Education; dyslexia screenings; increasing when screenings are given for certain students; requiring the Department of Education to notify parents of the option to request dyslexia screening; effective date.

ENGR. H. B. NO. 4159 Page 1
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 4159 By: Hasenbeck of the House

and

Alvord of the Senate

An Act relating to education; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
Section 1210.520, as amended by Section 10, Chapter
411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section
1210.520), which relates to dyslexia screenings;
increasing when dyslexia screenings are given for
certain students; requiring the State Department of
Education to notify parents or legal guardians of the
option to request dyslexia screenings; and providing
an effective date.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 1210.520, as
amended by Section 10, Chapter 411, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025,
Section 1210.520), is amended to read as follows:
Section 1210.520. A. Beginning with the 2022-2023 school year
and for each school year thereafter, any student enrolled in
kindergarten, first, second, or third grade in a public school in
this state who is assessed through the Strong Readers Act pursuant
to Section 1210.508C of this title and who is not meeting grade-
level targets in reading after the beginning-of-the-year assessment
any of the assessments required in the beginning, middle, and end of

ENGR. H. B. NO. 4159 Page 2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

the school year shall be screened for dyslexia. Screening also may
be requested for a student by his or her parent or legal guardian,
teacher, counselor, speech-language pathologist, or school
psychologist. The State Department of Education shall send notice
to each parent or legal guardian that he or she may request a
dyslexia screening for his or her student at any time.
B. No later than July 1, 2021, the State Board of Education
shall develop policies for dyslexia screening required under this
subsection and shall include, but not be limited to:
1. The definition and characteristics of dyslexia and related
language disorders;
2. The process for referring students in kindergarten and
grades one through three for screening;
3. A process for providing notification to parents or legal
guardians of the use of a qualified dyslexia-screening tool and
notification of the results of the screening;
4. A process for providing the parents or legal guardians of
students screened for dyslexia with information and resource
material regarding dyslexia;
5. A process for monitoring the student's progress after the
positive identification of characteristics of dyslexia or other
disorders; and

ENGR. H. B. NO. 4159 Page 3
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

6. Requirements and qualifications for screeners that
demonstrate an understanding of and training to administer the
screening instrument.
C. The Board shall adopt a list of approved qualified dyslexia
screening tools that address the following components, as
developmentally appropriate:
1. Phonological awareness;
2. Advanced phonemic awareness;
3. Sound symbol recognition;
4. Alphabet knowledge;
5. Decoding skills;
6. Encoding skills;
7. Rapid naming; and
8. Developmental language.
D. Screening shall be conducted in accordance with the policies
developed by the State Board of Education pursuant to subsection B
of this section and the Oklahoma Dyslexia Handbook including
policies and information developed relating to universal screening
of kindergarten students for characteristics of dyslexia.
E. Beginning June 30, 2023, and for each year thereafter,
school districts shall provide the following data to the State
Department of Education:
1. The number of students by grade level in kindergarten
through grade three who were screened for dyslexia in a school year;

ENGR. H. B. NO. 4159 Page 4
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

2. The number of students by grade level in kindergarten
through grade three who were newly identified as having
characteristics of dyslexia in a school year;
3. The process or tools used to evaluate student progress;
4. The number of trained school system personnel or licensed
professionals used to administer the qualified dyslexia screening
tool;
5. The number of students in kindergarten through grade three
who were participating in interventions within the school setting
and the number of students participating in interventions outside
the school setting; and
6. The programs used by districts for intervention within the
school setting.
F. By December 31, 2023, and for each year thereafter, the
State Department of Education shall provide a report electronically
containing all of the information provided in subsection E of this
section to the Governor and Legislature and make the report
available on the Department's website.
G. As funds are available, beginning with the 2021-2022 school
year, the Department shall provide training on the best practices
for screening for dyslexia.
H. The State Board of Education may promulgate rules necessary
to implement the provisions of this section.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.

ENGR. H. B. NO. 4159 Page 5
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24

Passed the House of Representatives the 23rd day of March, 2026.

Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives

Passed the Senate the _____ day of __________, 2026.

Presiding Officer of the Senate