2025 Oklahoma Legislative Session Mandates

A rundown of new requirements for schools for the 2025-2026 school year and beyond.

By Dr. Jeanene Barnett, CCOSA Director of Policy, Research & TLE

The Oklahoma Legislature has passed several bills over the last two years that have included new mandates for schools. Many of those bills have implementation timelines for the 2025-26 school year; others will not be fully implemented until the 2026-27 school year. Below is a list of those bills. Click on the bill numbers to link to the full bill language or access CCOSA summaries of all the bills here: www.ccosa.org/advocacy/law-changes. The date in parenthesis after the bill number indicates the year the bill passed.

NEW MANDATES FOR THE 2025-26 SCHOOL YEAR (IMPLEMENTED JULY 1, 2025)

HB 1096 (2025) Expands student testing for OK Promise to include the Classic Learning Test. (Effective July 1, 2025)

HB 2047 (2025) Requires notification for epinephrine administration and expands annual mandatory training. (Effective August 29, 2025)

SB 364 (2025) Prohibits using corporal punishment on any student identified with a disability under IDEA. (Effective August 28, 2025)

HB 1075 (2025) Establishes procedures for reporting and handling allegations of abuse or sexual misconduct involving teachers and administrators. (Effective July 1, 2025)

HB 1087 (2025) Increases the required number of school days from 180 to 181 and the required number of school hours from 1,080 to 1,086 (with a required number of days of at least 166) and expands the teacher salary schedule from 25 to 35. (Effective July 1, 2025)

HB 1601 (2025) Extends sick leave for maternity up to 12 weeks as long as the employee has sufficient sick leave to cover it. (Effective November 1, 2025)

HB 2798 (2025) Requires immediate reporting of suspected child abuse or neglect to DHS and stipulates that the penalty for administrators who fail to report or interfere with reporting is a felony. (Effective November 1, 2025)

SB 553 (2025) Provides that SDE cannot issue a certificate or must revoke the certificate of any person who knowingly and willfully fails to report suspected abuse or neglect of a child and requires training with every employee annually signing an attestation acknowledging the responsibility to report. (Effective July 1, 2025)

SB 841 (2025) Requires any person seeking initial certification in special education, early childhood, or elementary education to successfully complete a comprehensive reading instruction assessment. (Effective July 1, 2025)

HB 1393 (2025) Requires approved and signed Parent Consent Form for a student to participate in OAAP. (Effective July 1, 2025)

HB 2259 (2025) Modifies the Education Open Transfer Act to grant the child of military personnel a provisional transfer into a school regardless of capacity. (Effective July 1, 2025)

SB 139 (2025) Requires school boards to adopt policies to implement a “bell-to-bell” cell phone ban for SY 2025-26. (Effective August 29, 2025)

SB 626 (2025) Expands the Security Breach Notification Act to required notice to the AG following a breach if 500 or more residents are impacted. (Effective January 1, 2026)

SB 942 (2025) Requires public schools to integrate the definition of antisemitism into their codes of conduct and to integrate antisemitism awareness into their training for staff and students. (Effective August 29, 2025)

SB 1014 (2025) Requires school districts to provide preference for local bidders of not more than 5% when awarding a public construction contract exceeding $100K or construction management trade contracts exceeding $50K. (Effective November 1, 2025)

210:20-13-1. Teacher Testing Regulations (2025) Requires teacher candidates to pass the written test based solely upon the U.S. Naturalization Test for certification.

210:35-3-5. Flag of the United States (2025) Requires school districts establish a clear policy about the display of the U.S. flag.

210:35-3-106. Guidance and Counseling Services (2025) Requires that schools develop a Comprehensive School Counseling Program and that school counselors spend a minimum of 80% of total work time providing direct and indirect services in the areas of academic advisement, college and career, and life skills and wellness to students.

NEW MANDATES FOR THE 2026-27 SCHOOL YEAR (IMPLEMENTED JULY 1, 2026)

SB 140 (2025) Creates the OK Math Achievement and Proficiency Act, which sets up a clearly defined process to screen students for math proficiency in 2nd-5th grades similar to the Strong Readers Act for reading proficiency with full implementation based on the availability of funding. (Effective November 1, 2025)

SB 758 (2025) Restricts the number of virtual instruction days allowed to two days that must meet strict requirements to qualify. (Effective August 29, 2025) ■