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ENGR. H. B. NO. 3132 Page 1
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ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 3132 By: West (Kevin), Crosswhite
Hader, and Maynard of the
House
and
Grellner of the Senate
An Act relating to higher education; creating the
Selecting Neutral Accreditors Act; defining terms;
directing the board of regents of each institution of
higher education to review accrediting agencies to
determine if such agencies have adopted or used
certain diversity, equity, and inclusion practices or
procedures in connection with accreditation within
the past five years; requiring the board of regents
to begin the process to change accrediting agency if
practice or procedure is found; permitting board of
regents to select an accrediting agency who had
diversity, equity, and inclusion practices or
procedures within the past five years if the agency
formally repeals practice or procedure and certifies
the agency will not use practice or procedure in the
future; requiring the board of regents to report if
no qualifying accrediting agency is found; requiring
the board of regents to review applicable accreditors
for compliance prior to beginning any new
accreditation or pre-accreditation process or
renewal; authorizing Attorney General to request
information; finding presumption of diversity,
equity, and inclusion practices or procedures if
failure to respond by accrediting agency; authorizing
Attorney General to provide notice of presumption;
voiding certain agreements between institutions and
accrediting agencies; providing for investigation and
enforcement by Attorney General; providing for
noncodification; providing for codification; and
providing an effective date.
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Selecting
Neutral Accreditors Act".
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3252 of Title 70, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. As used in this act:
1. "Accreditation" means the status of public recognition that
an accrediting agency grants to an educational institution, program,
or both that meets the agency's standards and requirements;
2. "Accrediting agency" means a person or governmental entity
that conducts accrediting activities and makes decisions concerning
the accreditation or pre-accreditation status of institutions,
programs, or both. Accrediting agency includes, but is not limited
to, any national, regional, or programmatic accrediting agency;
3. "Diversity, equity, and inclusion" means any differential
treatment of, or assignment of any fault or blame to, an individual
or group at an institution of higher education based on race, color,
ethnicity, national origin except as it relates to immigration
status under United States law, sex except as related to sex-
segregated facilities such as dormitories and bathrooms, or athletic
programs, sexual orientation, or gender identity;
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4. "Diversity, equity, and inclusion practice or procedure"
means any initiative, policy, program, mandate, requirement,
standard, metric, statistic, or other practice or procedure related
to diversity, equity, and inclusion; and
5. "Institution of higher education" means a state educational
institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education
including all of the state educational institution's programs,
departments, divisions, offices, centers, colleges, and schools and
any person acting on behalf of any of the state educational
institution's programs, departments, divisions, offices, centers,
colleges, and schools.
B. On or before July 1, 2027, the board of regents of each
institution of higher education shall review each of its accrediting
agencies to determine if any such agencies have adopted or used in
the past five (5) years any diversity, equity, and inclusion
practice or procedure in connection with accreditation. If so, the
board of regents shall promptly:
1. Begin the process to change to an accrediting agency that
has not adopted or used any diversity, equity, and inclusion
practice or procedure in the past five (5) years;
2. If there is no accrediting agency that meets the requirement
of paragraph 1 of this subsection for an institution or program, the
board of regents may select an accrediting agency that has adopted
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or used diversity, equity, and inclusion practices or procedures in
the past five (5) years if the accrediting agency:
a. formally repeals such practices or procedures, and
b. certifies to the board of regents and the Attorney
General in writing that such practices or procedures
will not be used in future accreditation standards,
reviews, or decisions; or
3. If there is no accrediting agency that meets the
requirements of paragraph 1 or 2 of this subsection for an
institution or program, the board of regents shall promptly:
a. report the findings to the Speaker of the Oklahoma
House of Representatives and the President Pro Tempore
of the Oklahoma State Senate,
b. review at least annually whether a qualifying
accreditor exists, and
c. if such an accreditor exists, promptly begin the
process to change to such accreditor.
C. Prior to beginning any new accreditation or pre-
accreditation process or renewal, the board of regents of each
institution of higher education shall review applicable accreditors
that could be selected and select an accrediting agency that has not
adopted or used any diversity, equity, and inclusion practice or
procedure in the preceding five (5) years from the date the
accreditation or pre-accreditation process or renewal commences. If
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there is no accrediting agency that meets this requirement, the
board of regents shall proceed with the requirements in paragraphs 2
or 3 of subsection B of this section as applicable.
D. If an accrediting agency fails to fully respond to a request
by the board of regents or the Attorney General under this act,
including a voluntary request for information, there shall be a
presumption that the accrediting agency adopted or used a diversity,
equity, and inclusion practice or procedure within the preceding
five (5) years for purposes of this section. The Attorney General
shall provide notice to the board of regents and accrediting agency
of the Attorney General's determination of such failure to respond
and a ten-day opportunity to cure such failure.
E. Any agreement or understanding between an institution of
higher education or the board of regents and an accrediting agency
to circumvent or otherwise violate this act shall be void. The
Attorney General shall have the same investigative and enforcement
powers as are provided in the Oklahoma Deceptive Trade Practices Act
related to any institution of higher education, accrediting agency,
or person for which there is reason to believe the institution,
accrediting agency, or person violated or participated in the
violation of this act.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
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Passed the House of Representatives the 26th day of March, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the Senate