Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB244 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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3		-	SB244 HFLR Page 1
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	3	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 244 Page 1 1
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29		-	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
30		-
31		-	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
32		-
33		-	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
34	27
35	28		ENGROSSED SENATE
36	29		BILL NO. 244 By: Daniels and Pugh of the
37	30		Senate
38	31
39	32		and
40	33
41	34		Lepak of the House
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45	38		[ higher education - Program of American Civic
46	39		Thought and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma
47	40		- intent - report - appropriation – codification -
48	41		effective date –
49	42		emergency ]
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55	48		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
56	49		SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
57	50		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3319 of Title 70, unless there
58	51		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
59	52		A. There is hereby established the Program of American Civic
60	53		Thought and Leadership at the University of Oklahoma. It is the
61	54		intent of the Legislature that the purpose of the program shall be
62	55		to:
63	56		1. Educate students in the principles, ideals, and institutions
64	57		of the American political order including the character traits and
65	58		durable habits necessary to sustain that order;
	59	+	2. Educate students in the philosophical foundations of
	60	+	responsible leadership and informed citizenship ;
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67		-	SB244 HFLR Page 2
68		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	62	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 244 Page 2 1
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93		-	2. Educate students in the philosophical foundations of
94		-	responsible leadership and informed citizenship;
95	87		3. Promote and provide programming related to civic education,
96	88		engagement, and discourse;
97	89		4. Enhance education in the fields of political thought and
98	90		science, American history and government, free market economics, and
99	91		other related fields as appropria te, with a focus on the foundations
100	92		of Western and American civilization including its great books, the
101	93		rights and responsibilities of American citizenship, fundamental
102	94		democratic principles and mores, and the ways in which those
103	95		principles and mores are e xpressed in and through mediating
104	96		institutions at the federal, state, and local levels;
105	97		5. Provide viewpoint and ideologically diverse resources to
106	98		students, faculty, state government agencies and actors, educators,
107	99		and the general public regarding civic affairs; and
108	100		6. Assist in ensuring that the University of Oklahoma serve as
109	101		a robust marketplace of ideas for all students and faculty.
110	102		B. To carry out the purposes set forth in subsection A of this
111	103		section, the program is authorized to:
112	104		1. Enroll students;
113	105		2. Hire tenure-track and non-tenured faculty and supporting
114	106		staff;
115	107		3. Develop and offer in -person courses and online instruction
116	108		in new graduate and undergraduate major and minor programs;
	109	+	4. Develop an undergraduate American institutions and civic
	110	+	knowledge course in an ticipation of a future mandate requiring all
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118		-	SB244 HFLR Page 3
119		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	112	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 244 Page 3 1
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144		-	4. Develop an undergraduate American institutions and civic
145		-	knowledge course in anticipation of a future mandate requiring all
146	137		University of Oklahoma students to complete such a course to
147	138		graduate;
148	139		5. Offer general education and honors courses including courses
149	140		intended for incoming freshman students;
150	141		6. Offer concurrent enrollment;
151	142		7. Provide and facilitate internships and other relevant
152	143		experiences for students and the general public;
153	144		8. Hold events; and
154	145		9. Take other actions as appropriate subject to the supervision
155	146		of the director of the program and the ac ademic college at the
156	147		University of Oklahoma.
157	148		C. Upon its establishment, the Program of American Civic
158	149		Thought and Leadership may be physically housed on the University of
159	150		Oklahoma’s Norman campus as a stand -alone program.
160	151		D. The Program of American Civi c Thought and Leadership shall
161	152		operate as an academic unit within the University of Oklahoma.
162	153		E. The Program of American Civic Thought and Leadership and its
163	154		director shall be advised by an advisory board on matters related to
164	155		the program including, but n ot limited to, staffing , curriculum,
165	156		policy, and programming in accordance with the policies and
166	157		procedures of the University of Oklahoma. The advisory board shall
167	158		be comprised of six (6) members appointed by the Board of Regents of
	159	+	the University of Okla homa. Members shall be appointed by December
	160	+	31, 2025.
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169		-	SB244 HFLR Page 4
170		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	162	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 244 Page 4 1
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195		-	the University of Oklahoma. Members shall be appointed by December
196		-	31, 2025.
197	187		F. By March 1, 2027, and by each March 1 thereafter, the
198	188		program director, in consultation with the academic college and
199	189		advisory board, shall develop and provide an annual strategic plan
200	190		for the program to the Board of Re gents of the University of
201	191		Oklahoma. Initial course offerings shall be available to students
202	192		in the fall semester of 2027.
203	193		G. Faculty of the program may be awarded tenure subject to the
204	194		tenure policies of the University of Oklahoma as adopted by the
205	195		Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma and shall not be
206	196		required to gain joint appointment in another division of the
207	197		University of Oklahoma. If a faculty member is awarded tenure and
208	198		the program later dissolves, the faculty mem ber shall be relocated
209	199		within another academic unit of the University of Oklahoma.
210	200		H. The Board of Regents of the University of Oklahoma may use
211	201		funds allocated to it by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
212	202		Education and charitable donations to fund the program. Allocated
213	203		and donated funds shall only be used for the direct operation of the
214	204		program.
215	205		I. By September 1, 2027, and by each September 1 thereafter,
216	206		the program director, in consultation with the the advisory board of
217	207		the program, shall electron ically submit a report to the Governor,
218	208		the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
	209	+	Representatives, and the chairs of the Senate Appropriations
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220		-	SB244 HFLR Page 5
221		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	211	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 244 Page 5 1
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246		-	Representatives, and the chairs of the Sen ate Appropriations
247	236		Committee and the House of Representatives Appropriations and Budget
248	237		Committee.
249	238		SECTION 2. There is hereby appropriated to the Oklahoma State
250	239		Regents for Higher Education from any monies not otherwise
251	240		appropriated from the General Revenue Fund of the State Treasury for
252	241		the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, the sum of Three Million
253	242		Dollars ($3,000,000.00) or so much thereof as may be necessary for
254	243		the purpose of implementing the provisions of Section 1 of this act.
255	244		SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
256	245		SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
257	246		of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
258	247		declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
259	248		be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
	249	+	Passed the Senate the 27t h day of March, 2025.
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261		-	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET, dated
262		-	04/16/2025 - DO PASS, As Amended.
	251	+
	252	+
	253	+	Presiding Officer of the Senate
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	255	+
	256	+	Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________,
	257	+	2025.
	258	+
	259	+
	260	+
	261	+	Presiding Officer of the House
	262	+	of Representatives
	263	+