Oklahoma 2025 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB942 Comm Sub / Bill

Filed 02/19/2025

                     
 
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STATE OF OKLAHOMA 
 
1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
FOR 
SENATE BILL 942 	By: Thompson 
 
 
 
 
 
COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE 
 
An Act relating to education; defining terms; 
prohibiting discrimination on certain basis against 
students or employees in an institution of higher 
education or public school; prohibiting persons from 
being excluded, denied benefits, or discriminated 
against on certain basis; prohibiting criteria for 
admission to an institution of higher education 
course or program from restricting access to certain 
persons; providing certain exceptions; directing 
certain services to be available to all students; 
directing all education programs, activities, and 
opportunities offered by institutions of higher 
education and public schools to be made available 
without certain discrimination; directing 
institutions of higher education and public schools 
to integrate certain definition into certain codes of 
conduct; prohibiting certain conduct; directing 
institutions of highe r education and public schools 
to treat certain harassment and discrimination in 
certain manner; encouraging institutions of higher 
education and public schools to incorporate certain 
training and integrate certain curriculum; directing 
the State Department of Education and the Oklahoma 
State Regents for Higher Education to designate 
certain coordinator; prescribing duties of 
coordinator; providing for written notice to address 
certain complaint within certain time period; 
providing for certain findings to be reported to 
certain departments; directing submission of annual 
report; providing for contents of report; providing 
certain construction; providing for codification; 
providing an effective date; and declaring an 
emergency.   
 
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE P EOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: 
SECTION 1.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 24 -162 of Title 70, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
A.  As used in this section: 
1.  “Antisemitism” has the same meaning as provided for by the 
International Holocaust Remembr ance Alliance Working Definition of 
Antisemitism, including its contemporary examples, as it was adopted 
on May 26, 2016; 
2.  “Institution of higher edu cation” means an institution of 
higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher 
Education; and 
3.  “Public school” shall have the same meaning as provided for 
in Section 1-106 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. 
B.  Discrimination on the basi s of race, ethnicity, national 
origin, sex, disability, religion, or marital status against a 
student or an employee in an institution of hig her education or a 
public school in this state shall be prohibited.  No person in this 
state shall, on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, 
disability, religion, or marital status, be excluded from 
participating in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to 
discrimination under any institution of higher education or public   
 
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school program or activity or in any employment conditions or 
practices conducted by an institution of higher education or a 
public school that receives or benefits fro m federal or state 
financial assistance. 
C.  The criteria for admission to a program or course at an 
institution of higher education shall not have the effect of 
restricting access by persons of a particular race, ethnicity, 
national origin, sex, disability, religion, or marital status; 
provided, this shall not infringe upon the rights of student faith -
based organizations and ethnic solidarity organizations to select 
leadership committed to their group ’s mission and principles. 
D.  All institution of higher education and public school 
classes shall be available to all students without regard to race, 
ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, religion, or marital 
status.  Provided, however, the provisions of this subsection shall 
not prohibit the provision of programs designed to meet the needs of 
students with limited proficiency in English, gifted students, or 
students with disabilities or programs tailored to students with 
specialized talents or skills. 
E.  Guidance, counseling, and financial assistance services in 
institutions of higher education and public schools shall be 
available to all students equally and prov ided in the same manner 
regardless of race, ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, 
religion, or marital status.   
 
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F.  All education programs, activities, and opportunities 
offered by institutions of higher education and public schools shall 
be made available without discrimination on the basis of race, 
ethnicity, national origin, sex, disability, religio n, or marital 
status. 
SECTION 2.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 24 -163 of Title 70, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
A.  Institutions of higher education and public schools shall 
integrate the definition of antisemitism provided for in Section 1 
of this act into their student, faculty, and employe e codes of 
conduct.  Prohibited conduct as it specifically relates to 
antisemitism shall include harassm ent and discrimination against 
Jews in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and 
antidiscrimination regulations provided by the Unite d States 
Department of Education and the United States Department of Justice. 
B.  Institutions of higher education and public schools shall 
treat harassment of or discrimination against students or employees 
or resulting from institutional policies or prog rams on their 
campuses motivated by or including antisemitic intent in an 
identical manner to discrimina tion motivated by race. 
C.  All institutions of higher education and public schools are 
encouraged to:   
 
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1.  Incorporate antisemitism awareness training f or all 
students, faculty, administrators, and campus police; 
2.  Integrate Jewish American heritage curriculum for students 
that incorporates Jewish experiences in the United States of America 
pre- and post-revolution, pre- and post-World War II and the 
Holocaust, and in modern times; and 
3.  Place reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions on 
speech to ensure order and protect the rights of all students. 
D.  1.  The State Department of Education shall designate a 
Title VI coordinator dedicated to moni toring antisemitic 
discrimination and harassment in public schools in this state.  All 
public schools shall electronically report incidents and complaints 
of antisemitic discrimination and harassment to the Title VI 
coordinator. The Title VI Coordinator s hall establish, maintain, 
and publicize a formal reporting process whereby students, parents, 
staff, and faculty can submit complaints of ant isemitic 
discrimination and harassment. 
2.  The Title VI coordinator designated pursuant to paragraph 1 
of this subsection shall thoroughly investigate all submitted 
complaints.  If after a reasonable investigation a Title VI 
coordinator determines that a public school has engaged in, allowed, 
or not sufficiently prohibited antisemitic discrimination, the State 
Department of Education shall provide written notice to the public   
 
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school to address the complaint within thirt y (30) days of receiving 
the notice. 
3.  If the Title VI coordinator determines that the public 
school has not taken the necessary actions to address th e complaint 
within thirty (30) days of receiving the notice, the Department 
shall report its findings to the United States Department of 
Education and the United States Department of Justice by making a 
complaint under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1 964. 
E.  1.  The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall 
designate a Title VI coordinator dedi cated to monitoring antisemitic 
discrimination and harassment in institutions of higher education in 
this state.  All institutions of higher education s hall 
electronically report incidents and complaints of antisemitic 
discrimination and harassment to the Title VI coordinator. 
2.  The Title VI coordinator designated pursuant to paragraph 1 
of this subsection shall thoroughly investigate all submitted 
complaints.  If after a reasonable investigation a Title VI 
coordinator determines that an institution of hi gher education has 
engaged in, allowed, or not sufficiently prohibited antisemitic 
discrimination, the State Regents shall provide written notice to 
the institution of higher education to address the complaint within 
thirty (30) days of receiving the notice. 
3.  If the Title VI coordinator determines that the institution 
of higher education has not taken the necessary actions to address   
 
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the complaint within thirty (30) days of receiving the notice, the 
State Regents shall report their findings to the United States 
Department of Education and t he United States Department of Justice 
by making a complaint under Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 
1964. 
F.  No later than June 30, 2026, and June 30 each subsequent 
year, the Title VI coordinators designated pursuant to paragraph 1 
of subsections D and E of this section shall electronically submit 
to the Legislature a report on antisemitism in institutions of 
higher education and public schools. 
G.  The Legislature is encouraged to conduct hearings and/or 
investigations to assess if institutions are ad equately addressing 
antisemitic harassment and discrimination; if not, the Legislature 
should consider reducing or eliminating state funding to such 
institutions. 
SECTION 3.     NEW LAW     A new section of law to be codified 
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 24 -164 of Title 70, unless there 
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: 
A.  Nothing in this act shall be construed to diminish or 
infringe upon any right protected under the First Amendment to the 
United States Constitution or Section 22 of Article II of the 
Oklahoma Constitution. 
B.  Nothing in this act shall be construed to con flict with 
federal or state discrimination laws.   
 
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SECTION 4.  This act shall become effective July 1, 2025. 
SECTION 5.  It being immediately necessary 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. 
 
60-1-1600 EB 2/19/2025 5:36:15 PM