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HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 59th Legisla ture (2023)
HOUSE BILL 1425 By: Vancuren of the House
and
Stanley of the Senate
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 6-101.6b, which relates to whistleblower
protections; defining term; extending applicability
of protections to support employees; updating
statutory citation; providing an effective date; a nd
declaring an emergency .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 7 0 O.S. 2021, Section 6 -101.6b, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 6-101.6b A. For purposes of this section : "teacher"
1. "Teacher" means the term as defined in para graph 1 of
Section 1-116 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes this title; and
2. "Support employee" means the term as defined in paragr aph 8
of Section 1-116 of this title.
B. No school district shall prohibit or take disciplinary
action against teachers or support employees for:
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1. Disclosing public information to correct what the teac her or
support employee reasonably believes evidences a violation of the
Oklahoma Constitution or law or a rule promulgated pursuant to law;
2. Reporting a violation of t he Oklahoma Constitution or state
or federal law; or
3. Taking any of the above acti ons without giving prior notice
to the teacher's or support employee's supervisor or anyone else in
the teacher's relevant chain of command.
C. For the purposes of this s ection, "reporting" means
providing a spoken or written account to a supervising teac her,
administrator, school board member, representative from the State
Department of Education, law enforcement official, district
attorney, and/or parent or legal guardia n of a student directly
impacted by the actions.
D. Each school district shall promi nently post or publish a
copy of this section of law in locations where it can reasonably be
expected to come to the attention of all teachers and support
employees.
E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow a
teacher or support employee to violate students' or parents' rights
to confidentiality and protection under the Family Educational
Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA).
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
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SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof thi s act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after it s passage and approval.
COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON COMMON EDUCATION, dated 02/21/2023
- DO PASS, As Coauthored.