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 848 By: Bullard
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5 AS INTRODUCED
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6 An Act relating to education funding; creating the
6 Oklahoma Independent Education Act; providing short
7 title; stating legislative intent; providing purpose
7 of act; prohibiting certain school districts and
8 charter schools from using or being forced to use
8 certain funds for certain activities; defining terms;
9 directing the State Department of Education and the
9 State Board of Education to develop certain plan;
10 requiring submission of plan; providing for adoption
10 of plan; providing for creation of certain working
11 group; providing for membership; requiring
11 appointments within certain time period; prohibiting
12 certain members from receiving certain compensation
12 or travel reimbursement; exempting the working group
13 from certain acts; providing for staff support;
13 requiring submission of certain report; providing for
14 codification; providing an effective date; and
14 declaring an emergency.
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17 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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18 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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19 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 18-104.1 of Title 70, unless
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20 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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21 A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma
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22 Independent Education Act". In accordance with the Tenth Amendment
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23 to the United States Constitution, the Legislature finds it
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24 necessary to protect the values, funding, and independence of public
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Req. No. 50 Page 1
1 schools, students, parents, and taxpayers in this state. The
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2 purpose of this act is to ensure that no public school in this state
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3 may be compelled by threat of defunding to establish policies that
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4 are not in line with the purpose of public schools, which is to
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5 prepare students with knowledge which will help them perform well in
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6 society and the workplace by having fundamental skills in reading,
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7 writing, mathematics, observable science, and primary-sourced
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8 history and government.
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9 B. 1. No school district or public charter school in this
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10 state shall use, or be forced to use through intimidation or threat
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11 by the United States Department of Education, private, state, or
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12 federal funds to develop, organize, administer, engage in, promote,
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13 or endorse any activity including any event, initiative, official
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14 communication, social media post, educational program, or public
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15 campaign, that aims to promote or recognize sexual orientation or
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16 gender identity.
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17 2. For the purposes of this section:
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18 a. "gender identity" means a person's innate sense of
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19 gender, chiefly used in contexts where it is
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20 contrasted with the biological sex of the person at
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21 birth, and
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22 b. "sexual orientation" means a person's identity in
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23 relation to the gender or genders to which the person
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24 is sexually attracted.
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Req. No. 50 Page 2
1 C. The State Department of Education and the State Board of
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2 Education shall develop a plan to phase out the acceptance and use
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3 of funds provided by the federal government for the support of pre-
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4 kindergarten through twelfth grade education in this state and
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5 replace those funds with state funds. The plan shall include but
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6 not be limited to a proposed timeline for phasing out acceptance and
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7 use of federal funds, the projected need for state or local funds to
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8 replace the federal funds, and the reasons for the need to phase out
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9 the federal funds. The plan shall be submitted to the Governor, the
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10 President Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
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11 Representatives. The Legislature may adopt the plan through passage
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12 of legislation approved by a majority of the Senate and House of
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13 Representatives and signed by the Governor.
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14 D. 1. The Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate,
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15 and the Speaker of the House of Representatives shall form a working
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16 group to monitor implementation of the provisions of this act. The
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17 working group shall be comprised of:
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18 a. the chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and
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19 one other member of the Senate, appointed by the
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20 President Pro Tempore of the Senate,
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21 b. the chair of the House Appropriations and Budget
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22 Committee and one other member of the House of
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23 Representatives, appointed by the Speaker of the House
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24 of Representatives, and
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Req. No. 50 Page 3
1 c. one member appointed by the Governor, who shall serve
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2 as chair of the working group.
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3 2. Appointments to the working group shall be made within
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4 thirty (30) days after the effective date of this act. Members of
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5 the working group shall receive no compensation or travel
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6 reimbursement, except legislative members who shall be reimbursed
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7 for necessary travel expenses in accordance with the provisions of
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8 Section 456 of Title 74 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
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9 3. The working group shall not be subject to the Oklahoma Open
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10 Meeting Act or the Oklahoma Open Records Act.
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11 4. The State Department of Education shall provide staff and
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12 administrative support for the working group.
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13 5. The working group shall submit a report of its findings and
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14 recommendations to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the
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15 Senate, and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.
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16 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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17 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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18 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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19 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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20 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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22 60-1-50 EB 1/19/2025 5:44:34 AM
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Req. No. 50 Page 4Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.