ENGR. H. B. NO. 1408 Page 1 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 ENGROSSED HOUSE BILL NO. 1408 By: Grego of the House and Stanley of the Senate An Act relating to schools; providing an option for public schools to report the departure of certain students; requiring State Department of Education to create a reporting portal; requiring portal to be available online for public school administrators; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 35e, which relates to school dropout reports; clarifying language; excluding certain students from the definition of school dropout; providing for codification; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency. BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Secti on 24-162 of Title 70, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: A. When a student leaves a public school to attend a private or other school, or to be educated by other means, the public school administrator shall have the opt ion to report the student's departure has occurred. B. The State Department of Educa tion shall create a portal on its website for public school administrators to report the departures described in subsection A of this section. ENGR. H. B. NO. 1408 Page 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 35e, is amended to read as follows: Section 35e. A. It shall be the duty of the superintendent, principal or head teacher of each public or private middle, junior high and high school accredited by the State Depa rtment of Education in the State of Oklahoma to notify the Department annually as scheduled by the Department of the name, address, race and age of any pupil dropping out from the school during the preceding year. The report shall be made on forms prescri bed and furnished by the Department. B. The State Board of Education shall cause these statistics of school dropouts to be tabulated by grade and school district. Information of school dropouts shall be made available to the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Military Department of t he State of Oklahoma for use in the youth educational programs provided by the Department and the State Department of Health. C. The State Department of Education shall m ake an annual report to the Legislature prior to the convening of each regular session thereof of information received and tabulated pursuant to this section. D. For the purposes of this section, "school dropout" means any student who is under the age of nineteen (19) and has not graduated from high school and is not attending any public or private school ENGR. H. B. NO. 1408 Page 3 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 or is not otherwise receiving an education pursuant to law for the full term the schools of the school district in which the student resides are in sessi on. School dropouts shall not include students whose departures have been reported in accordance with Section 1 of this act. SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025. SECTION 4. It being immediately necessa ry for the preservation of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval. Passed the House of Representatives the 27th day of March, 2025. Presiding Officer of the House of Representatives Passed the Senate the ___ day of ___________, 2025. Presiding Officer of the Senate