govt.fyi
Back to HB 3677
Oklahoma Legislature· HB 3677Referred to Rules

An act relating to schools, the official text

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 3677               By: Provenzano

4

5

6                   AS INTRODUCED

7   An Act relating to schools; amending Section 2,

    Chapter 278, O.S.L. 2023, as last amended by Section

8   2, Chapter 295, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025,

    Section 28-101), which relates to the Oklahoma

9   Parental Choice Tax Credit Program; modifying items

    the Oklahoma Tax Commission makes available on its

10  website each month; and providing an effective date.

11

12

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

14  SECTION 1.      AMENDATORY  Section 2, Chapter 278, O.S.L.

15 2023, as last amended by Section 2, Chapter 295, O.S.L. 2025 (70

16 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 28-101), is amended to read as follows:

17  Section 28-101. A. As used in the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax

18 Credit Act:

19  1. "Accrediting association" means a recognized legal entity

20 that meets the accreditation requirements set by the State Board of

21 Education, another accrediting association approved by the State

22 Board of Education, or a legal entity that accredits education

23 organizations in multiple states, whose purpose is to verify that an

24 education program meets or exceeds predetermined criteria, and

    Req. No. 15180                                                 Page 1
1 monitor the education organization during the time it is accredited

2 by completing regular reevaluations and on-site inspections of the

3 education program;

4   2. "Commission" means the Oklahoma Tax Commission;

5   3. "Curriculum" means a complete course of study for a

6 particular content area or grade level;

7   4. "Department" means the State Department of Education;

8   5. "Education service provider" means a person, business,

9 public school district, public charter school, magnet school, or

10 organization that provides educational goods and/or services to

11 eligible students in this state;

12  6. "Eligible student" means a resident of this state who is

13 eligible to enroll in a public school in this state. Eligible

14 student shall include a student who is enrolled in and attends or is

15 expected to enroll in a private school in this state accredited by

16 the State Board of Education or another accrediting association or a

17 student who is educated pursuant to the other means of education

18 exception provided for in subsection A of Section 10-105 of this

19 title;

20  7. "Qualified expense" for the purpose of claiming the credit

21 authorized by paragraph 1 of subsection C of this section means

22 tuition and fees at a private school in this state accredited by the

23 State Board of Education or another accrediting association. Such

24 private school shall comply with the provisions of subsection L of

    Req. No. 15180                                                  Page 2
1 this section. Provided, the amount of tuition and fees considered a

2 qualified expense pursuant to this paragraph shall not include

3 tuition and fees paid with any scholarship or tuition and fees

4 discounted or otherwise reduced by the school;

5   8. "Qualified expense" for the purpose of claiming the credit

6 authorized by paragraph 2 of subsection C of this section means the

7 following expenditures:

8   a. tuition and fees for nonpublic learning programs,

9   online or in person,

10  b. academic tutoring services provided by an individual

11  or a private academic tutoring facility,

12  c. textbooks, curriculum, or other instructional

13  materials including, but not limited to, supplemental

14  materials or associated online instruction required by

15  an education service provider, and

16  d. fees for nationally standardized assessments

17  including, but not limited to, assessments used to

18  determine college admission and advanced placement

19  examinations as well as tuition and fees for tutoring

20  or preparatory courses for the assessments; and

21  9. "Taxpayer" means a biological or adoptive parent,

22 grandparent, aunt, uncle, legal guardian, custodian, or other person

23 with legal authority to act on behalf of an eligible student.

24

    Req. No. 15180                                                Page 3
1       B. There is hereby created the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax

2 Credit Program to provide an income tax credit to a taxpayer for

3 qualified expenses to support the education of eligible students in

4 this state.

5       C. For the tax year 2024 and subsequent tax years, and fiscal

6 year 2026 and subsequent fiscal years, there shall be allowed

7 against the tax imposed by Section 2355 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma

8 Statutes a credit for any Oklahoma taxpayer who incurs a qualified

9 expense on behalf of an eligible student, to be administered subject

10 to the following amounts:

11      1. If the eligible student attends a private school in this

12 state accredited by the State Board of Education or another

13 accrediting association, the annual maximum credit amount for tax

14 year 2024, fiscal year 2026, and each subsequent fiscal year shall

15 be:

16      a. Seven Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($7,500.00) or the

17             amount of tuition and fees for the private school,

18             whichever is less, if the combined adjusted gross

19             income of the parents or legal guardians of the

20             eligible student during the second preceding tax year

21             does not exceed Seventy-five Thousand Dollars

22             ($75,000.00),

23      b. Seven Thousand Dollars ($7,000.00) or the amount of

24             tuition and fees for the private school, whichever is

    Req. No. 15180                                                Page 4
1   less, if the combined adjusted gross income of the

2   parents or legal guardians of the eligible student

3   during the second preceding tax year is more than

4   Seventy-five Thousand Dollars ($75,000.00) but does

5   not exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars

6   ($150,000.00),

7   c. Six Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($6,500.00) or the

8   amount of tuition and fees for the private school,

9   whichever is less, if the combined adjusted gross

10  income of the parents or legal guardians of the

11  eligible student during the second preceding tax year

12  is more than One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars

13  ($150,000.00) but does not exceed Two Hundred Twenty-

14  five Thousand Dollars ($225,000.00),

15  d. Six Thousand Dollars ($6,000.00) or the amount of

16  tuition and fees for the private school, whichever is

17  less, if the combined adjusted gross income of the

18  parents or legal guardians of the eligible student

19  during the second preceding tax year is more than Two

20  Hundred Twenty-five Thousand Dollars ($225,000.00) but

21  does not exceed Two Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars

22  ($250,000.00), or

23  e. Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00) or the amount of

24  tuition and fees for the private school, whichever is

    Req. No. 15180                                        Page 5
1         less, if the combined adjusted gross income of the

2         parents or legal guardians of the eligible student

3         during the second preceding tax year is more than Two

4         Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($250,000.00);

5   2. For tax year 2024 and subsequent tax years, the maximum

6 credit amount shall be One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) in qualified

7 expenses per eligible student in each tax year if the eligible

8 student is educated pursuant to the other means of education

9 exception provided for in subsection A of Section 10-105 of this

10 title. To claim the credit, the taxpayer shall submit to the

11 Commission receipts for qualified expenses as defined by paragraph 8

12 of subsection A of this section;

13  3. If the eligible student attends a private school in this

14 state, accredited by the State Board of Education or another

15 accrediting association, that exclusively serves students

16 experiencing homelessness, the credit amount shall be Seven Thousand

17 Five Hundred Dollars ($7,500.00) or the amount of the cost to

18 educate the eligible student at the private school, whichever is

19 less;

20  4. If the eligible student attends a private school in this

21 state, accredited by the State Board of Education or another

22 accrediting association, that primarily serves financially

23 disadvantaged students, the credit amount shall be the maximum

24 credit amount authorized by paragraph 1 of this subsection or the

    Req. No. 15180                                                 Page 6
1 amount of the cost to educate the eligible student at the private

2 school, whichever is less. The cost to educate the eligible student

3 shall be equal to the average cost to educate all students attending

4 the private school, which shall be calculated by dividing the

5 private school's total expenditures in the previous year by the

6 total enrollment in the previous school year. A private school

7 shall be deemed to be primarily serving financially disadvantaged

8 students if ninety percent (90%) of the private school's admissions

9 are based on enrolling students whose gross family income is two

10 hundred fifty percent (250%) of the federal poverty threshold or

11 below;

12  5. The taxpayer shall retain all receipts of qualified expenses

13 as proof of the amounts paid each tax year the credit is claimed and

14 shall submit them to the Commission upon request;

15  6. If the credit exceeds the tax imposed by Section 2355 of

16 Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes, the excess amount shall be

17 refunded to the taxpayer; and

18  7. Credits claimed by a taxpayer pursuant to the provisions of

19 this section shall not be used to offset or pay the following:

20         a. delinquent tax liability,

21         b. accrued penalty or interest from the failure to file a

22         report or return,

23

24

    Req. No. 15180                                                 Page 7
1   c. accrued penalty or interest from the failure to pay a

2   state tax within the statutory period allowed for its

3   payment,

4   d. tax liability of the taxpayer from any prior tax year,

5   or

6   e. any debt, unpaid fine, final judgment, or claim filed

7   with the Commission by a qualified entity as defined

8   in Section 205.2 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes.

9   D. 1. a. For tax year 2024, the total amount of credits

10  authorized by paragraph 1 of subsection C of this

11  section shall not exceed One Hundred Fifty Million

12  Dollars ($150,000,000.00).

13  b. For the period of January 1, 2025, through June 30,

14  2025, the total amount of credits authorized by

15  paragraph 1 of subsection C of this section shall not

16  exceed One Hundred Million Dollars ($100,000,000.00).

17  The Commission shall not require a taxpayer who

18  received a credit pursuant to paragraph 1 of

19  subsection C of this section in tax year 2024 to

20  reapply for a credit payable during the period

21  described in this subparagraph. The Commission shall

22  base the credit amount payable for the spring 2025 on

23  the fall 2024 installment disbursement payment amount.

24

    Req. No. 15180                                           Page 8
1   c. For fiscal year 2026 and subsequent fiscal years, the

2   total amount of credits authorized by paragraph 1 of

3   subsection C of this section shall not exceed Two

4   Hundred Fifty Million Dollars ($250,000,000.00).

5   2. For tax year 2026 and subsequent tax years, the total amount

6 of credits authorized by paragraph 2 of subsection C of this section

7 shall not exceed Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00). The Oklahoma

8 Tax Commission shall annually calculate and publish a percentage by

9 which the credits authorized by this section shall be reduced so the

10 total amount of credits used to offset tax does not exceed the

11 annual limit. The formula to be used for the percentage adjustment

12 shall be Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000.00) divided by the amount

13 of credit claimed in the second preceding tax year. In the event

14 the total tax credits authorized by this section exceed the annual

15 limit in any tax year, the Tax Commission shall permit any excess

16 but shall factor such excess into the percentage adjustment formula

17 for subsequent tax years.

18  3. If a taxpayer, on behalf of an eligible student in the

19 program, chooses not to participate, is no longer eligible to

20 participate, or chooses to forgo participation in the program for

21 any reason, the credit authorized by paragraph 1 of subsection C of

22 this section but not used and not reallocated pursuant to paragraph

23 3 of subsection H of this section shall be added to the subsequent

24

    Req. No. 15180                                                 Page 9
1 fiscal year limitation as provided in paragraph 1 of this

2 subsection.

3  E. The Commission shall prescribe applications for the purposes

4 of claiming the credits authorized by the Oklahoma Parental Choice

5 Tax Credit Act and a deadline by which applications shall be

6 submitted. A taxpayer claiming the credit authorized by paragraph 1

7 of subsection C of this section shall submit an application

8 prescribed by the Commission to receive the credit based on the

9 enrollment verification form submitted pursuant to this subsection,

10 but in no event shall a payment exceed the amount of the credit

11 authorized by paragraph 1 of subsection C of this section. If an

12 eligible taxpayer provides documentation on the application that he

13 or she is a recipient of income-based government benefits including

14 the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary

15 Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or the Oklahoma Medicaid

16 Program commonly known as SoonerCare, the eligible taxpayer shall

17 not be required to provide additional income verification. The

18 Department of Human Services and the Oklahoma Health Care Authority

19 shall, upon request by the Oklahoma Tax Commission, verify whether

20 an applicant receives income-based government benefits. The

21 taxpayer shall provide authorization for the Oklahoma Tax Commission

22 to disclose application data to the Department of Human Services

23 and/or the Oklahoma Health Care Authority, and for the Department of

24 Human Services and/or the Oklahoma Health Care Authority to provide

   Req. No. 15180                                                  Page 10
 1 confirmation of benefits to the Oklahoma Tax Commission for purposes
 2 of verifying that the taxpayer is a current recipient of SNAP, TANF,
 3 or Oklahoma Medicaid Program benefits; provided, the information
 4 shall not be used for any other purpose. A taxpayer claiming the
 5 credit authorized by paragraph 1 of subsection C of this section
 6 shall submit to the Commission an enrollment verification form from
 7 the private school in which the eligible student is enrolled or is
 8 expected to enroll with the tuition and fees to be charged the
 9 taxpayer for the applicable school year. In reviewing applications
10 submitted by eligible taxpayers to determine whether they qualify
11 for a credit authorized by paragraph 1 of subsection C of this
12 section, the Commission shall give first preference in making
13 payments to taxpayers who qualify pursuant to subparagraphs a and b
14 of paragraph 1 of subsection C of this section. The Commission
15 shall give second preference in making payments to taxpayers who
16 qualify and have received the credit in the prior year. For credits
17 issued in the 2026-2027 school year and subsequent school years, the
18 application period shall be open March 15 through June 15 prior to
19 the beginning of each school year. For any eligible student whose
20 parents or legal guardians have a combined adjusted gross income
21 that does not exceed One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars
22 ($150,000.00) or qualified and received credit in the prior year,
23 applications shall be submitted to the Commission within the first
24 sixty (60) days of the opening of the application period to receive

Req. No. 15180  Page 11
1 priority consideration. For students enrolled in the full school

2 year, the full credit amount authorized for the school year shall be

3 paid no later than August 30.

4   F. Taxpayers claiming the credit shall:

5   1. Only claim the credit for qualified expenses as defined in

6 paragraphs 7 and 8 of subsection A of this section to provide an

7 education for an eligible student;

8   2. Ensure no other person is claiming a credit for the eligible

9 student;

10  3. Not claim the credit for an eligible student who enrolls as

11 a full-time student in a public school district, public charter

12 school, public virtual charter school, or magnet school;

13  4. Comply with rules and requirements established by the

14 Commission for administration of the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax

15 Credit Program; and

16  5. Notify the Commission not later than thirty (30) days after

17 the date on which the eligible student:

18          a. enrolls in a public school, including an open-

19          enrollment charter school,

20          b. enrolls in a nonaccredited private school,

21          c. graduates from high school, or

22          d. is no longer utilizing credits authorized by paragraph

23          1 of subsection C of this section for any reason.

24

    Req. No. 15180                                             Page 12
1   G. Eligible students may accept a scholarship from the Lindsey

2 Nicole Henry Scholarships for Students with Disabilities Program

3 created by Section 13-101.2 of this title while participating in the

4 Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Program.

5   H. 1. The Commission shall have the authority to conduct an

6 audit or contract for the auditing of receipts for qualified

7 expenses submitted pursuant to paragraph 2 of subsection C of this

8 section.

9   2. The Commission shall be authorized to recapture the credits

10 otherwise authorized by the provisions of the Oklahoma Parental

11 Choice Tax Credit Act on a prorated basis if an audit conducted

12 pursuant to this subsection shows that the credit was claimed for

13 expenditures that were not qualified expenses or it finds that the

14 taxpayer has claimed an eligible student who no longer attends a

15 private school or has enrolled in a public school in the state.

16  3. The Commission shall be authorized to reallocate credits for

17 the current application year to the next eligible taxpayer in line

18 when a taxpayer, on behalf of an eligible student in the program,

19 chooses not to participate, is no longer eligible to participate, or

20 chooses to forgo participation in the program for any reason no

21 later than September 1 following the opening of the application

22 period of each year.

23  4. The Commission shall provide notification of approval status

24 to applicants within thirty (30) days of closure of the application

    Req. No. 15180                                              Page 13
1 window. Notice to applicants with an eligible student, whose

2 parents or legal guardians have a combined adjusted gross income of

3 more than One Hundred Fifty Thousand Dollars ($150,000.00), shall be

4 sent within thirty (30) days or no later than thirty (30) days after

5 the last day of the priority consideration period.

6   I. In the event of a failure of revenue pursuant to the

7 Oklahoma State Finance Act, the tax credits otherwise authorized in

8 subsection C of this section shall be reduced proportionately to the

9 reduction in the amount of money appropriated to the State Board of

10 Education for the financial support of public schools for the fiscal

11 year in which the failure of revenue occurs.

12  J. The Commission shall make available on its website to be

13 updated monthly:

14  1. The total amount of credits claimed each year pursuant to

15 paragraphs 1 through 4 of subsection C of this section;

16  2. The amount of credits claimed and number of students awarded

17 each fiscal year pursuant to paragraph 1 of subsection C of this

18 section disaggregated by income categories;

19  3. The total amount of credits claimed and number of students

20 awarded who attended a public school in the semester immediately

21 preceding the school year for which the application is made each

22 year; and

23  4. The total number of applications denied and total amount of

24 credits the denied applications represent for each fiscal year.;

    Req. No. 15180                                              Page 14
1   5. The number of applications that are approved and denied each

2 year for applicants that fall below the federal poverty line

3 provided by the United States Department of Health and Human

4 Services;

5   6. The number of applications that are approved and denied each

6 year for applicants that fall below the median household income in

7 this state. For purposes of this paragraph, the median household

8 income for Oklahoma shall be the median household income amount

9 provided by the United States Census Bureau;

10  7. The number of applications that are approved whereby the

11 eligible student is also a recipient of the Lindsay Nicole Henry

12 Scholarship or any other state-funded scholarship or grant; and

13  8. The median income of the families of all approved students.

14 The median income shall be:

15  a. if the total number of approved students is an odd

16           number, the household income that occupies the middle

17           position in the ordered list, and

18  b. if the total number of approved students is an even

19           number, the mean of the two household income mounts

20           that occupy the two middle positions in the ordered

21           list.

22  K. Credits received pursuant to the Oklahoma Parental Choice

23 Tax Credit Act shall not constitute taxable income to a taxpayer who

24 received the credit on behalf of an eligible student.

    Req. No. 15180                                              Page 15
1   L. No later than June 15 of each year, each participating

2 private school shall electronically provide information to confirm

3 student enrollment and tuition information for the fall and spring

4 semesters of the preceding school year and any other information

5 requested by the Oklahoma Tax Commission. Failure to provide this

6 information may result in denial of private school participation in

7 subsequent school years.

8   M. An eligible and participating private school as of April 15,

9 2025, shall have until March 1, 2027, to meet the accreditation

10 requirements of this section.

11  SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.

12

13  60-2-15180      AO      01/06/26

14

15

16

17

18

19

20

21

22

23

24

    Req. No. 15180                                             Page 16
Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.