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
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1721 By: Seifried
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
7 Section 3-173, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 306,
8 O.S.L. 2023 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 3-173),
8 which relates to the Oklahoma Advisory Council on
9 Indian Education; extending sunset date; requiring
9 certain appointed members to be duly authorized
10 representatives of certain tribe, department, or
10 entity; providing method of authorization; requiring
11 certain member's service to cease if he or she does
11 not have certain authorization; requiring
12 notification; providing for filling of vacancy;
12 providing certain construction; requiring electronic
13 submission of certain report; updating statutory
13 language; providing an effective date; and declaring
14 an emergency.
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17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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18 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 3-173, as
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19 amended by Section 1, Chapter 306, O.S.L. 2023 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025,
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20 Section 3-173), is amended to read as follows:
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21 Section 3-173. A. There is hereby re-created to continue until
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22 July 1, 2026 July 1, 2029, in accordance with the provisions of the
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23 Oklahoma Sunset Law, the Oklahoma Advisory Council on Indian
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24 Education.
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Req. No. 3172 Page 1
1 B. The Council shall:
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2 1. Make recommendations to the State Board of Education and the
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3 Superintendent of Public Instruction in educational matters
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4 affecting the education of Native American students;
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5 2. Promote educational opportunities and improvement of the
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6 quality of education provided to Native American students throughout
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7 the state;
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8 3. Advocate for Native American students in the state; and
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9 4. Monitor and evaluate how the public education system of the
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10 state impacts Native American students.
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11 C. The Council shall be composed of eighteen (18) members as
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12 follows:
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13 1. Five members who shall each represent an Indian tribe in the
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14 state, of which at least one shall represent an Indian tribe which
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15 has an enrollment of less fewer than ten thousand (10,000) members
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16 who reside in the state, appointed by the Speaker of the House of
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17 Representatives from a list of nominations submitted by the elected
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18 executive leaders of different Indian tribes in the state;
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19 2. Four members who shall each represent the tribal education
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20 departments of an Indian tribe in the state, appointed by the
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21 President Pro Tempore of the Senate from a list of nominations
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22 submitted by the elected executive leaders of different Indian
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23 tribes in the state;
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Req. No. 3172 Page 2
1 3. One member who shall represent the Oklahoma Council for
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2 Indian Education, appointed by the Governor;
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3 4. Two members who shall represent two different statewide
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4 organizations representing public school teachers, appointed by the
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5 President Pro Tempore of the Senate;
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6 5. One member who shall represent a statewide organization
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7 representing public school superintendents, appointed by the Speaker
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8 of the House of Representatives;
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9 6. One member who shall represent Oklahoma tribal colleges,
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10 appointed by the Chancellor of Higher Education;
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11 7. The Director of the Native American Cultural and Educational
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12 Authority, or designee;
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13 8. The Chancellor of Higher Education, or designee;
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14 9. The Director of the Oklahoma Department of Career and
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15 Technology Education, or designee; and
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16 10. The Superintendent of Public Instruction, or designee.
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17 D. 1. Appointments to the Council shall be made by September
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18 1, 2023. The first meeting of the Council shall be called by the
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19 Superintendent of Public Instruction. At the first meeting, the
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20 members of the Council shall elect a chair and vice chair from among
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21 the members. Meetings of the Council shall be held at least
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22 quarterly at the call of the chair. Members shall serve at the
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23 pleasure of their appointing authorities. A majority of the members
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24 of the Council shall constitute a quorum to transact business, but
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Req. No. 3172 Page 3
1 no vacancy shall impair the right of the remaining members to
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2 exercise all of the powers of the Council. A vacancy on the Council
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3 shall be filled by the original appointing authority. A vacancy on
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4 the Council in a seat representing an Indian tribe in the state or
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5 the tribal education department of an Indian tribe in the state may
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6 be filled by the original appointing authority from a list of
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7 nominations submitted by the elected executive leaders of Indian
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8 tribes in the state. Appointments to fill any vacancy on the
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9 Council shall be made within three (3) months following the vacancy.
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10 The State Department of Education, Oklahoma Department of Career and
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11 Technology Education, and the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
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12 Education shall provide staff, support, and information as requested
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13 by the Council.
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14 2. a. Each member appointed to the Council representing an
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15 Indian tribe, tribal education department, or other
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16 tribal entity shall be a duly authorized
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17 representative of that tribe, tribal education
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18 department, or tribal entity at the time of
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19 appointment and throughout the duration of his or her
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20 appointment. Authorized status shall be granted by
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21 the elected executive leaders or the governing body of
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22 the tribe or entity.
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23 b. A member's service on the Council shall automatically
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24 cease if he or she no longer serves as the authorized
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Req. No. 3172 Page 4
1 representative of the tribe, tribal education
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2 department, or other tribal entity the member was
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3 appointed to represent. The appointing authority
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4 shall be notified in writing by the tribe, tribal
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5 education department, or other tribal entity of any
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6 such change in authorization. Upon receipt of such
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7 notice, the position shall be deemed vacant, and the
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8 vacancy shall be filled as provided for in this
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9 section.
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10 c. Any member of the Council on the effective date of
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11 this act shall be deemed to meet the requirements of
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12 this paragraph and may continue to serve unless and
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13 until he or she is no longer the authorized
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14 representative of the tribe, tribal education
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15 department, or other tribal entity the member was
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16 appointed to represent.
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17 E. Members of the Council shall receive no compensation for
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18 serving on the Council but shall receive travel reimbursement as
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19 follows:
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20 1. State employees who are members of the Council shall be
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21 reimbursed for travel expenses incurred in the performance of their
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22 duties by their respective agencies in accordance with the State
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23 Travel Reimbursement Act; and
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Req. No. 3172 Page 5
1 2. All other members of the Council shall be reimbursed by the
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2 Office of Management and Enterprise Services for travel expenses
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3 incurred in the performance of their duties in accordance with the
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4 State Travel Reimbursement Act.
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5 F. The Council shall act in accordance with the provisions of
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6 the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act and the Oklahoma Open Records Act.
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7 G. Members who serve on the Council shall be exempt from the
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8 dual-office-holding prohibitions of Section 6 of Title 51 of the
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9 Oklahoma Statutes.
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10 H. The Council shall have the following duties:
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11 1. Identify strategies for developing an efficient and reliable
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12 process of communications between Oklahoma education entities,
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13 educators, tribal organizations, and other interested parties;
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14 2. Identify and disseminate research-based, measurable
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15 criteria, both behavioral and academic, by which the success and
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16 efficacy of the education offered to Native American students in
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17 Oklahoma may be measured;
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18 3. Analyze data to ensure that education agencies in Oklahoma
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19 continue to address the education needs of Native American students;
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20 4. Encourage and promote Native American educational leadership
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21 at all levels of the education system; and
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22 5. Make recommendations to the State Board of Education for
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23 programs that will help achieve the purposes of the Oklahoma
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24 Advisory Council on Indian Education Act.
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Req. No. 3172 Page 6
1 I. The Council shall evaluate and make an annual report on the
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2 effectiveness of the public education system in Oklahoma in meeting
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3 the needs of Native American students in Oklahoma. The report shall
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4 be electronically submitted to the State Board of Education. The
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5 report shall also contain a summary of the findings made by the
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6 Council pursuant to subsection H of this section, a summary of all
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7 data collected by the Council, a summary of the means by which all
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8 data was collected by the Council, and any other information deemed
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9 necessary by the Council.
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10 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
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11 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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12 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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13 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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14 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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Req. No. 3172 Page 7Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.