the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program agreement form where the parent, custodial parent or guardian of the student may provide permission for the State Regents to verify the financial qualification of a student with the Oklahoma Tax Commission. The bill requires the form comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). It expands those who may witness the agreement to include a school counselor or designated teacher. It permits the Oklahoma Tax Commission to disclose information necessary to verify a participating student’s family income.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
House Bill 2927 (Representative Chelsey Branham and Senator Paul Rosino) Permits the Department of Human Services to issue administrative power of attorney to a qualified youth services agency for the care and custody of a child though the administrative power of attorney does not extend to the power to consent to marriage or adoption of the child, performance or inducement of an abortion on or for the child or termination of the parental rights of the child. Qualifies these children for Oklahoma’s Promise.
Update: Assigned to the House Judiciary Committee. Passed the House Judiciary
Committee on Tuesday, February 4 by a vote of 16-0. Passed off the House Floor 93-2 on
Thursday, February 13. Referred for engrossment. Sent to Senate.
House Bill 3189 (Representative Ajay Pittman) Expands the use of funds from the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP) to include fees. The bill adds a qualification for participation in the program that a high school junior or senior to be concurrently enrolled in public college or university courses or concurrently enrolled in college or university courses at a private institution. The bill also removes language that prohibits OHLAP funds from being used for payment of remedial noncredit-earning courses taken by an eligible program student.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
Special Education
Senate Bill 1436 (Senator Gary Stanislawski) Creates a comprehensive special education subject area certification. The bill requires the State Board of Education to issue a two-year provisional certificate in the area of severe-profound disabilities to any individual who has obtained a standard certificate in the area of mild-moderate disabilities; been recommended for a certificate in the area of severe-profound disabilities by a school district board of education; and submitted an application and payment of the required certification fee.
Update: Assigned to Senate Education Committee and then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee. Laid over in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, February 18.
House Bill 2888 (Representative Mike Sanders) Requires the State Department of Education to maintain the dyslexia informational handbook created by the Dyslexia and Education Task Force. It requires the Department to review the handbook and make revisions as necessary on an annual basis with stakeholders, including, but not limited to, previous members of the Dyslexia and Education Task Force and the Oklahoma Advisory Panel.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
Teacher Certification/Education
Senate Bill 1096 (Senator J.J. Dossett) Requires school districts, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, to provide notification by electronic mail or US mail to the parents or legal guardians of a student if the student is in a class that is taught by a teacher with an emergency certificate or a teacher participating in the Teach for America Program with a nonrenewable certificate.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1115 (Senator Ron Sharp) Allows an employing board of education to renew an emergency or provisional certificate.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1125 (Senator Adam Pugh) Allows out-of-state teaching certificates to qualify a person for an Oklahoma teaching certificate. These certified teachers do not have to take competency exam.
Update: Passed the Senate Education Committee 14-0 on Tuesday, February 11.
Senate Bill 1126 (Senator Adam Pugh) Updates the teacher salary schedule to now count all years teaching out-of-state.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Senate Bill 1127 (Senator Rob Standridge) Created the Teacher Retention Act of 2020, which would provide an annual bonus to a teacher who has National Board Certification and is teaching in the classroom full-time in an Oklahoma public school; received a district evaluation rating of "superior" under the Oklahoma Teacher and Leader Effectiveness Evaluation System during the previous school year; has been appointed as a mentor teacher; and has been recommended for a bonus by the school principal.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations Committee. Laid over in the Senate Education Committee on Tuesday, February 11. Passed the Senate Education Committee 11-3 with title stricken on Tuesday, February 18.
Senate Bill 1128 (Senator Frank Simpson and Speaker Charles McCall) Allows the State Board of Education to grant an exception to the requirements for all certification examinations for teacher candidates who are deaf.
Update: Passed the Senate Education Committee 14-0 on Tuesday, February 11.
Senate Bill 1168 (Senator Gary Stanislawski and Representative Toni Hasenbeck) Establishes a microcredential program for STEM subjects for any teachers who have a teaching certificate or other teaching credentials.
Update: Passed the Senate Education Committee 14-0 on Tuesday, February 11.
Senate Bill 1337 (Senator Brenda Stanley and Representative Rhonda Baker) Requires that a teacher whose certificate was suspended by the State Board of Education under circumstances specified therein to remain employed by the school district while proceedings for revocation or other action are pending before the State Board of Education.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1338 (Senator John Michael Montgomery and Representative Daniel Pae) Directs the State Department of Education to reimburse educators for certain courses taken through institutions of higher education and allows school districts to develop professional development courses in pedagogical principles and classroom management to fulfill the same requirements.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Senate Bill 1357 (Senator Carri Hicks) Increases the minimum teacher salary. The bill repeals the existing minimum teacher salary schedule.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill 1406 (Senator Adam Pugh) Requires the State Board of Education to provide those teachers who are employed in a high poverty school a $2,000 annual salary bonus for as long as they are employed in a high poverty school, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year. It defines applicable terms. It requires the Board to promulgate rules.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee.
Senate Bill 1617 (Senator Gary Stanislawski) Requires that qualified and properly certified special education teachers be paid a minimum of 7.5 percent above the prevailing wage paid to non-special education teachers in the same school district beginning with the 2020-2021 school year.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee then to the Senate Appropriations
Committee. Passed the Senate Education Committee 11-0 on Tuesday, February 18.
House Bill 2647 (Representative Rhonda Baker) Modifies the definition and components of the term "competency exam" as it pertains to the Oklahoma Teacher Preparation Act.
Update: Assigned to House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education.
House Bill 2853 (Representative Daniel Pae) Requires the State Department of Education to select districts for which an emergency or provisional teaching certificate must also require a six hour pedagogy and classroom management course be taken within the first year the certificate is issued. The bill requires the course be taught by a certified teacher with a minimum of five years teaching experience, a National Board certification and a master’s degree from within the same district, and the local school district must provide a stipend to the employee teaching the course.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee. Re-assigned to the House Rules Committee.
House Bill 2923 (Representative Melissa Provenzano) Gives teachers who graduate from accredited or approved teacher education programs after Nov. 1, 2020, a credit for one year of teaching experience in the minimum salary schedule.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education 11-0 on Monday, February 17.
House Bill 2976 (Representative Melissa Provenzano) Requires, for purposes of state teacher salary increments, teachers with active duty in the military service or out-of-state or out-of-country teaching experience as a certified teacher or its equivalent be granted credit for the respective years of experience.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education 11-0 on Monday, February 17.
House Bill 3142 (Representative Melissa Provenzano) Exempts those with a master’s degree in education from having to complete an education administration program as part of the requirements for a school principal position.
Update: Passed the House Common Education Committee 14-0 on Tuesday, February
11.
House Bill 3143 (Representative Melissa Provenzano) Creates the Teacher Mandatory Professional Development Reduction Act, which standardizes professional development and continuing education schedules for teachers.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3210 (Representative Mark Lepak) Allows the State Board of Education to issue exceptions to the standard or traditional teaching certificate, which may include provisional, alternative or transitional certifications provided that prior to the issuance of the certificate the district documents substantial efforts to employ a teacher who holds a traditional or standard certificate. The bill requires the State Department of Education to document and annually report to the State Board of Education the different types of teacher certificates annually issued.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3257 (Representative Jadine Nollan) Defines instructional expenditures as expenditures for instruction and instructional staff support services, including those that directly relate to providing instruction and for activities that assist with classroom instruction. The bill includes salaries and benefits for teachers, teaching assistants, librarians, library aids and in-service teacher trainers, curriculum development, student assessments, technology for students, supplies and purchased services as related to expenditures referenced elsewhere in the act as instructional expenditures.
Update: Laid over in the House Common Education Committee on Tuesday, February
11.
House Bill 3320 (Representative Sherrie Conley) Requires teacher candidates in early childhood, elementary, and special education to study dyslexia characteristics in students and classroom instruction techniques. It requires the program to provide for training that includes, but is not limited to, methods to identify potential manifestations and issues associated with dyslexia in students in order to recognize, meet or both recognize and meet the needs of students with dyslexia.
Update: Laid over in the House Common Education Committee on Tuesday, February 18. Re-assigned to the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee.
House Bill 3326 (Representative Sherrie Conley) Requires teacher candidates for the preservice program approved by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to study the cognitive science of reading and evidence-based instructional practices.
Update: Passed the House Higher Education and CareerTech Committee 11-1 on Tuesday February, 18.
House Bill 3335 (Representative Andy Fugate) Requires each school district to provide to every support employee a wage increase over the base amount the employee earned during the 2019-20 school year if the support employee is employed by the same school district for the 2020-21 school year in the amount of $3,750, beginning with the 2020-2021 year. It requires the dollar amount of salary increase to be prorated based upon the number of total hours of work performed by a full-time-equivalent support employee. It requires the increase to be in addition to any other compensation and fringe benefits provided by the district or mandated by law or collective bargaining agreement unless the hours of duties of the support employee are reduced proportionately.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
House Bill 3379 (Representative Nicole Miller) Modifies requirements for an alternative teaching certificate. It removes the clock hours component of professional development and requires that it come from an institution of higher education program whose accreditation is recognized by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability. It requires the professional education coursework include at least one college credit course addressing pedagogical principles and at least one college credit course addressing classroom management.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3382 (Representative John Waldron) Creates the Oklahoma Teacher Loan Repayment Program, which will be in effect from the 2020-2021 school year through the 2025-2026 school year. It requires the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to administer the program. It requires the program, dependent upon funding, to provide educational loan repayment awards to individuals that meet the specified requirements. It limits the amount of the award to no more than $4,000. It permits the State Regents to accept donations of public or private funds to assist in funding the program. It permits the State Regents to contract with other public entities and nonprofit corporations for the endowment, management and administration of such funds. It creates the Oklahoma Teacher Loan Repayment Revolving Fund.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education 11-0 on Monday, February 17.
House Bill 3434 (Representative Rhonda Baker) Allows the State Board of Education to issue a one-year alternative teacher certificate, renewable for up to three years, to teach early childhood education or elementary education to any qualified candidate and establishes qualifications.
Update: Passed the House Common Education Committee 15-0 on Tuesday, February 18.
House Bill 3557 (Representative Regina Goodwin) Requires the State Department of Education to publish an annual report regarding the issuance of emergency certificates for the preceding school year. It establishes requirements for the report. It requires the report be made available by June 30th of each year beginning in 2020 through 2024 on the Department's website.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
House Bill 3723 (Representative John Waldron) Directs the Commission for Education Quality and Accountability to reimburse a teacher assigned to a Title 1 school who graduated from an Oklahoma institution of higher education for any testing fee or payment for a competency examination, contingent upon available funding. The bill directs the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability to promulgate rules to implement the act.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3736 (Representative John Waldron) Requires each student participating in the teacher internship program be awarded a one-time stipend of $4,000.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Committee 11-0 on Monday, February 17.
House Bill 3744 (Representative John Waldron) Requires any person acting as a teacher or educational consultant to hold a valid teaching certificate issued by and in accordance with the rules of the State Board of Education.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Education Subcommittee 11-0 on Monday, February 17.
House Bill 3769 (Representative John Waldron) Requires an individual conducting an evaluation of a teacher be an administrator employed at the same school as the teacher.
Update: Passed the House Common Education Committee 9-7 on Tuesday, February 18.
House Bill 3805 (Representative Toni Hasenbeck) Creates the Advanced Roles for Teachers and School Leaders Act, which establishes a three-year pilot program for advanced teaching roles and organization models in Oklahoma schools. The purpose of the program is to support advanced roles for teachers who wish to stay in the classroom, recognize teachers who demonstrate advanced roles in the classroom through increased compensation, provide personalized professional development, increase recruitment and retention of teachers, allow principals to expand leadership capabilities, and support improved student outcomes. The bill establishes the program’s standards and requirements.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Education Subcommittee 10-0 on Monday, February 17.
House Bill 3966 (Representative Mark McBride) Authorizes the Office of Educational Quality and Accountability (OEQA) and the State Board of Education to establish the Education Leadership Oklahoma program. It requires the OEQA to select not more than 300 applicants to participate in the renewal program each fiscal year for which the OEQA will pay a portion of the fee for National Board certification renewal. It requires the total amount paid by the OEQA to not exceed $1,000 per applicant.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education 11-0
on Tuesday, February 11.
Retirement Systems
Senate Bill 1396 (Senator Brenda Stanley) Removes the earnings limitations for certain retired members of the Teachers Retirement System.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Retirement and Insurance Committee.
Senate Bill 1445 (Senator Brenda Stanley and Representative Jadine Nollan) Requires, for a period of three years beginning July 1, 2020, Oklahoma Teachers Retirement System members who have retired as of July 1, 2019, who have been retired and receiving a benefit for at least one year, and who have not been employed by any public school during that one-year period, be eligible to be reemployed as an active classroom teacher in common or career tech school districts, with no limitations on earnings.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Retirement and Insurance Committee.
House Bill 3330 (Representative David Perryman) Requires that if an injury to a member of a public retirement system results from a violent act as defined therein while in the performance of their duties as a police officer, the State Board will make a determination that the member has sustained a one-hundred-percent disability and shall make the benefit award in accordance with that standard.
Update: Passed the House Banking, Financial Services, and Pensions Committee 10-1 on Wednesday, February 19.
House Bill 3497 (Representative Kelly Albright) Authorizes a benefit increase for retired members of public retirement systems.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
House Bill 3599 (Representative Dustin Roberts) Requires no additional contribution by the member of the Teachers Retirement System or their employer will be required or allowed because of any other nonfederal source of funds.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
House Bill 3720 (Representative Dean Davis) Makes any bill that modifies or eliminates the post-retirement earning limit provisions applicable to the Teachers’ Retirement System of Oklahoma a non-fiscal retirement bill that does not impact a retired teacher’s benefits.
Update: Assigned to the House Banking, Financial Services. and Pensions Committee.
House Bill 4137 (Representative Lewis Moore) Requires a retired employee, other than an education employee or an employee who participates in the defined contribution system administered by the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System on or after November 1, 2015, who is receiving benefits from the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System after September 30, 1988, to have $350, or the premium rate of the health insurance benefit plan, whichever is less, paid by the Oklahoma Public Employees Retirement System to the Board or other insurance carrier of the employer if the employer does not participate in the plans offered by the Office in the manner specified therein.
Update: Laid over in the House Banking, Financial Services, and Pensions Committee on Wednesday, February 19. Re-assigned to the House Rules Committee.
Workforce Development
Senate Bill 1087 (Senator Kim David) Requires, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, that the career-readiness assessments reviewed and approved by the Department of Commerce be administered at least once to all juniors and seniors enrolled in a public-school district at no cost to the students.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1239 (Senator Micheal Bergstrom) Requires the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology to produce an annual report tying business performance of individual firms to the initial investment made by the Seed-Capital Revolving Fund.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Finance Committee.
Senate Bill 1533 (Senator David Bullard) Requires, beginning with the 2020-2021 school year, that each public school district designate a minimum of one day every school year as “industry day” for students in grades nine through twelve to explore career opportunities available at industries within the state. It requires the school district to collaborate with employers, career and technology center schools and institutions within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education located in or around the school district to provide information to ninth through twelfth grade students about career opportunities available through industries in the state and the education and training requirements for those careers.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Education Committee.
Senate Bill 1679 (Senator Micheal Bergstrom) Creates the Interstate-Mobility and Universal-Recognition Occupational Licensing Act. It defines terms used therein. It requires a board to issue an occupational license or government certification to a person upon application, if all the specified criteria apply. It requires that if another state has issued the person a government certification but Oklahoma requires an occupational license to work, the Oklahoma-based board must issue an occupational license to the person if the person otherwise satisfies the provisions therein.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Business, Commerce and Tourism Committee then to the
Senate Appropriations Committee.
Senate Bill 1891 (Senator Adam Pugh) Creates the Universal Occupational License Recognition Act. It requires an occupational license or certificate be issued, in the discipline applied for and at the same practice level as determined by the regulating entity, to a person who establishes residency in this state or is married to an active duty member of the armed forces of the United States and who is accompanying the member to an official permanent change of station to a military installation located in this state when certain criteria are met.
Update: Assigned to the Senate Business Commerce and Tourism Committee then to the
Senate Appropriations Committee. Passed the Senate Business, Commerce and Tourism Committee 7-1 on Thursday, February 20.
House Bill 2932 (Representative Chelsey Branham) Gives a tax credit for the years between Jan. 1, 2021, and Dec. 31, 2025, for 30 percent of the amount donated to the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology for expenditure by OCAST on eligible programs. The bill does not allow refundability, though it can be carried over to each of the subsequent five years.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Finance.
House Bill 2985 (Representative Kelly Albright) Establishes a $15 minimum wage.
Update: Assigned to the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
House Bill 2986 (Representative Forrest Bennett) Proposes a vote of the people on a statutory amendment that would raise the minimum wage in Oklahoma to $9.25 an hour beginning in 2021, $10.00 an hour beginning in 2022, and $11.00 an hour beginning in 2023.
Update: Assigned to the House Rules Committee.
House Bill 3096 (Representative Mike Osburn) Defines the state average unemployment rate as the average of the three months of the most recent third calendar year quarter or the seasonally adjusted unemployment rates as published by the state department or agency responsible for collecting and publishing unemployment rate data.
Update: Laid over in the House Business and Commerce Committee on Wednesday, February 19.
House Bill 3112 (Brian Hill) Awards a tax credit to employees with certain degrees from programs that have been accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Commission of the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology engineering in the field of electronics, physics, solar energy, chemistry or related fields of study.
Update: Assigned to House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Finance. Laid
over in the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Finance on Monday, February 10. Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Finance 7-0 on Thursday, February 13.
House Bill 3192 (Representative John Pfeiffer) Modifies the income tax credit with respect to certain software or cybersecurity employees. It removes engineering or software engineering from the definition of the term “accredited program” and replaces it with computer engineering. The bill removes language that permits qualified employers to participate in the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act, the Small Employer Quality Jobs Incentive Act, and the 21st Century Quality Jobs Incentive Act.
Update: Passed the House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Finance 7-0 on
Thursday, February 13.
House Bill 3354 (Representative Andy Fugate) Requires the State Department of Education to create an apprenticeship graduation program for high school students and provide for alternative graduation requirements for students enrolled in the program. It requires the Department to select and approve professionals to participate in the program who shall be representatives from different occupations and are licensed or registered in this state to work in their respective occupation, including, but not limited to, plumbers, electricians, welders, roofing contractors and mechanical contractors.
Update: Assigned to the House Common Education Committee.
House Bill 3421 (Representative Danny Sterling) Creates the Long-Term Workforce Training Act. It permits an employer to create an on-the-job training program for employees to receive education and training for a specific job skill or position. It requires the employer, in implementing such program, to incur all educational and training expenses of the employee and requires the employee to remain employed with the entity for a specified time period agreed upon by the employer and employee. It requires the employee to reimburse the employer for all educational and training expenses if the employee chooses to no longer be employed with the employer, unless otherwise agreed upon in writing by the employer and employee.
Update: Assigned to the House Business and Commerce Committee.
House Bill 3887 (Representative Kevin Wallace) Creates the Oklahoma Remote Quality Jobs Incentive Act. It establishes Legislative intent that the State provide appropriate incentives to attract growth industries and sectors that employ remote workers to Oklahoma through a policy of rewarding businesses with a highly skilled, knowledge-based workforce. The bill allows a proxy establishment that facilitates the attraction of remote workers and allows for quarterly incentive payments for a ten-quarter period to be made to the establishment. It establishes the Oklahoma Remote Quality Jobs Incentive Payment Fund and allows the Oklahoma Tax Commission to withhold a portion of taxes levied and collected to be deposited into the fund.
Update: Laid over in the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.
Thank you.
Glen
Glen D. Johnson
Chancellor
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Parkway, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
405.225.9122
gjohnson at osrhe.edu<mailto:gjohnson at osrhe.edu>
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