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 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
3 HOUSE BILL 3241 By: Hasenbeck
4
5
6 AS INTRODUCED
7 An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 1210.229-6, which relates to the program of
8 character education; naming the Teaching Honesty,
Respect, Integrity, Virtue, and Excellence (THRIVE)
9 Act; requiring the State Department of Education to
develop a character traits and personal skills
10 education curriculum; listing exclusive traits and
values to be included; providing completion date;
11 clarifying that the program is available to public
schools and charter schools; prohibiting use of
12 additional traits and values; requiring the board of
education of each school district to develop a
13 process for program participation and opting out;
requiring the Department to report participation and
14 noncompliance by school district; allowing the
Department and schools to accept certain funds;
15 requiring schools to provide school premises for
certain program participation; providing purpose;
16 reconciling conflicts; providing an effective date;
and declaring an emergency.
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18
19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
20 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.229-6,
21 is amended to read as follows:
22 Section 1210.229-6. A. This act shall be known and may be
23 cited as the Teaching Honesty, Respect, Integrity, Virtue, and
24 Excellence (THRIVE) Act. The board of education of every school
Req. No. 15103 Page 1
1 district in this state may State Department of Education shall
2 develop and implement a comprehensive program for of positive
3 character education in any single grade or combination of grades,
4 traits and personal skill education as part of the subject matter
5 standards adopted by the Department for grades prekindergarten
6 through twelfth pursuant to Sections 11-103.6 and 11-103.7 of this
7 title. The positive character traits and personal skills education
8 program shall focus on development of character traits in students.
9 The program of character education may shall include, but shall not
10 be limited to, the voluntary reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance to
11 the flag of the United States of America, and otherwise shall
12 consist exclusively of instruction in the value of finishing high
13 school, working full time, getting married before having children,
14 and instruction in all of, and only, the following character traits
15 and fundamental values deeply rooted in the history and tradition of
16 the United States:
17 1. Trustworthiness, including honesty, reliability,
18 punctuality, and loyalty;
19 2. Responsibility, including hard work, accountability,
20 diligence, good judgment, perseverance, and self-control;
21 3. Care for family, including parents, siblings, and future
22 spouses and children;
23 4. Kindness and generosity toward others;
24 5. Respect and care for human life;
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1 6. Respect for parental authority;
2 7. Respect for parents' obligations to children;
3 8. Respect for the property of other people;
4 9. Respect for legitimate authority and law;
5 10. Respect for patriotism, service to the community, and
6 concern for the common good;
7 11. Respect for religious faith, morality, wisdom, and
8 knowledge;
9 12. Respect for lifelong marriage, sexual fidelity within
10 marriage, and sexual abstinence outside of marriage;
11 13. Gratitude;
12 14. Charity; and
13 15. Courage.
14 B. The 1. Not later than the beginning of the 2026-2027 school
15 year, the State Department of Education shall develop and make
16 available to all public school districts and charter schools through
17 an Internet website, the following:
18 1. Technical
19 a. technical assistance upon request of a public school
20 district; or charter school,
21 2. A
22 b. a list of approved research-based positive character
23 traits and personal skills education programs,
24 curricula, and materials, in compliance with the
Req. No. 15103 Page 3
1 requirements of this section, which may be used by
2 public school districts; and charter schools,
3 3. A
4 c. a positive character traits and personal skills
5 education honor roll that will recognize public school
6 districts and charter schools that have successfully
7 implemented a comprehensive school-district-wide
8 program of positive character traits and personal
9 skills education and will highlight the positive
10 impacts the program has had on each public school or,
11 school district;, or charter school, and
12 4. A
13 d. a positive character traits and personal skills
14 education reading list of books that may include, but
15 is not limited to, books that illustrate models of
16 good character one or more of the character traits and
17 personal skills set forth in subsection A of this
18 section, and books that relate to the development of
19 good such positive character traits and personal
20 skills that may be used by schools in a character
21 education program.
22 2. The State Department of Education shall not include any
23 programs, curricula, or materials in the approved list required in
24 subparagraph b of paragraph 1 of this subsection that contradict or
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1 undermine respect for the character traits and personal skills
2 required to be taught pursuant to this section. The Department's
3 approval of programs, curricula, or materials pursuant to this
4 section is ministerial only and not discretionary. Districts and
5 schools may only satisfy the requirements of this section by
6 adopting programs, curricula, or materials from the Department's
7 approved list as provided in this section.
8 C. Subject to the availability of funding, the State Board of
9 Education may award grants to ten school districts for the
10 establishment of pilot projects which align character education with
11 the state curriculum in reading, mathematics, science or social
12 studies and demonstrate how character education teaches life skills
13 that lead to career readiness. The amount of each grant shall be
14 One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00). The projects shall be innovative
15 programs that will serve as models for other school districts.
16 Funding may cover the cost of purchasing curriculum, materials, or
17 training teachers. The Board shall determine pilot project criteria
18 and establish a process for the consideration of proposals. The
19 proposals for pilot projects shall be considered on a statewide
20 competitive basis. The Board shall promulgate rules for the
21 operation of the projects The board of education of each school
22 district shall adopt a process to issue a public notice of the
23 adoption of the success sequence and character education curriculum
24 required hereunder, to make course materials available for public
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1 inspection, and to provide parents and legal guardians a means to
2 opt their child out of participation in the courses. Participation
3 in the success sequence and character education courses of
4 instruction required hereunder may be terminated by the student's
5 parent or legal guardian at any time upon written notice to the
6 board. No student whose parent or legal guardian elects to opt out
7 shall be required to participate in the success sequence and
8 character education courses of instruction established under this
9 section.
10 D. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, no later than
11 sixty (60) days following the beginning of each school year, the
12 State Department of Education shall provide to the Governor,
13 Lieutenant Governor, Speaker of the Oklahoma House of
14 Representatives, President Pro Tempore of the Oklahoma State Senate
15 and chairpersons of the committees of the Senate and House of
16 Representatives that primarily deal with education, a report
17 stating, as of the reporting date, the total number of public school
18 districts, the number and names of schools and districts that have
19 adopted success sequence and character education courses in
20 compliance with the requirements of this section, the number and
21 names of districts not in compliance, reasons given by noncompliant
22 districts for their noncompliance, and actions taken by the State
23 Department of Education to bring noncompliant schools and districts
24
Req. No. 15103 Page 6
1 into compliance. The report shall be made available to the public
2 in a clearly accessible manner on the Department's website.
3 E. The State Department of Education, districts, and schools
4 may accept federal or private funds for the purpose of assisting
5 with implementation of success sequence and character education
6 courses in compliance with the requirements of this act.
7 F. 1. Not later than the beginning of the 2026-2027 school
8 year, the board of education of each school district shall adopt a
9 policy to make the school premises available for voluntary
10 participation by students, with consent of the students' parent or
11 legal guardian, in after-school instruction programs provided by
12 third parties that instruct pupils in the philosophical, historical,
13 traditional, or religious justifications for the success sequence
14 and character education curriculum established under subsection A of
15 this section. The State Department of Education shall make a list
16 of approved after-school programs available to districts, schools,
17 and parents and shall adopt a process, in cooperation with the
18 third-party providers, to obtain the consent of the student and the
19 student's parent or legal guardian for the student's participation.
20 Consent for a student's participation in the program may be revoked
21 at any time by the student, parent, or legal guardian upon written
22 notice to the school or school board.
23 2. The purpose of the after-school instruction program is to
24 provide philosophical, historical, traditional, or religious
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1 justifications for the success sequence and character traits set
2 forth in subsection A of this section. No after-school instruction
3 program that is inconsistent with said purpose or subject matter
4 shall be approved. Subject to the requirement of purpose and
5 subject matter consistency, a school board shall not deny approval
6 to any afterschool program based on its viewpoint, or on the grounds
7 that the program contains expression protected by the First
8 Amendment of the United States Constitution, or Section 2 of Article
9 I or Section 22 of Article II of the Oklahoma Constitution.
10 G. In the event of a conflict between the requirements of this
11 section and any other Oklahoma statute, administrative code,
12 regulation, guidance or policy, the requirements of this section
13 shall control.
14 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
15 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
16 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
17 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
18 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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20 60-2-15103 SW 01/05/26
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Req. No. 15103 Page 8Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.