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STATE OF OKLAHOMA
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
SENATE BILL 724 By: Frix
AS INTRODUCED
An Act relating to labor; creating the Expanding
Public Sector Career Opportunities Act; providing
short title; defining terms; prohibiting public
employers from rejecting certain applicants;
requiring public employers to establish certain
requirements; exempting educational requirements ;
establishing experience maximums for certain degrees;
exempting provisions of this act for certain
appointments and employees; allowing for certain
notice and appeals during hiring pr ocess; authorizing
the Office of Management and Enterprise Services to
manage appeal process ; providing for promulgation of
rules; providing for codification; and providing an
effective date.
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 Section 910 of Title 40, unless there is
created a duplication in num bering, reads as follows:
This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Expanding
Public Sector Career Opportunities Act ”.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 910.1 of Title 40, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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A. As used in this act:
1. “Applicant” means any individual seeking gainful employment
from a public employer;
2. “Baseline requirement ” means the minimum skills, prior
training, or prior experience necessary to perform the primary
duties of a position;
3. “Postsecondary degree ” means an associate’s, bachelor’s, or
postgraduate degree from an accredited institution;
4. “Direct experience” means any verifiable, previous work
experience during which:
a. the applicant’s primary duties were consistent with
the primary duties of the position currently sought,
or
b. the skills necessary to perform the applicant ’s
primary duties are transferable to the position
currently sought;
5. “Hiring consideration” means:
a. a decision to move an applicant to a subsequent r ound
in the hiring process,
b. a decision to include the applicant on a list of
applicants for consideration by another member of the
employer’s team,
c. a decision to offer an a pplicant an interview,
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d. a decision to promote, retain, increase compensation,
or provide some other benefit to a current employee of
a public employer,
e. an interview held in good faith between the employer
and the applicant, or
f. a final offer of empl oyment; and
6. “Public employer” means any public municipal, county, or
state agency, or division.
B. 1. For all hiring considerations, public employers may not
reject an applicant solely on the basis of the applicant lacking a
postsecondary degree.
2. Public employers shall determine baseline requirements for
applicants for each job posting. Public employers may include:
a. prior direct experience as a baseline requirement, or
b. particular certificates and courses as a baseline
requirement; provided, that a postsecondary degree
shall not be included as a baseline requirement.
3. For hiring considerations, public employers shall follow the
baseline requirements.
C. Public employers are only permitted to require a minimum
educational attainment for a position if the public employer
demonstrates that such educational attainment is necessary for the
position based on specified skills required for the position that
can only be obtained through a certain degree.
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D. 1. As a prerequisite to being exempt un der this section,
public employers shall dedicate a portion of the job posting to
substantiating the necessity of a specific postsecondary degree, on
the basis that:
a. the postsecondary degree is the only possible measure
to determine if an applicant poss esses specific
skills, or
b. the position requires advanced accreditation or
licensure that is only available to holders of a
specific postsecondary degree.
2. Public employers shall include in their job postings any
tests, training, apprenticeship, or ot her forms of assessment that
may validate the competencies of a candidate for a position.
3. Public employers substituting experience for a postsecondary
degree may not exceed:
a. two (2) years of direct experience for an associate ’s
degree,
b. four (4) years of direct experience for a bachelor ’s
degree,
c. six (6) years of direct experience for a master ’s
degree,
d. seven (7) years of direct experience for a
professional degree, or
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e. nine (9) years of direct experience for a doctoral
degree.
E. Nothing in this act shall apply to appointments pursuant to
Section 10 of Title 51 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
F. A solicitation of a public employer for any good or service
may not set forth any minimum experience or educational requirement
for proposed contractor personnel in order for a bidder to be
eligible for award of a contract unless the contracting officer
includes in the solicitation a written justification that explains
why the needs of the executive agency cannot be met without any such
requirement and clarifies how the requirement ensure s the needs are
met.
G. 1. Public employe rs shall provide written notice to each
applicant eliminated from hiring consideration that identifies the
reason the applicant did not meet the baseline requirements for the
job posting.
2. Applicants eliminated from hiring consideration who
reasonably believe the decision was based on the applicant ’s lack of
a postsecondary degree may appeal this decision to the Office of
Management and Enterprise Services.
3. Any person may r eport open positions with public employers
in this state that require a postse condary degree and fail to
include an explanation required in this act.
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4. If the appeal or report is substantial, the Office of
Management and Enterprise Services may require the public employer
to reopen the hiring process, require the public employer to modify
the job posting, and take other actions as necessary to comply with
this act.
H. The Office of Management and Enterprise Services shall
promulgate the rules necessary f or the implementation of this act.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
60-1-447 MR 1/15/2025 10:48:06 AM