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 1789 By: Deevers
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to teachers; stating legislative
7 findings; creating the Local Teacher Licensure Act;
8 providing short title; providing purpose; authorizing
8 school district boards of education to evaluate and
9 recommend teacher licensure or certification
9 applications; providing process requirements for the
10 State Board of Education; providing for certain
10 failure to act within certain time period to result
11 in certain approval if certain conditions are met;
11 providing term of certain licenses or certificates;
12 subjecting licenses or certificates to certain
12 renewal; directing the State Board of Education to
13 retain certain oversight; directing the State
13 Department of Education to maintain certain records;
14 directing school district boards of education to
14 establish certain minimum procedures; prohibiting a
15 school district or school district board of education
15 from being liable for certain recommendation;
16 providing for promulgation of rules; providing for
16 noncodification; providing for codification;
17 providing an effective date; and declaring an
17 emergency.
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20 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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21 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
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22 codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
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23 The Legislature finds that:
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Req. No. 3464 Page 1
1 1. Timely teacher licensure is essential to ensuring that
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2 public school districts are able to staff classrooms effectively and
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3 provide uninterrupted instruction to students;
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4 2. Administrative delay in the teacher licensure process can
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5 contribute to teacher shortages, particularly in rural and high-need
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6 school districts, and undermine local efforts to recruit qualified
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7 educators;
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8 3. School district boards of education are often best
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9 positioned to evaluate the qualifications, character, and readiness
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10 of teacher candidates to meet the instructional needs of their
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11 communities;
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12 4. Excessive centralization of teacher licensure decisions can
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13 create unnecessary barriers to employment and delay the placement of
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14 otherwise qualified teachers in classrooms in this state; and
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15 5. Clear timelines and accountability in the teacher licensure
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16 process promote efficiency, transparency, and responsiveness while
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17 preserving statutory standards and state-level oversight.
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18 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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19 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-117.8 of Title 70, unless
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20 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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21 A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Local
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22 Teacher Licensure Act". The purpose of the Local Teacher Licensure
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23 Act shall be to grant school district boards of education the
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24 authority to evaluate and recommend teacher licensure or
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Req. No. 3464 Page 2
1 certification applications. The State Board of Education shall
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2 maintain final oversight and ratification authority over the
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3 issuance of teacher licenses or certificates in compliance with
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4 Section 5 of Article XIII of the Oklahoma Constitution and Section
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5 3-104 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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6 B. School district boards of education are hereby authorized to
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7 evaluate and recommend approval of teacher licensure or
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8 certification applications to the State Board of Education based on
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9 the standards set forth in Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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10 C. Upon receiving a recommendation for licensure or
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11 certification from a school district board of education, the State
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12 Board of Education shall:
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13 1. Review the recommendation for completeness and compliance
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14 with statutory requirements including, but not limited to, Sections
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15 5-142, 6-107, 6-122.3, 6-187, and 6-190 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma
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16 Statutes. A recommendation shall be considered complete when the
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17 Board has received all documentation showing compliance with the
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18 statutory provisions in place for teacher licensure or certification
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19 when the recommendation was submitted;
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20 2. Approve or reject the licensure or certification
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21 recommendations within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt; and
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22 3. Provide written notification of approval or rejection to the
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23 recommending school district board of education and the licensure or
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24 certification applicant.
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Req. No. 3464 Page 3
1 D. Failure of the State Board of Education to act on a
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2 recommendation within thirty (30) calendar days pursuant to
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3 subsection C of this section shall result in the Board's automatic
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4 approval of the license or certificate; provided, however, that the
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5 recommendation submitted by the school district board of education
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6 meets all statutory and procedural requirements for teacher
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7 licensure or certification set forth in Title 70 of the Oklahoma
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8 Statutes and the rules promulgated by the Board.
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9 E. Teacher licenses or certificates issued pursuant to the
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10 provisions of this section shall be valid for a term of five (5)
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11 years from the date of issuance and shall be subject to renewal in
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12 accordance with the provisions of Section 6-108.1 of Title 70 of the
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13 Oklahoma Statutes.
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14 F. The State Board of Education shall retain oversight of all
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15 teacher licensure or certification processes, and the State
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16 Department of Education shall maintain all records regarding teacher
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17 licenses or certificates issued pursuant to this section.
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18 G. School district boards of education shall establish
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19 transparent procedures for licensure or certification
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20 recommendations including:
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21 1. Timelines for application submission, which shall provide
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22 teacher license or certificate applicants with a minimum of twenty
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23 (20) calendar days to complete the process;
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1 2. A timeline for board of education review and approval or
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2 rejection, not to exceed thirty (30) calendar days from the date of
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3 application submission; and
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4 3. Written notification to the teacher license or certificate
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5 applicant and the State Department of Education within five (5)
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6 business days of the board of education's decision.
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7 H. Neither a school district nor its board of education shall
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8 be liable for civil damages arising solely from a recommendation
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9 submitted pursuant to the provisions of this section.
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10 I. The State Board of Education may promulgate rules strictly
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11 necessary to implement the provisions of this section.
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12 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
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13 SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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14 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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15 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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16 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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Req. No. 3464 Page 5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.