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 590 By: Prieto
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to schools; allowing a school
7 district or public charter school to employ or accept
8 as a volunteer one or more chaplains; exempting
8 chaplains from certification requirements; defining
9 term; requiring school districts and public charter
9 schools to request certain record check; prohibiting
10 a school district or public charter school from
10 employing or accepting as a volunteer individuals
11 subject to certain registry; prohibiting a student or
11 school employee from being required to seek support
12 or services from an employed or volunteer chaplain;
12 providing for codification; providing an effective
13 date; and declaring an emergency.
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16 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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17 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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18 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 6-101.9 of Title 70, unless
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19 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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20 A. A school district or public charter school may employ or
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21 accept as a volunteer one or more chaplains to provide support,
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22 services, and programs for school employees and students as assigned
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23 by the school district board of education or the governing body of
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24 the charter school. A chaplain employed or volunteering pursuant to
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Req. No. 626 Page 1
1 the provisions of this subsection shall not be required to be
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2 certified by the State Board of Education. For the purposes of this
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3 section, "chaplain" means an ordained or authorized pastor,
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4 minister, priest, or other ecclesiastical dignitary of any
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5 denomination who has been duly ordained or authorized by the church
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6 to which such person belongs.
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7 B. 1. A school district or public charter school that employs
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8 or accepts as a volunteer one or more chaplains pursuant to
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9 subsection A of this section shall request that the Oklahoma State
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10 Bureau of Investigation (OSBI) provide a national criminal history
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11 record check for the employed or volunteer chaplain or chaplains
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12 prior to the individual working or volunteering at the school
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13 district or public charter school. The national criminal history
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14 record check shall comply with the provisions of Section 5-142 of
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15 Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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16 2. A school district or public charter school shall not employ
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17 or accept as a volunteer a chaplain who has been convicted of or is
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18 a defendant for an offense that requires the defendant to register
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19 as a sex offender.
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20 C. No student or school employee shall be required to seek
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21 support or services from an employed or volunteer chaplain.
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22 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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23 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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24 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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Req. No. 626 Page 2
1 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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2 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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4 60-1-626 EB 1/19/2025 5:39:25 AM
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Req. No. 626 Page 3Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.