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 555 By: Pugh
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to schools; creating the Education
7 Regulatory Sandbox Program; providing purpose;
8 prohibiting granting of certain exemption; requiring
8 school districts granted certain exemption to
9 implement certain innovation; providing term of
9 exemption; providing for application process;
10 requiring meeting of certain representatives to
10 discuss proposed innovation; directing the State
11 Department of Education to make certain
11 recommendations; providing for approval and
12 disapproval of applications; directing certain school
12 districts to electronically submit annual progress
13 reports; allowing for application of exemption
13 renewal; prohibiting approval of renewal application
14 if certain reports do not show certain evidence;
14 directing the Department to collect certain
15 information; requiring submission of certain report;
15 providing for contents of report; providing for
16 promulgation of rules; providing for codification;
16 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 to be codified
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22 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3-170 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. 9 Page 1
1 A. There is hereby created the Education Regulatory Sandbox
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2 Program to exempt a school district from a specific education-
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3 related statutory requirement within Title 70 of the Oklahoma
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4 Statutes or an administrative rule promulgated by the State Board of
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5 Education. An exemption from federal education requirements shall
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6 not be granted. A school district granted an exemption pursuant to
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7 this subsection shall implement an innovation that is intended to
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8 improve the educational outcomes for students enrolled in the
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9 district. An exemption shall be granted for a three-year period and
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10 may be renewed by the State Board of Education.
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11 B. 1. A school district seeking to participate in the
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12 Education Regulatory Sandbox Program shall apply to the State
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13 Department of Education in the manner and on a form prescribed by
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14 the Department.
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15 2. The application shall include:
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16 a. the specific education-related statutory requirement
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17 within Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes or
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18 administrative rule promulgated by the State Board of
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19 Education from which the district seeks an exemption,
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20 b. the innovation the school district seeks to implement,
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21 and
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22 c. the improved educational outcome sought and the
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23 metrics to be used to measure the improvement.
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Req. No. 9 Page 2
1 C. After an initial review of the application submitted
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2 pursuant to subsection B of this section, representatives of the
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3 State Department of Education shall meet with representatives of the
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4 applying school district to discuss the application. Department
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5 representatives shall make recommendations to the State Board of
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6 Education for approval or disapproval of the applications submitted
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7 pursuant to subsection B of this section. The Board shall approve
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8 or disapprove the applications.
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9 D. School districts granted exemptions pursuant to this section
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10 shall electronically submit annual progress reports to the State
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11 Department of Education.
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12 E. A school district granted a three-year exemption pursuant to
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13 this section may submit an application for a three-year renewal of
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14 the exemption. The State Board of Education shall not approve a
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15 renewal application if a school district's annual progress reports
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16 submitted pursuant to subsection D of this section do not show
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17 evidence of the educational outcome improvement sought in the
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18 district's initial application.
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19 F. Three years after implementation of the Education Regulatory
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20 Sandbox Program, the State Department of Education shall collect
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21 information from school districts that receive exemptions pursuant
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22 to this section. The Department shall electronically submit a
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23 report to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and
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24 the Speaker of the House of Representatives that includes the school
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Req. No. 9 Page 3
1 district exemption recipients, the innovation that each successful
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2 applicant implemented, and the impact the innovation had on the
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3 school district recipient, its students, and its staff.
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4 G. The State Board of Education may promulgate rules to
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5 implement the provisions of this section.
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6 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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7 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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8 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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9 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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10 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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12 60-1-9 EB 1/19/2025 5:38:39 AM
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Req. No. 9 Page 4Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.