House Education Committee advances bills on concurrent enrollment, student fitness, phone-free grants and teacher supports

The House Education Committee on Wednesday advanced a string of K–12 education measures, approving bills that would require concurrent-enrolled high school students to attend classes at brick-and-mortar sites, establish an annual student fitness assessment and report card, create a grant program to help districts implement phone-free school plans, continue a teacher signing-bonus program in statute and allow the use of accrued sick leave following state-provided maternity leave.

Why it matters: The measures touch classroom attendance, student health data and district policy choices. Several bills hinge on local implementation, funding or privacy safeguards the committee debated, and most will advance to further floor action where details can change.

Committee action and highlights

- Concurrent enrollment: The committee approved House Bill 28 31, requiring high school students who attend a brick-and-mortar school to complete concurrent-enrollment coursework in a brick-and-mortar format. Representative Burns, the bill sponsor, said the goal was to “get the kids back into a brick and mortar.” Members questioned whether exemptions for special circumstances are written into the bill; Burns said no explicit exemptions are in the bill text and that principals or schools would be expected to accommodate special needs. The committee voted to pass the bill 9–1.

- Student fitness assessment: House Bill 19 38 would require school districts to conduct an annual fitness assessment and provide an individualized report to parents. Sponsor Representative Sterling said the measure is intended to give parents data and resources to address students’ physical health and cited partnerships with public-health entities and Greenlight Credentials. Joel Romo of Greenlight Credentials told the panel the report card is sent only to parents and discussed confidentiality safeguards. Members asked about instructional time, penalties for noncompliance and funding; Sterling said professional development and data services would be provided and estimated statewide licensing costs under $800,000. The bill advanced 8–2.

- Phone-free grant program: House Bill 12 77 would create a grant program to help districts pay for phone-free school implementations, with the sponsor asking initially for $7.5 million as a starting point. Representative Caldwell said districts could meet the requirements at no cost but that grants would help those that choose costlier solutions. Members asked whether the State Board of Education could contract with a single vendor and whether districts should be required to exhaust local funds before applying for state grants; Caldwell said she would work on language and recommended districts engage parents locally. The bill passed 8–2.

- Teacher signing bonus and related workforce bills: The committee approved House Bill 12 81 to codify the teacher signing-bonus program in statute. The sponsor defended a one-time upfront payment as more effective for recruitment than spreading payments over multiple years and said a clawback provision would remain to recover funds if applicants misstate eligibility. Representative Kelly moved and the bill passed 8–2. Representative Kelly also sponsored House Bill 1 2 8 7, a Board of Regents-authorized math tutoring program for low-performing ninth graders; that bill passed 10–0.

- Sick leave after maternity leave: A bill presented by Representative Geis would require districts to allow teachers to use accrued sick leave in addition to the state-provided six weeks of maternity leave; the sponsor described instances where districts denied use of accrued leave and said the measure would standardize practice. Members raised concerns about extended classroom absences, retirement-credit impacts and whether a cap should be added; the sponsor agreed to work with vice chair and chair on possible language. The committee passed the measure 8–2.

- Tax-credit and FAFSA technical changes: The panel advanced House Bill 17 60 to extend Oklahoma’s Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship tax credit to contributions to eligible public college and university foundations; members clarified the program is a tax credit capped at $25,000,000 and therefore voluntary. The committee also approved House Bill 28 88, a narrow technical amendment removing the word “nontaxable” from a FAFSA-related section of law. HB 17 60 passed 6–2; HB 28 88 passed 8–0.

Votes at a glance

House Bill 28 88 (FAFSA technical change): Passed 8–0. House Bill 17 60 (expand scholarship tax credits to public college foundations; $25,000,000 cap on credits): Passed 6–2. House Bill 28 31 (concurrent enrollment in brick-and-mortar for students attending brick-and-mortar high schools): Passed 9–1. House Bill 23 71 (unsupervised devices/online safety measures — passed 9–1): Passed 9–1. House Bill 19 38 (annual student fitness assessment and parent report): Passed 8–2. House Bill 12 87 (Board of Regents math tutoring for low-performing 9th graders): Passed 10–0. House Bill (sick-leave clarification for maternity follow-up; bill number not specified in the hearing): Passed 8–2. House Bill 12 77 (grant program to support phone-free school implementations; sponsor requested $7.5 million initial ask): Passed 8–2. House Bill 12 81 (teacher signing-bonus program codified in statute): Passed 8–2.

Discussion points and next steps

Several sponsors emphasized local control: the committee repeatedly noted that districts would design policies and that the bills often direct or authorize state boards or departments rather than dictating specific operational choices. Members pressed for clarity on funding, penalties for noncompliance, privacy protections and limits (for example, caps on additional sick leave), and several sponsors signaled willingness to work with colleagues on amendments before floor debate. Most bills will proceed to additional floor action where further changes and committee amendments are possible.

Representative remarks and testimony

Representative Burns, sponsor of HB 28 31: “Get the kids back into a brick and mortar.” Joel Romo, Greenlight Credentials, on the fitness report card: the individual report “is a 1 on 1 conversation to be held with the PE teacher...and the parent.” Representative Caldwell, sponsor of the phone-free grant bill: she told the committee she was “asking for 7 and a half million dollars” as a starting request for the program.

Ending

Committee members scheduled a tentative archives tour and noted the possibility of a Wednesday meeting at 4:30 p.m.; members were told to watch committee emails for any changes. Several sponsors said they would continue working with colleagues and agency staff to refine language before floor consideration.