All Roll Calls
Yes: 103 • No: 1
OklahomaHB 1940Oklahoma 2026 Regular SessionHouseWALLET
Charter schools; sponsorship; adding county to certain sponsor; effective date; emergency.
Sponsored By: Danny Sterling (Republican)
Signed by Governor
Senate Committee
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
4 provisions identified: 3 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
More groups can sponsor charter schools
Beginning July 1, 2025, more entities can sponsor charter schools in Oklahoma. Any school district can sponsor a charter, but the school must be inside that district’s boundaries. Accredited in-state colleges can sponsor charters. Federally recognized tribes can sponsor language-immersion charters if they ran a Bureau of Indian Affairs high school on November 1, 2010 and the school sits within the tribe’s former reservation or treaty area. Tribes can also sponsor a charter located on Bureau of Indian Affairs trust land within those same boundaries. Language immersion means the school’s instruction is mainly in the native language.
Rules for charters serving youth in custody
Beginning July 1, 2025, the law clarifies who can sponsor charters that educate youth in state or county custody or supervision. If the applicant is the Office of Juvenile Affairs or has a contract with that Office, the Statewide Charter School Board may sponsor beginning July 1, 2024. Earlier, the State Board of Education could sponsor through June 30, 2023.
Sponsors prioritize at-risk and proven schools
Beginning July 1, 2025, non-district sponsors must give priority to charter schools that serve at-risk students or students from low-performing public schools. Sponsors must also favor applicants with a record of running at least one successful school or program for similar students. They must check academic results, finances, growth plans, the ability to transfer practices, and any management group’s track record. Sponsors must ensure expansion does not harm current campuses and that each school’s funds stay with that school.
Cap on new charters in small counties
Beginning July 1, 2025, in counties with fewer than 500,000 people, the Statewide Charter School Board can sponsor no more than five new charter schools each year. Existing schools it already sponsors do not count toward the cap. The population test uses the latest Federal Decennial Census.
Sponsors & Cosponsors
Sponsor
Danny Sterling
Republican • House
Cosponsors
Brenda Stanley
Republican • Senate
Roll Call Votes
Senate vote • 5/1/2025
THIRD READING
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 5/1/2025
emergency
Yes: 0 • No: 0
Senate vote • 4/8/2025
emergency
Yes: 0 • No: 0
House vote • 3/12/2025
emergency
Yes: 85 • No: 1
House vote • 2/26/2025
emergency
Yes: 9 • No: 0
House vote • 2/19/2025
DO PASS
Yes: 9 • No: 0
Actions Timeline
Approved by Governor 05/09/2025
5/12/2025HouseSent to Governor
5/5/2025HouseEnrolled measure signed, returned to House
5/5/2025SenateEnrolled, signed, to Senate
5/5/2025HouseReferred for enrollment
5/1/2025HouseEngrossed measure signed, returned to House
5/1/2025SenateMeasure and Emergency passed: Ayes: 43 Nays: 0
5/1/2025SenateGeneral Order, Considered
5/1/2025SenatePlaced on General Order
4/10/2025SenateReported Do Pass Education committee; CR filed
4/8/2025SenateSecond Reading referred to Education
4/1/2025SenateFirst Reading
3/13/2025SenateEngrossed, signed, to Senate
3/13/2025HouseReferred for engrossment
3/12/2025HouseThird Reading, Measure and Emergency passed: Ayes: 85 Nays: 1
3/12/2025HouseGeneral Order
3/12/2025HouseCR; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Education Oversight Committee
2/26/2025HouseEmergency added
2/24/2025HouseAuthored by Senator Stanley (principal Senate author)
2/24/2025HousePolicy recommendation to the Education Oversight committee; Do Pass, amended by committee substitute Common Education
2/24/2025HouseReferred to Common Education
2/11/2025HouseReferred to Education Oversight
2/11/2025HouseWithdrawn from Rules Committee
2/11/2025HouseSecond Reading referred to Rules
2/4/2025HouseAuthored by Representative Sterling
2/3/2025House
Bill Text
Enrolled (final version)
5/5/2025
Floor (Senate)
4/9/2025
Senate Committee Report
4/8/2025
Engrossed
3/13/2025
Floor (House)
3/2/2025
House Committee Report
2/26/2025
House Committee Substitute
2/26/2025
House Policy Committee Report
2/24/2025
Introduced
1/16/2025
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SB 1733 — Schools; requiring public and private school employees to report certain disclosure, allegation, or information to law enforcement within certain time period; requiring school employees to annually sign certain attestation. Effective date. Emergency.
SB 1481 — Schools; requiring certain schools to provide students in certain grades with certain amount of recess per day. Effective date. Emergency.
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