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An Act
ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 2959 By: Bashore, Manger,
Rosecrants, and Wolfley of
the House
and
Thompson of the Senate
An Act relating to schools; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 1210.163, as last amended by Section 3,
Chapter 260, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section
1210.163), which relates to student abuse or neglect
reporting; requiring superintendents and school
administrators to report suspected abuse by school
employees to law enforcement within twenty-four
hours; requiring reporting before formal school
investigation; prohibiting formal interviews of
suspected involved parties until notification of and
interviews by law enforcement; establishing duty to
report regardless of employment status of accused;
updating references; requiring employees to sign an
attestation of duties to report abuse or neglect;
defining term; requiring a written report from school
resource officers under certain circumstances;
amending Section 1, Chapter 297, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S.
Supp. 2025, Section 6-401), which relates to school
personnel electronic communication with students;
requiring immediate notification to law enforcement
for certain violations; providing an effective date;
and declaring an emergency.
SUBJECT: Schools
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.163, as
last amended by Section 3, Chapter 260, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 1210.163), is amended to read as follows:
ENR. H. B. NO. 2959 Page 2
Section 1210.163. A. Every school employee having reason to
believe that a student under the age of eighteen (18) years is a
victim of abuse or neglect shall report the matter immediately to
the Department of Human Services and local law enforcement. Reports
to the Department shall be made to the hotline provided for in
Section 1-2-101 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes. Any
allegation of abuse or neglect reported in any manner to a county
office shall immediately be referred to the hotline by the
Department.
B. Every school employee having reason to believe that a
student age eighteen (18) years or older is a victim of abuse or
neglect shall report the matter immediately to local law
enforcement.
C. 1. In addition to the reporting requirements of this
section, any superintendent or school administrator of a private
school or public school district who has reason to believe, or
receives an allegation or disclosure, that a school employee is
involved in the abuse or neglect of a student shall report the
matter within twenty-four (24) hours to local law enforcement.
2. All disclosures or allegations made under this subsection
shall be reported to law enforcement prior to any formal
investigation by the school or school board, or questioning of the
subject of the accusation.
3. No school investigator, administrator, or official shall
conduct formal interviews of the subject of the accusation or engage
in disciplinary proceedings until law enforcement has been notified
and has had the opportunity to interview the involved parties,
unless law enforcement determines that an immediate school response
is necessary to protect student safety.
4. The resignation, termination, transfer, or other separation
from employment of the subject of an allegation or disclosure shall
not relieve any person of the duty to report to law enforcement as
required by this subsection.
D. In reports required by subsection A or, B, or C of this
section, local law enforcement shall keep confidential and redact
any information identifying the reporting school employee unless
otherwise ordered by the court. A school employee with knowledge of
a report required by subsection A or, B, or C of this section shall
ENR. H. B. NO. 2959 Page 3
not disclose information identifying the reporting school employee
unless otherwise ordered by the court or as part of an investigation
by local law enforcement or the Department.
D. E. Any superintendent or school administrator of a private
school or public school district who knowingly and willfully fails
to promptly report or interferes with the prompt reporting of abuse
or neglect shall be subject to the penalties provided for in Section
2 of this act 593 of Title 21 or Section 1-2-101 of Title 10A of the
Oklahoma Statutes. As used in this subsection section, "school
administrator" means a principal, assistant principal, or any other
person who serves in a supervisory or administrative capacity in a
private school or public school district.
E. F. Every school employee shall annually sign an attestation
acknowledging his or her responsibility to report suspected child
abuse or neglect pursuant to this section. Failure to sign an
attestation does not relieve school personnel from the obligations
created in this section, nor shall such failure constitute a defense
to criminal liability arising under Sections 593 of Title 21 or 1-2-
101 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes.
G. For the purposes of this section, "child abuse and neglect"
shall include, but not be limited to:
1. Child abuse as defined in Section 843.5 of Title 21 of the
Oklahoma Statutes;
2. Sexual abuse or sexual exploitation as defined in Section 1-
1-105 of Title 10A of the Oklahoma Statutes;
3. Contributing to the delinquency of a minor as defined in
Section 856 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
4. Trafficking in children, as defined in Section 866 of Title
21 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
5. Incest as described in Section 885 of Title 21 of the
Oklahoma Statutes;
6. Forcible sodomy, as described in Section 888 of Title 21 of
the Oklahoma Statutes;
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7. Maliciously, forcibly or fraudulently taking or enticing a
child away, as described in Section 891 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma
Statutes;
8. Soliciting or aiding a minor child to perform or showing,
exhibiting, loaning or distributing obscene material or child sexual
abuse material, as described in Section 1021 of Title 21 of the
Oklahoma Statutes;
9. Procuring or causing the participation of any minor child in
any child sexual abuse material or knowingly possessing, procuring
or manufacturing child sexual abuse material, as described in
Section 1021.2 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
10. Permitting or consenting to the participation of a minor
child in any child sexual abuse material, as described in Section
1021.3 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
11. Facilitating, encouraging, offering or soliciting sexual
conduct with a minor, as described in Section 1040.13a of Title 21
of the Oklahoma Statutes;
12. Offering or offering to secure a minor child for the
purposes of prostitution or any other lewd or indecent act, as
described in Section 1087 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
13. Causing, inducing, persuading or encouraging a minor child
to engage or continue to engage in prostitution, as described in
Section 1088 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
14. Rape or rape by instrumentation, as described in Sections
1111.1 and 1114 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
15. Making any oral, written or electronically or computer-
generated lewd or indecent proposals to a minor child under the age
of sixteen (16) as described in Section 1123 of Title 21 of the
Oklahoma Statutes; and
16. Sexual battery, when committed upon a person who is at
least sixteen (16) years of age and is less than twenty (20) years
of age and is a student, or in the legal custody or supervision of
any public or private elementary or secondary school, or technology
center school, by a person who is eighteen (18) years of age or
older and is an employee of a private school or public school
system.
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H. 1. For the purposes of this section, "local law
enforcement" means a law enforcement agency independent of the
school district or a full-time school district police department
fully commissioned by the State of Oklahoma. Local law enforcement
shall not include a school resource officer employed by the district
unless directed by the independent law enforcement agency.
2. When a school resource officer is utilized pursuant to this
subsection, the officer shall submit a written report to the
independent law enforcement agency describing the circumstances and
any actions taken.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 297, O.S.L.
2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 6-401), is amended to read as
follows:
Section 6-401. A. As used in this section:
1. "Electronic or digital communication" includes, but is not
limited to, emails, text messages, instant messages, direct
messages, social media messages, messages sent through software
applications, and any other electronic digital means of
communication; and
2. "School personnel" means teachers, coaches, administrators,
school bus drivers, or any other persons employed full-time or part-
time by a public school or charter school.
B. School personnel engaging in electronic or digital
communication with an individual student shall include the student's
parent or guardian in any electronic or digital communication,
unless such communication is on a school-approved platform and
related to school and academic communications.
C. Exceptions to the requirement in subsection B of this
section may be made in case of an emergency, subject to subsequent
notification to the parent or guardian. School personnel shall make
reasonable efforts to use school-approved platforms, systems, or
applications that allow automatic inclusion of parents or guardians
in communications with students.
D. Schools shall provide training, developed by the State
Department of Education, for school personnel on the student
communication requirements of this section.
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E. Any school personnel who is reported to be in violation of
subsection B of this section shall be put on administrative leave
while the school district investigates the incident and notifies the
board of education. If the investigation finds that no misconduct
occurred, the school personnel shall be reinstated and the incident
shall be noted in the school personnel's employee file. If the
investigation finds misconduct occurred, the school personnel shall
be disciplined according to the school district board of education's
policy, up to and including termination of employment, and the
incident shall be reported to law enforcement pursuant to Section
1210.163 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
F. Law enforcement shall be immediately notified of any
violation of subsection B of this section involving sexual activity,
sexual contact, or any other inappropriate or unlawful behavior
pursuant to Section 1210.163 of this title.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
SECTION 4. 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.
ENR. H. B. NO. 2959 Page 7
Passed the House of Representatives the 24th day of March, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the 5th day of May, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this __________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________