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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
HOUSE BILL 2670 By: Steagall
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to parental rights; amending 25 O.S.
2021, Section 2003, which relates to parental
involvement; providing that parent may submit written
complaint to superintendent; providing that
superintendent respond within certain amount of time;
providing that parent may appeal actions; authorizing
Board of Education to appoint a n investigative
committee; providing t hat committee respond within
certain amount of time; providi ng that parent or
district attorney may file suit for violation ;
providing relief; and p roviding an effective date .
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 25 O.S. 2021, Section 2003, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 2003. A. The board of education of a school district,
in consultation with parents, teachers and administrators, shall
develop and adopt a policy to pr omote the involvement of parents and
guardians of children enrolled in the schools within the school
district, including:
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1. A plan for parent participation in the sch ools which is
designed to improve parent and teacher cooperation in such areas as
homework, attendance and discipline;
2. Procedures by which parents may learn about the course of
study for their children and review learning materials, including
the source of any supplemental educational materials;
3. Procedures by which parents who object to any learning
material or activity on the basis that it is harmful may withdraw
their children from the activity or from the class or program in
which the material is used. Objection to a learning material or
activity on the basis that it is harmful inc ludes objection to a
material or activity because it questions beliefs or practices in
sex, morality or religion;
4. If a school district offers any sex education curr icula
pursuant to Section 11 -105.1 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes or
pursuant to any rules adopted by the State Board of Education,
procedures to opt out of a school district from providing sex
education instruction to a child if the child 's parent provides
written objection to the child 's participation in the sex education
curricula;
5. Procedures by which parents will be notified in advance of
and given the opportunity to withdraw their children from any
instruction or presentations regarding sexua lity in courses other
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than formal sex education curricula pursuant to Section 11 -105.1 of
Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
6. Procedures by which parents may learn about the nature and
purpose of clubs and activities that are part of the school
curriculum, as well as extracurricular clubs and activities that
have been approved by the schoo l; and
7. Procedures by which parents may learn about parental rights
and responsibilities under the laws of this state, including the
following:
a. the right to opt out of a sex education curriculum if
one is provided by the school district,
b. open enrollment rights,
c. the right to opt out of assignments pursuant to this
section,
d. the right to be exempt from the immunization laws of
the state pursuant to Section 12 10.192 of Title 70 of
the Oklahoma Statutes,
e. the promotion requirements prescribed in Section
1210.508E of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
f. the minimum course of study and competency
requirements for graduation from high school
prescribed in Sectio n 11-103.6 of Title 70 of the
Oklahoma Statutes,
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g. the right to opt out of instruction on the acquired
immune deficiency syndrome pursuant to Section 11 -
103.3 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
h. the right to review test results,
i. the right to participate in gifted programs pursuant
to Sections 1210.301 through 1210.308 of Title 70 of
the Oklahoma Statutes,
j. the right to inspect instructional materials used in
connection with any research or experimentation
program or project pursuant to Section 11 -106 of Title
70 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
k. the right to receive a school report card,
l. the attendance requirements prescribed in Section 10 -
106 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes,
m. the right to public review of courses of study and
textbooks,
n. the right to be excused from school attendance for
religious purposes,
o. policies related to parental involvement pursuant to
this section,
p. the right to participate in parent -teacher
associations and organizations that are sanctioned by
the board of education of a school district, and
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q. the right to opt out of any data collection instrume nt
at the district level that would capture data for
inclusion in the state longitudinal student data
system except what is necessary and essential for
establishing a student's public school record.
B. The board of education of a school district may adopt a
policy to provide to parents the information required by this
section in an electronic form.
C. A parent shall submit a written request for information
pursuant to this section during regular business hours to either the
school principal at the school site or the superintendent of the
school district at the office of the school district. Within ten
(10) days of receiving the request for information, the school
principal or the superintendent of the school district shall either
deliver the requested inf ormation to the parent or submit to the
parent a written explanation of the reasons for the denial of the
requested information. If the request for information is deni ed or
the parent does not receive the requested information within fifteen
(15) days after submitting the request for information, the parent
may submit a written request for the information to the board of
education of a school district, which shall forma lly consider the
request at the next scheduled public meeting of the board if the
request can be properly noticed on the agenda. If the request
cannot be properly noticed on the agenda, the board of education of
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a school district shall formally consider t he request at the next
subsequent public meeting of the board.
D. A parent may submit a written complaint detailing any
violation of this section to the superintendent of th e school
district. The parent shall be entitled to a meeting with the
superintendent to discuss the complaint if desired by the parent.
The superintendent shall investi gate the complaint and respond to
the parent in writing within fourteen (14) days after receiving the
complaint describing the actions the superintendent shall take to
remedy the complaint.
E. A parent may appeal the actions of the superintendent to the
Board of Education by submitting a written complaint detailing the
violation and a description of why the superintendent's response
failed to remedy the complaint. The Board of Education shall
appoint a committee to investigate any such complaints. The
committee shall meet with the parent to discuss the complaint.
Within thirty (30) days of receiving the complaint, the committee
shall submit a recommended response and propos ed steps to remedy the
complaint to the Board for action by the Board at the next regularly
scheduled meeting.
F. If the Board's action does not remedy a complaint, a parent
or a district attorney with jurisdiction over the school district
may file suit and assert a violation of this section as a claim
against the school district.
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G. A parent or district attorney that successfully asserts a
claim may recover:
1. declaratory relief;
2. injunctive relief to prevent or remedy a violation of this
section or the effects of such a violation;
3. reasonable attorneys ' fees and costs; and
4. any other appropriate relief.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023.
59-1-6801 CMA 01/05/23