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 796 By: Pugh
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to higher education; prohibiting
7 certain institutions of higher education from using
8 state funds, property, or resources to support or
8 require certain activities related to diversity,
9 equity, and inclusion; requiring certain institutions
9 of higher education to initiate certain review after
10 certain date; providing for restructuring or
10 elimination of certain unnecessary functions;
11 providing certain construction; requiring certain
11 institutions to submit certain annual certificate of
12 compliance by certain date; providing for
12 promulgation of rules; providing for codification;
13 providing an effective date; and declaring an
13 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 3251 of Title 70, unless there
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19 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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20 A. No institution of higher education within The Oklahoma State
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21 System of Higher Education shall utilize state funds, property, or
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22 resources to:
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23 1. Grant or support diversity, equity, and inclusion positions,
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24 departments, activities, procedures, or programs to the extent they
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Req. No. 1242 Page 1
1 grant preferential treatment based on one person's particular race,
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2 color, ethnicity, or national origin over another's;
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3 2. Mandate any person to participate in, listen to, or receive
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4 any education, training, activities, procedures, or programming to
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5 the extent such education, training, activities, procedures, or
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6 programming grants preferences based on one person's particular
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7 race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another's;
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8 3. Mandate any person swear, certify, or agree to any loyalty
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9 oath that favors or prefers one particular race, color, sex,
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10 ethnicity, or national origin over another's;
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11 4. Mandate any person to certify or declare agreement with,
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12 recognition of, or adherence to any particular political,
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13 philosophical, religious, or other ideological viewpoint;
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14 5. Mandate any applicant for employment provide a diversity,
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15 equity, and inclusion statement or give any applicant for employment
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16 preferential consideration based on the provision of such a
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17 diversity, equity, and inclusion statement; or
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18 6. Mandate any person to disclose his or her pronouns.
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19 B. After the effective date of this act, institutions of higher
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20 education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education shall
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21 initiate a review of diversity, equity, and inclusion positions,
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22 departments, activities, procedures, and programs and, if deemed
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23 necessary, restructure or eliminate functions that are not necessary
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1 for compliance, accreditation, or student or employee support
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2 services intended to broadly support success.
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3 C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or
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4 prohibit institutions of higher education within The Oklahoma State
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5 System of Higher Education, including any agency of the executive
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6 branch supporting those institutions' work, from applying for a
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7 grant or complying with the accreditation requirements of an
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8 accrediting or licensing agency including, but not limited to,
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9 submitting to the grantor or accreditation agency a statement that:
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10 1. Highlights the institution's or agency's work in supporting:
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11 a. first-generation college students,
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12 b. students from low-income families,
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13 c. students with unique abilities, or
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14 d. underserved student populations; or
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15 2. Certifies compliance with applicable anti-discrimination
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16 laws, rules, and regulations.
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17 D. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to
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18 apply to institutions of higher education within The Oklahoma State
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19 System of Higher Education with respect to:
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20 1. A policy, practice, procedure, program, class, or activity
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21 required for compliance with state or federal laws, rules, or
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22 regulations for obtaining or retaining institutional, academic, or
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23 discipline-specific accreditation or licensure;
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1 2. The academic freedom of any individual faculty member to
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2 direct the instruction within his or her own course;
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3 3. Scholarly research or creative work by an institution of
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4 higher education's students, faculty, or other research personnel or
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5 the dissemination of such research or work;
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6 4. An activity of a student organization registered with or
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7 recognized by an institution of higher education;
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8 5. Guest speakers or performances on short-term engagements;
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9 6. Academic support, tutoring, and career services and student
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10 success centers, so long as the programming is designed and
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11 implemented without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, or
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12 ethnicity;
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13 7. Data collection; or
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14 8. Access programs for military, veterans, Pell Grant
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15 recipients, first-generation college students, students from low-
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16 income families, students with unique abilities, or underserved
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17 student populations.
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18 E. By July 1, 2026, and each July 1 thereafter, institutions of
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19 higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
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20 Education shall electronically submit to the Governor, the President
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21 Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
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22 Representatives a certificate of compliance with the provisions of
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23 this section.
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1 F. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the
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2 promotion of civil discourse, debate, or speech that is protected by
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3 the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
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4 G. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may
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5 promulgate rules to 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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Req. No. 1242 Page 5Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.