Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB796 Compare Versions

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3		-	SB796 HFLR Page 1
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	3	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 796 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		-
35	28		ENGROSSED SENATE
36		-	BILL NO. 796 By: Pugh, Bullard, Hines, ~~Jett,~~
37		-	~~and Hamilton~~ of the Senate
	29	+	BILL NO. 796 By: Pugh, Bullard, Hines, and
	30	+	Jett of the Senate
38	31
39	32		and
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41		-	Crosswhite Hader ~~and Wilk~~
42		-	~~of the~~ House
	34	+	Crosswhite Hader of the
	35	+	House
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47	40		An Act relating to higher education; prohibiting
48	41		certain institutions of higher education from using
49	42		state funds, property, or resou rces to support or
50	43		require certain activities related to diversity,
51	44		equity, and inclusion; requiring certain institutions
52	45		of higher education to initiate certain review after
53	46		certain date; providing for restructuring or
54	47		elimination of certain unnecessary f unctions;
55	48		providing certain construction; requiring certain
56	49		institutions to submit certain annual certificate of
57	50		compliance by certain date; providing for
58	51		promulgation of rules; providing for codification;
59	52		providing an effective date; and declaring an
60	53		emergency.
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65	58		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
66	59		SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
67	60		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3251 of Title 70, unless there
68	61		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
	62	+	A. No institution of higher education within The Oklahoma State
	63	+	System of Higher Education shall utilize state funds, property, or
	64	+	resources to:
	65	+	1. Grant or support diversity, equity, and inclusion positions,
	66	+	departments, activities, procedur es, or programs to the extent they
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70		-	SB796 HFLR Page 2
71		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	68	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 796 Page 2 1
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96		-	A. No institution of higher education within The Oklahoma State
97		-	System of Higher Education sha ll utilize state funds, p roperty, or
98		-	resources to:
99		-	1. Grant or support diversity, equity, and inclusion positions,
100		-	departments, activities, procedures, or programs to the extent they
101	93		grant preferential treatment based on one person ’s particular race,
102	94		color, ethnicity, or national origin over another ’s;
103	95		2. Mandate any person to participate in, listen to, or receive
104	96		any education, training, activities, procedures, or programming to
105	97		the extent such education, training, activities, procedures, or
106	98		programming grants preferences based on one person ’s particular
107	99		race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another ’s;
108	100		3. Mandate any person swear, cer tify, or agree to any loyalty
109	101		oath that favors or prefers one particular race, color, sex,
110	102		ethnicity, or national origin over another ’s;
111	103		4. Mandate any person to certify or declare agreement with,
112	104		recognition of, or adherence to any particular political,
113	105		philosophical, religious, or other ideological viewpoint;
114	106		5. Mandate any applicant for employment provide a diversity,
115	107		equity, and inclusion statement or give any applicant for employment
116	108		preferential consideration based on the provision of such a
117	109		diversity, equity, and inclusion statement; or
118	110		6. Mandate any person to disclose his or her pronouns.
	111	+	B. After the effective date of this act, institutions of higher
	112	+	education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education shall
	113	+	initiate a review of diver sity, equity, and inclusion positions,
	114	+	departments, activities, procedures, and programs and, if deemed
	115	+	necessary, restructure or eliminate functions that are not necessary
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120		-	SB796 HFLR Page 3
121		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	117	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 796 Page 3 1
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146		-	B. After the effective date of this act, institutions of higher
147		-	education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education shall
148		-	initiate a review of diversity, equity, and inclusion positions,
149		-	departments, activities, procedures, and programs and, if deemed
150		-	necessary, restructure or el iminate functions that are not necessary
151	142		for compliance, accreditation, or student or employee support
152	143		services intended to broadly support success.
153	144		C. Nothing in this section shall be construed to limit or
154	145		prohibit institutions of higher education within The Oklahoma State
155	146		System of Higher Education, including any agency of the executive
156	147		branch supporting those institutions ’ work, from applying for a
157	148		grant or complying with the accreditation requirements of an
158	149		accrediting or licensing agency including, but not limited to,
159	150		submitting to the grantor or accreditation agency a statement that:
160	151		1. Highlights the institution ’s or agency’s work in supporting:
161	152		a. first-generation college students,
162	153		b. students from low-income families,
163	154		c. students with unique abilities, or
164	155		d. underserved student populations; or
165	156		2. Certifies compliance with applicable anti -discrimination
166	157		laws, rules, and regulations.
167	158		D. The provisions of this section shall not be construed to
168	159		apply to institutions of higher education within The Oklahoma State
169	160		System of Higher Education with respect to:
	161	+	1. A policy, practice, procedure, program, class, or activity
	162	+	required for compliance with state or federal laws, rules, or
	163	+	regulations for obtaining or retaining institutional, academic, or
	164	+	discipline-specific accreditation or licensure;
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171		-	SB796 HFLR Page 4
172		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	166	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 796 Page 4 1
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197		-	1. A policy, practice, procedure, program, class, or activity
198		-	required for compliance with state or federal laws, rules, or
199		-	regulations for obtaining or retaining institutional, academic, or
200		-	discipline-specific accreditation or licensure;
201	191		2. The academic freedom of any individual faculty member to
202	192		direct the instruction within his or her own course;
203	193		3. Scholarly research or creative work by an institution of
204	194		higher education’s students, faculty, or other research personnel or
205	195		the dissemination of such research or work;
206	196		4. An activity of a student organization registered with or
207	197		recognized by an institution of higher education;
208	198		5. Guest speakers or performances on short -term engagements;
209	199		6. Academic support, tutoring, and career services and student
210	200		success centers, so long as the programming is designed and
211	201		implemented without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, or
212	202		ethnicity;
213	203		7. Data collection; or
214	204		8. Access programs for military, veterans, Pell Grant
215	205		recipients, first-generation college students, students from low -
216	206		income families, students with unique abilit ies, or underserved
217	207		student populations.
218	208		E. By July 1, 2026, and each July 1 thereafter, institutions of
219	209		higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
220	210		Education shall electronically submit to the Governor, the President
	211	+	Pro Tempore of the Se nate, and the Speaker of the House of
	212	+	Representatives a certificate of compliance with the provisions of
	213	+	this section.
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222		-	SB796 HFLR Page 5
223		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	215	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 796 Page 5 1
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248		-	Pro Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
249		-	Representatives a certificate of compliance with the provisions of
250		-	this section.
251	240		F. Nothing in this section shall be construed to prohibit the
252	241		promotion of civil discourse, debate, or speech that is protected by
253	242		the First Amendment to the United States Constitution.
254	243		G. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may
255	244		promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section.
256	245		SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
257	246		SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
258	247		of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
259	248		declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
260	249		be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
	250	+	Passed the Senate the 27th day of March, 2025.
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262		-	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATION OVERSIGHT, dated
263		-	04/16/2025 - DO PASS.
	252	+
	253	+
	254	+	Presiding Officer of the Senate
	255	+
	256	+
	257	+	Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________,
	258	+	2025.
	259	+
	260	+
	261	+
	262	+	Presiding Officer of the House
	263	+	of Representatives
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