1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
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2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
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3|HOUSE BILL 1425 By: Vancuren |
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6| AS INTRODUCED |
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7| An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021, |
| Section 6-101.6b, which relates to whistleblower |
8| protections; defining term; extending applicability |
| of protections to support employees; updating |
9| statutory citation; providing an effective date; and |
| declaring an emergency. |
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13|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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14| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-101.6b, is |
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15|amended to read as follows: |
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16| Section 6-101.6b A. For purposes of this section: "teacher" |
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17| 1. "Teacher" means the term as defined in paragraph 1 of |
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18|Section 1-116 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes this title; and |
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19| 2. "Support employee" means the term as defined in paragraph 8 |
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20|of Section 1-116 of this title. |
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21| B. No school district shall prohibit or take disciplinary |
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22|action against teachers or support employees for: |
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Req. No. 5806 Page 1
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1| 1. Disclosing public information to correct what the teacher or |
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2|support employee reasonably believes evidences a violation of the |
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3|Oklahoma Constitution or law or a rule promulgated pursuant to law; |
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4| 2. Reporting a violation of the Oklahoma Constitution or state |
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5|or federal law; or |
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6| 3. Taking any of the above actions without giving prior notice |
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7|to the teacher's or support employee's supervisor or anyone else in |
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8|the teacher's relevant chain of command. |
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9| C. For the purposes of this section, "reporting" means |
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10|providing a spoken or written account to a supervising teacher, |
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11|administrator, school board member, representative from the State |
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12|Department of Education, law enforcement official, district |
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13|attorney, and/or parent or legal guardian of a student directly |
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14|impacted by the actions. |
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15| D. Each school district shall prominently post or publish a |
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16|copy of this section of law in locations where it can reasonably be |
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17|expected to come to the attention of all teachers and support |
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18|employees. |
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19| E. Nothing in this section shall be construed to allow a |
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20|teacher or support employee to violate students' or parents' rights |
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21|to confidentiality and protection under the Family Educational |
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22|Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). |
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23| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. |
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1| SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation |
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2|of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby |
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3|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and |
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4|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. |
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6| 59-1-5806 EK 12/28/22 |
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Req. No. 5806 Page 3
