1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA | | | 2| 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025) | | | 3|HOUSE BILL 1754 By: Moore | | | 4| | | | 5| | | | 6| AS INTRODUCED | | | 7| An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021, | | Section 1-116, as amended by Section 1, Chapter 281, | 8| O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 1-116), | | which relates to positions in the school system; | 9| modifying definition; adding definitions; and | | providing an effective date. | 10| | | | 11| | | | 12| | | | 13|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: | | | 14| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1-116, as | | | 15|amended by Section 1, Chapter 281, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024, | | | 16|Section 1-116), is amended to read as follows: | | | 17| Section 1-116. As used in this title: | | | 18| 1. "Teacher" means any person who is employed to serve as | | | 19|district superintendent, principal, supervisor, counselor, | | | 20|librarian, school nurse, athletic trainer, licensed physical | | | 21|therapist, physical therapist assistant, occupational therapist, | | | 22|occupational therapist assistant, or classroom teacher or in any | | | 23|other instructional, supervisory or administrative capacity. The | | | 24|person shall not be deemed qualified unless the person holds a valid | | | Req. No. 10400 Page 1 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|certificate issued by and in accordance with the rules of the State | | | 2|Board of Education or the rules of the State Board of Career and | | | 3|Technology Education, to perform the particular services for which | | | 4|the person is employed; | | | 5| 2. "Superintendent" or "superintendent of schools" means the | | | 6|executive officer of the board of education and the administrative | | | 7|head of the school system of a district maintaining an accredited | | | 8|school, provided the person holds an administrator's certificate | | | 9|recognized by the State Board of Education; | | | 10| 3. "Principal" means any person other than a district | | | 11|superintendent of schools having supervisory or administrative | | | 12|authority over any school or school building having two or more | | | 13|teachers. A teaching principal shall be a principal who devotes at | | | 14|least one-half (1/2) the time school is in session to classroom | | | 15|teaching. Teaching principals shall be required to hold | | | 16|administrative certificates; | | | 17| 4. "Teachers" means, for purposes of complying with the State | | | 18|Aid Law and other statutes, but not any other provision of law, | | | 19|which apportion money on the basis of teaching units or the number | | | 20|of teachers employed or qualified, all persons holding proper | | | 21|certificates and connected in any capacity with the instruction of | | | 22|pupils; | | | 23| | | | 24| | | | Req. No. 10400 Page 2 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| 5. "Inductee" means any certified teacher who is employed in a | | | 2|local school to serve as a classroom teacher under the guidance and | | | 3|assistance of a mentor teacher or teachers; | | | 4| 6. "Student teacher" means any student who is enrolled in an | | | 5|institution of higher learning approved by the State Board of | | | 6|Education for teacher training and who is jointly assigned by the | | | 7|institution of higher learning and a board of education of a school | | | 8|district to perform practice teaching under the direction of a | | | 9|regularly employed and certified teacher. A student teacher, while | | | 10|serving an internship under the supervision of a certified teacher, | | | 11|shall be accorded the same protection of the laws as that accorded | | | 12|the certified teacher and shall be eligible to receive compensation | | | 13|beginning on the first day of the internship for up to one full | | | 14|school year; provided, however, that such compensation shall not be | | | 15|considered compensation for purposes of teacher retirement or the | | | 16|minimum salary schedule; | | | 17| 7. "School nurse" means a person employed full time by a board | | | 18|of education who is a registered nurse licensed by the Oklahoma | | | 19|State Board of Nurse Registration and Nursing Education and is | | | 20|certified the same as a teacher by the State Board of Education. | | | 21|Provided, that any person who is employed as a full-time school | | | 22|nurse in any school district in Oklahoma who is not registered on | | | 23|July 2, 1971, may continue to serve in the same capacity; however, | | | 24|such person shall, under rules adopted by the State Board of | | | Req. No. 10400 Page 3 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|Education, attend classes in nursing and prepare to become | | | 2|registered. A school nurse employed by a board of education shall | | | 3|be accorded the same protection of laws and all other benefits as a | | | 4|certified teacher; | | | 5| 8. "Athletic trainer" means a person employed full time by a | | | 6|board of education who is a Certified Athletic Trainer with current | | | 7|certification from the Board of Certification of the National | | | 8|Athletic Trainers' Association and is also currently licensed to | | | 9|practice in the state in accordance with the State Board of Medical | | | 10|Licensure and Supervision. An athletic trainer employed by a board | | | 11|of education shall be accorded the same protection of laws and all | | | 12|other benefits as a certified teacher;and| | | 13| 9. "Support employee" means an employee who provides those | | | 14|services which are not performed by certified teachers, principals, | | | 15|superintendents, or administrators and which are necessary for the | | | 16|efficient and satisfactory functioning of a school district; | | | 17| 10. "Licensed physical therapist" means a person employed full | | | 18|time by a board of education who is licensed as required in the | | | 19|Physical Therapy Practice Act, a member of the American Physical | | | 20|Therapy Association, and who regularly practices physical therapy. | | | 21|A licensed physical therapist employed by a board of education shall | | | 22|be accorded the same protection of laws and all other benefits as a | | | 23|certified teacher; | | | 24| | | | Req. No. 10400 Page 4 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| 11. "Physical therapist assistant" means a person employed full | | | 2|time by a board of education who assists in the practice of physical | | | 3|therapy subject to the direction and supervision of a licensed | | | 4|physical therapist, who meets all the educational requirements, and | | | 5|who is licensed pursuant to the provisions of the Physical Therapy | | | 6|Practice Act, and who is a member of the American Physical Therapy | | | 7|Association. A physical therapist assistant employed by a board of | | | 8|education shall be accorded the same protection of laws and all | | | 9|other benefits as a certified teacher; | | | 10| 12. "Occupational therapist" means a person employed full time | | | 11|by a board of education who is licensed to practice occupational | | | 12|therapy pursuant to the provisions of the Occupational Therapy | | | 13|Practice Act and who is certified by the National Board for | | | 14|Certification in Occupational Therapy. An occupational therapist | | | 15|employed by a board of education shall be accorded the same | | | 16|protection of laws and all other benefits as a certified teacher; | | | 17|and | | | 18| 13. "Occupational therapist assistant" means a person employed | | | 19|full time by a board of education who is licensed to provide | | | 20|occupational therapy treatment under the general supervision of a | | | 21|licensed occupational therapist pursuant to the provisions of the | | | 22|Occupational Therapy Practice Act and who is certified by the | | | 23|National Board for Certification in Occupational Therapy. An | | | 24|occupational therapist assistant employed by a board of education | | | Req. No. 10400 Page 5 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|shall be accorded the same protection of laws and all other benefits | | | 2|as a certified teacher. | | | 3| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025. | | | 4| | | | 5| 60-1-10400 AQH 12/16/24 | | | 6| | | | 7| | | | 8| | | | 9| | | | 10| | | | 11| | | | 12| | | | 13| | | | 14| | | | 15| | | | 16| | | | 17| | | | 18| | | | 19| | | | 20| | | | 21| | | | 22| | | | 23| | | | 24| | | | Req. No. 10400 Page 6