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 2045 By: Pugh
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
7 Section 11-103.9, which relates to physical education
8 program requirements; requiring certain schools to
8 provide students in certain grades certain amount of
9 daily recess as a condition of accreditation;
9 allowing daily recess to be broken into segments;
10 defining term; requiring daily recess to occur
10 outdoors when permitted; removing language
11 encouraging certain amount of recess in certain
11 grades; requiring certain subject matter standards to
12 address certain plan; updating statutory language;
12 providing an effective date; and declaring an
13 emergency.
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16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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17 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 11-103.9, is
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18 amended to read as follows:
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19 Section 11-103.9. A. Except as otherwise provided for in this
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20 section, the State Board of Education shall require, as a condition
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21 of accreditation, that school districts provide to all students
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22 physical education programs which may include athletics.
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23 B. The Board shall require, as a condition of accreditation,
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24 that public elementary schools provide instruction, for students in
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Req. No. 2555 Page 1
1 full-day kindergarten and grades one through five, in physical
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2 education or exercise programs for a minimum of an average of sixty
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3 (60) minutes each week. The time students participate in recess
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4 shall not be counted toward the sixty-minutes-per-week physical
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5 education requirement. Schools may exclude from participation in
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6 the physical education or exercise programs required in this
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7 subsection those students who have been placed into an in-house in-
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8 school suspension or detention class or placement or those students
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9 who are under an in-school restriction or are subject to an
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10 administrative disciplinary action.
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11 C. The Board shall require, as a condition of accreditation,
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12 that public elementary schools provide to students in full-day
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13 kindergarten and grades one through five, in addition to the
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14 requirements set forth in subsection B of this section, an average
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15 of sixty (60) minutes each week of physical activity, which may
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16 include, but not be limited to, physical education, exercise
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17 programs, fitness breaks, recess, and classroom activities, and
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18 wellness and nutrition education. Each school district board of
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19 education shall determine the specific activities and means of
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20 compliance with the provisions of this subsection, giving
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21 consideration to the recommendations of each school's Healthy and
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22 Fit School Advisory Committee as submitted to the school principal
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23 pursuant to the provisions of Section 24-100a of this title.
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1 D. The Board shall require, as a condition of accreditation,
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2 that public elementary schools provide to students in full-day pre-
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3 kindergarten, full-day kindergarten, and grades one through five, in
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4 addition to the requirements of subsections B and C of this section,
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5 at least thirty (30) minutes of daily recess. The daily recess
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6 required by this subsection may be broken up into segments to
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7 accommodate each school district's instructional day. For the
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8 purposes of this section, "daily recess" means a scheduled break or
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9 breaks during the school day that allow students to engage in
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10 unstructured free play or physical activity. Daily recess shall
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11 occur outdoors when weather and other relevant conditions permit.
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12 E. The Board shall disseminate information to each school
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13 district on the benefits of physical education programs and shall
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14 strongly encourage districts to provide physical education
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15 instruction and daily recess to students in grades six through
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16 twelve. The Board shall also strongly encourage school districts to
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17 incorporate physical activity into the school day by providing to
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18 students in full-day kindergarten and grades one through five at
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19 least a twenty-minute daily recess, which shall be in addition to
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20 the sixty (60) minutes of physical education as required by
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21 subsection B of this section, and by allowing all students brief
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22 physical activity breaks throughout the day, physical activity
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23 clubs, and special events.
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1 E. F. Instruction in physical education required in by this
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2 section shall be aligned with the subject matter standards as
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3 adopted by the Board.
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4 F. G. The physical education curriculum shall be sequential,
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5 developmentally appropriate, and designed, implemented, and
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6 evaluated to enable students to develop the motor and self-
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7 management skills and knowledge necessary to participate in physical
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8 activity throughout life. Each school district shall establish
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9 specific objectives and goals the district intends to accomplish
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10 through the physical education curriculum.
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11 G. H. In identifying the essential knowledge and skills, the
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12 State Board of Education shall ensure that the subject matter
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13 standards for physical education:
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14 1. Emphasize the knowledge and skills capable of being used
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15 during a lifetime of regular physical activity;
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16 2. Are consistent with national physical education standards
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17 for:
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18 a. the information that students should learn about
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19 physical activity, and
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20 b. the physical activities that students should be able
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21 to perform;
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22 3. Require that, on a weekly basis, at least fifty percent
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23 (50%) of the physical education class be used for actual student
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1 physical activity and that the activity be, to the extent
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2 practicable, at a moderate or vigorous level;
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3 4. Offer students an opportunity to choose among many types of
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4 physical activity in which to participate;
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5 5. Offer students both cooperative and competitive games;
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6 6. Meet the needs of students of all physical ability levels,
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7 including students who have a disability, chronic health problem, or
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8 other special need that precludes the student from participating in
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9 regular physical education instruction but who might be able to
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10 participate in physical education that is suitably adapted and, if
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11 applicable, included in the student's individualized education
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12 program developed pursuant to the Individuals with Disabilities
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13 Education Act (IDEA) or Section 504 Plan developed pursuant to the
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14 Rehabilitation Act of 1973;
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15 7. Teach self-management and movement skills;
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16 8. Teach cooperation, fair play, and responsible participation
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17 in physical activity;
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18 9. Promote student participation in physical activity outside
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19 of school; and
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20 10. Allow physical education classes to be an enjoyable
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21 experience for students.
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22 H. I. The Board shall adopt promulgate rules to implement the
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23 provisions of this section.
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24 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
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1 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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2 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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3 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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4 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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6 60-2-2555 EB 1/15/2026 11:08:23 AM
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Req. No. 2555 Page 6Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.