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 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 267 By: Daniels
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to higher education; establishing the
7 School of American Civic Thought and Leadership at
8 the University of Oklahoma; providing purpose;
8 authorizing the school to take certain actions to
9 carry out its purpose; providing for location of the
9 school; directing the school to operate as certain
10 academic unit; creating an advisory board; providing
10 for membership; providing for chair of advisory
11 board; directing members to be appointed by certain
11 date; directing the advisory board or its appointed
12 committee to conduct certain search by certain date;
12 directing the Provost of the University of Oklahoma
13 to appoint certain director from certain list;
13 providing for filling of vacancy; allowing for
14 appointment of interim director; providing for
14 removal of director; providing duties of director;
15 allowing award of tenure to certain faculty;
15 authorizing use of certain funds for school;
16 requiring submission of certain annual report by
16 certain date; providing contents of report; making an
17 appropriation; providing for codification; providing
17 an effective date; and declaring an 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 to be codified
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22 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3319 of Title 70, unless there
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23 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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Req. No. 737 Page 1
1 A. There is hereby established the School of American Civic
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2 Thought and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma. The purpose
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3 of the school shall be to:
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4 1. Educate students in the principles, ideals, and institutions
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5 of the American political order including the character traits and
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6 durable habits necessary to sustain that order;
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7 2. Educate students in the philosophical foundations of
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8 responsible leadership and informed citizenship;
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9 3. Promote and provide programming related to civic education,
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10 engagement, and discourse;
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11 4. Enhance education in the fields of political thought and
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12 science, American history and government, free market economics, and
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13 other related fields as appropriate, with a focus on the foundations
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14 of Western and American civilization including its great books, the
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15 rights and responsibilities of American citizenship, fundamental
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16 democratic principles and mores, and the ways in which those
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17 principles and mores are expressed in and through mediating
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18 institutions at the federal, state, and local levels;
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19 5. Provide viewpoint and ideologically diverse resources to
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20 students, faculty, state government agencies and actors, educators,
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21 and the general public regarding civic affairs; and
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22 6. Assist in ensuring that the University of Oklahoma serve as
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23 a robust marketplace of ideas for all students and faculty.
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Req. No. 737 Page 2
1 B. To carry out the purposes set forth in subsection A of this
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2 section, the school is authorized to:
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3 1. Enroll students;
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4 2. Hire tenure-track and non-tenured faculty and supporting
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5 staff;
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6 3. Develop and offer in-person courses and online instruction
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7 in new graduate and undergraduate major and minor programs;
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8 4. Develop an undergraduate American institutions and civic
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9 knowledge course in anticipation of a future mandate requiring all
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10 University of Oklahoma students to complete such a course to
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11 graduate;
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12 5. Offer general education and honors courses including courses
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13 intended for incoming freshman students;
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14 6. Offer concurrent enrollment;
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15 7. Provide and facilitate internships and other relevant
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16 experiences for students and the general public;
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17 8. Hold events; and
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18 9. Take other actions as appropriate subject to the supervision
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19 of the school's director and the general supervision of the Provost
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20 of the University of Oklahoma.
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21 C. Upon its establishment, the School of American Civic Thought
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22 and Leadership may be physically housed on the University of
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23 Oklahoma's Norman campus.
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Req. No. 737 Page 3
1 D. The School of American Civic Thought and Leadership shall
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2 operate as an academic unit within the University of Oklahoma.
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3 E. The School of American Civic Thought and Leadership and its
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4 director shall be advised by an advisory board on matters related to
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5 the school including, but not limited to, staffing, curriculum,
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6 policy, and programming in accordance with the policies and
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7 procedures of the University of Oklahoma. The advisory board shall
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8 be comprised of six (6) members of the Board of Regents of the
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9 University of Oklahoma, to be appointed by the chair of the Board of
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10 Regents. The Provost of the University of Oklahoma shall serve as
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11 chair of the advisory board. Members shall be appointed by December
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12 31, 2025.
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13 F. By March 31, 2026, the advisory board, or a committee
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14 appointed by the board, shall conduct a national search and transmit
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15 to the Provost of the University of Oklahoma a list of finalists for
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16 the position of director of the school. The Provost of the
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17 University of Oklahoma shall provide all necessary administrative
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18 support for the search. The Provost of the University of Oklahoma
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19 shall appoint the director from the list of finalists provided by
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20 the advisory board. If the position of director becomes vacant, the
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21 provisions of this subsection shall govern appointment of a new
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22 director. During the term of the vacancy, the Provost of the
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23 University of Oklahoma may designate a member of the school's
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24 faculty to serve as interim director until the vacancy is filled.
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Req. No. 737 Page 4
1 The Provost of the University of Oklahoma may remove the director of
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2 the school in accordance with policies and procedures of the
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3 University of Oklahoma. The director shall:
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4 1. Report to the Provost of the University of Oklahoma;
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5 2. Except for his or her own appointment, make all faculty and
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6 staff hiring decisions for the school;
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7 3. Operate the school in accordance with policies and
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8 procedures of the University of Oklahoma; and
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9 4. By March 1, 2027, and by each March 1 thereafter, develop
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10 and provide an annual strategic plan for the school to the Provost
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11 of the University of Oklahoma and the advisory board.
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12 G. Faculty of the school may be awarded tenure subject to the
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13 tenure policies of the University of Oklahoma as adopted by the
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14 Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma and shall not be
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15 required to gain joint appointment in another division of the
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16 University of Oklahoma. If a faculty member is awarded tenure and
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17 the school later dissolves, the faculty member shall be relocated
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18 within another academic unit of the University of Oklahoma.
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19 H. The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma may use
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20 funds allocated to it by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
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21 Education and charitable donations to fund the school. Allocated
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22 and donated funds shall only be used for the direct operation of the
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23 school.
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Req. No. 737 Page 5
1 I. By September 1, 2027, and by each September 1 thereafter,
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2 the Provost of the University of Oklahoma, in consultation with the
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3 director of the school and the school's advisory board, shall
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4 electronically submit a report to the Governor, the President Pro
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5 Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives,
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6 and the chairs of the Senate Appropriations Committee and the House
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7 of Representatives Appropriations and Budget Committee.
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8 SECTION 2. There is hereby appropriated to the Oklahoma State
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9 Regents for Higher Education from any monies not otherwise
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10 appropriated from the General Revenue Fund of the State Treasury for
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11 the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, the sum of Five Million
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12 Dollars ($5,000,000.00) or so much thereof as may be necessary for
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13 the purpose of implementing the provisions of Section 1 of this act.
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14 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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15 SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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16 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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17 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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18 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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20 60-1-737 EB 12/30/2024 7:53:42 PM
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Req. No. 737 Page 6Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.