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 756 By: Deevers
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to teachers; creating the Local
7 Teacher Licensure Act; providing short title;
8 providing purpose; authorizing school district boards
8 of education to evaluate and recommend teacher
9 licensure or certification applications; providing
9 process requirements for the State Board of
10 Education; providing for certain failure to act
10 within certain time period to result in certain
11 approval if certain conditions are met; providing
11 term of certain licenses or certificates; subjecting
12 licenses or certificates to certain renewal;
12 directing the State Board of Education to retain
13 certain oversight; directing the State Department of
13 Education to maintain certain records; directing
14 school district boards of education to establish
14 certain minimum procedures; providing for
15 promulgation of rules; providing for codification;
15 providing an effective date; and declaring an
16 emergency.
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18 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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19 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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20 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 5-117.8 of Title 70, unless
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21 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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22 A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Local
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23 Teacher Licensure Act". The purpose of the Local Teacher Licensure
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24 Act shall be to grant school district boards of education the
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Req. No. 1302 Page 1
1 authority to evaluate and recommend teacher licensure or
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2 certification applications. The State Board of Education shall
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3 maintain final oversight and ratification authority over the
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4 issuance of teacher licenses or certificates in compliance with
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5 Section 5 of Article XIII of the Oklahoma Constitution and Section
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6 3-104 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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7 B. School district boards of education are hereby authorized to
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8 evaluate and recommend approval of teacher licensure or
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9 certification applications to the State Board of Education based on
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10 the standards set forth in Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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11 C. Upon receiving a recommendation for licensure or
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12 certification from a school district board of education, the State
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13 Board of Education shall:
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14 1. Review the recommendation for completeness and compliance
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15 with statutory requirements including, but not limited to, Sections
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16 5-142, 6-107, 6-122.3, 6-187, and 6-190 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma
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17 Statutes;
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18 2. Approve or reject the licensure or certification
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19 recommendations within thirty (30) calendar days of receipt; and
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20 3. Provide written notification of approval or rejection to the
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21 recommending school district board of education and the licensure or
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22 certification applicant.
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23 D. Failure of the State Board of Education to act on a
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24 recommendation within thirty (30) calendar days pursuant to
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Req. No. 1302 Page 2
1 subsection C of this section shall result in the Board's automatic
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2 approval of the license or certificate; provided, however, that the
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3 recommendation submitted by the school district board of education
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4 meets all statutory and procedural requirements set forth in Title
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5 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes and the rules promulgated by the Board.
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6 E. Teacher licenses or certificates issued pursuant to the
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7 provisions of this section shall be valid for a term of five (5)
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8 years from the date of issuance and shall be subject to renewal in
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9 accordance with the provisions of Section 6-108.1 of Title 70 of the
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10 Oklahoma Statutes.
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11 F. The State Board of Education shall retain oversight of all
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12 teacher licensure or certification processes, and the State
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13 Department of Education shall maintain all records regarding teacher
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14 licenses or certificates issued pursuant to this section.
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15 G. School district boards of education shall establish
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16 transparent procedures for licensure or certification
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17 recommendations including:
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18 1. Timelines for application submission, which shall provide
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19 teacher license or certificate applicants with a minimum of twenty
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20 (20) calendar days to complete the process;
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21 2. A timeline for board of education review and approval or
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22 rejection, not to exceed thirty (30) calendar days from the date of
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23 application submission; and
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1 3. Written notification to the teacher license or certificate
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2 applicant and the State Department of Education within five (5)
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3 business days of the board of education's decision.
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4 H. 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 60-1-1302 EB 1/19/2025 5:42:40 AM
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Req. No. 1302 Page 4Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.