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Oklahoma Legislature· SB 481Coauthored by Representative West (Kevin) (principal House author)

An act relating to public employees, 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

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2                  1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)

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3 SENATE BILL 481                By: Deevers
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6                           AS INTRODUCED

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7   An Act relating to public employees; defining terms;

7   prohibiting public employee from engaging in certain

8   strike or work stoppage; establishing penalties;

8   affirming rights of individual to take certain

9   action; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 509.8, which

9   relates to strikes against boards of education;

10  providing for codification; and providing an

10  effective date.

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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14  SECTION 1.     NEW LAW  A new section of law to be codified

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15 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 840-2.31 of Title 74, unless
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16 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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17  A. As used in this section:

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18  1. "Organized work stoppage" means a collective temporary

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19 cessation of work as a form of protest; and
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20  2. "Public employee" means an employee of a state agency,

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21 political subdivision, or school district.
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22  B. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a public

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23 employee may not strike or engage in an organized work stoppage
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    Req. No. 1338                                              Page 1
1 against the state, a political subdivision of this state, or any
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2 public school district.
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3   C. Upon violation of subsection B of this section, a public

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4 employee shall automatically forfeit his or her employment with the
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5 state, political subdivision, or public school district, all civil
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6 service rights, pensions, reemployment rights, and any other rights,
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7 benefits, and privileges the employee enjoys as a result of public
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8 employment or former public employment.
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9   D. A public employee who is employed as a teacher, support

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10 personnel, or administrator, and who violates subsection B of this
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11 section, shall have his or her teaching certificate revoked.
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12  E. The right of an individual to cease work may not be abridged

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13 if the individual is not acting in concert with others in an
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14 organized work stoppage.
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15  SECTION 2.     AMENDATORY   70 O.S. 2021, Section 509.8, is

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16 amended to read as follows:
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17  Section 509.8. The procedure provided for herein for resolving

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18 impasses shall be the exclusive recourse of the organization. It
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19 shall be illegal for the organization to strike or threaten to
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20 strike as a means of resolving differences with the board of
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21 education. Any member of an organization engaging in a strike shall
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22 be denied the full amount of his wages during the period of such
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23 violation subject to the penalties provided in Section 1 of this
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24 act. If the organization or its members engage in a strike, then
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    Req. No. 1338                          Page 2
1 the organization shall cease to be recognized as representative of
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2 the unit and the school district shall be relieved of the duty to
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3 negotiate with such organization or its representatives.
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4   SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.

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6   60-1-1338      RD  1/19/2025 5:37:15 AM

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    Req. No. 1338                                           Page 3
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