Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
3 HOUSE BILL 1277 By: Caldwell (Chad)
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6 AS INTRODUCED
7 An Act relating to schools; directing the State Board
of Education to distribute grants to incentivize
8 phone-free spaces; providing application process;
prescribing selection of grant recipients; providing
9 for use of grant funds; authorizing certain
negotiations and contract; providing for
10 codification; and declaring an emergency.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
14 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
15 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 1-201 of Title 70, unless there
16 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
17 A. Subject to the availability of funds, Seven Million Five
18 Hundred Thousand Dollars ($7,500,000.00) shall be allocated by the
19 State Board of Education to provide grants to public middle schools,
20 junior high schools, and high schools to incentivize phone-free
21 spaces for student learning.
22 B. 1. A public school district seeking a grant to establish a
23 phone-free space in a middle school, junior high school, or high
24 school site shall apply to the State Board of Education in the
Req. No. 10158 Page 1
1 manner and on a form prescribed by the Board. The Board shall
2 prioritize school districts that submit an application by July 1,
3 2025. Any applications received after July 1, 2025, shall be
4 considered on a first come, first served basis.
5 2. After reviewing the applications submitted, the Board shall
6 attempt to select recipients equally from each of the following
7 criteria:
8 a. middle schools, junior high schools, and high schools,
9 that each have an average daily membership (ADM) of
10 fewer than five hundred (500) students,
11 b. middle schools, junior high schools, and high schools,
12 that each have an ADM of five hundred (500) or more
13 students but fewer than one thousand five hundred
14 (1,500) students, and
15 c. middle schools, junior high schools, and high schools,
16 that each have an ADM of one thousand five hundred
17 (1,500) or more students.
18 3. When selecting grant recipients pursuant to this subsection,
19 the Board shall attempt to select a variety of schools which are
20 broadly representative of schools in the state in terms of
21 geographic locations and student populations.
22 C. The grants awarded pursuant to this section shall be used to
23 purchase devices or equipment in which students enrolled in a grant-
24 recipient school site can store their cell phones during the school
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1 day. In conjunction with the Office of Management and Enterprise
2 Services, the State Board of Education may negotiate and contract
3 with a vendor to offer a state rate price for devices or equipment
4 to grant recipient school sites.
5 SECTION 2. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
6 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
7 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
8 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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10 60-1-10158 SW 12/31/24
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Req. No. 10158 Page 3Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.