An act relating to schools, the official text

1                            STATE OF OKLAHOMA

2   1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)

3 HOUSE BILL 1983                   By: Ranson

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6                            AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to schools; requiring media literacy

    and cybersecurity to be taught; outlining instruction

8   requirements; requiring students in certain grades to

    take the media literacy and cybersecurity course;

9   prescribing the length of the course; allowing

    exception for certain transfer students; mandating

10  that the State Department of Education adopt

    curriculum standards; directing the Department to

11  develop guidelines, material, and resources;

    requiring the Department to report the standards

12  created; providing for codification; and providing an

    effective date.

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15 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:

16  SECTION 1.      NEW LAW  A new section of law to be codified

17 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 11-103.17 of Title 70, unless

18 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:

19  A. Media literacy and cybersecurity education shall be taught

20 in the public schools of this state. Media literacy and

21 cybersecurity education shall include, but is not limited to, the

22 following areas of instruction:

23  1. Identifying and avoiding online scams such as: phishing,

24 catfishing, malware, ransomware, scareware, and clickbait;

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1   2. Identifying fraudulent emails, websites, and social media

2 profiles;

3   3. Using passwords and online security;

4   4. Protecting personal information;

5   5. Identifying fake news, including how to find sources to

6 verify information; and

7   6. Identifying deepfake images, videos, and audio and

8 identifying artificial intelligence (AI).

9   B. Beginning with students entering the sixth grade in the

10 2027-2028 school year, students shall fulfill the requirement by

11 satisfactorily completing a media literacy and cybersecurity course

12 containing the areas of instruction as provided in subsection A of

13 this section during the sixth, seventh, or eighth grade.

14  C. Media literacy and cybersecurity instruction shall be

15 provided in a one-half (1/2) unit course.

16  D. For students who transfer into an Oklahoma school district

17 from out of state during or after the eighth grade, school districts

18 may make an exception to the requirements for a media literacy and

19 cybersecurity course pursuant to the provisions of Section 11-103.6

20 of this title. School districts shall still encourage completion of

21 instruction in media literacy and cybersecurity.

22  E. The State Board of Education shall identify and adopt

23 curriculum standards for media literacy and cybersecurity

24 instruction that reflect the areas of instruction listed in

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1 subsection A of this section. The standards shall be incorporated

2 into the state academic content standards adopted by the Board

3 pursuant to Section 11-103.6 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

4   F. The State Department of Education shall:

5   1. Develop guidelines and material designed to enable schools

6 to offer media literacy and cybersecurity as a separate course. The

7 guidelines shall outline the areas of instruction to be taught based

8 on the curriculum standards adopted by the Board;

9   2. Develop professional development programs that are designed

10 to help teachers provide instruction in media literacy and

11 cybersecurity. Development programs shall be designed to help

12 teachers provide instruction through a separate media literacy and

13 cybersecurity course;

14  3. Provide resources to assist schools in developing a separate

15 media literacy and cybersecurity course; and

16  4. Provide and identify resources designed to enable students

17 identified as English language learners and students with specific

18 learning disabilities or individual educational needs to understand

19 and use the media literacy and cybersecurity information presented.

20  G. Within thirty (30) days of completing the media literacy and

21 cybersecurity curriculum standards, the State Board of Education

22 shall submit to the Speaker of the Oklahoma House of Representatives

23 and the President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate a report

24 outlining the standards.

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1   SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.

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3   60-1-11168      SW  01/16/25

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