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An Act
ENROLLED SENATE
BILL NO. 1204 By: Mann of the Senate
and
Gise and West (Tammy) of
the House
An Act relating to school employees; amending 70 O.S.
2021, Section 6-104, as amended by Section 2, Chapter
57, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 6-104),
which relates to sick leave for teachers and support
personnel; requiring school districts to grant
certain amount of paid bereavement leave to certain
teachers and school support employees; directing
bereavement leave to be in addition to certain leave
due to miscarriage; prohibiting certain leave from
negating certain negotiated leave policies; amending
Section 7, Chapter 291, O.S.L. 2023 (70 O.S. Supp.
2025, Section 6-104.9), which relates to the Public
School Paid Maternity Leave Revolving Fund; allowing
fund to be used for expenses related to paid
bereavement leave; updating statutory language;
updating statutory references; providing an effective
date; and declaring an emergency.
SUBJECT: School employee bereavement leave
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 6-104, as
amended by Section 2, Chapter 57, O.S.L. 2025 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025,
Section 6-104), is amended to read as follows:
Section 6-104. A. 1. The board of education of each school
district in the state shall provide for sick leave for all teachers
employed in the district and shall pay such teachers the full amount
ENR. S. B. NO. 1204 Page 2
of their contract salaries during any absence from their regular
school duties for a period of time and under such conditions as the
board may determine, but not less than the minimum benefits
hereafter specified. Payment for sick leave shall be made on the
basis of the current salary rate then in effect for the teacher
receiving the payment. Unless otherwise provided in Section 6-104.8
of this title, the plan shall provide that a teacher may be absent
from his or her duties due to personal accidental injury, illness or
pregnancy, or accidental injury or illness in the immediate family
without the loss of salary for not to exceed ten (10) days during
each school year, except that said such absence without loss of
salary for teachers employed on an eleven-month contract shall not
exceed eleven (11) days during each school year and for those
teachers employed on a twelve-month contract shall not exceed twelve
(12) days during each school year, if said such contract is for the
work period, and not merely for pay purposes. The right to such
leave shall vest at the beginning of the school year. Each school
district shall provide for all teachers a minimum of three (3) days
for personal business leave, upon the request of the teacher.
Salary deductions for such leave shall not exceed the salary level
for substitute teachers. Provided further, that these terms for
personal business leave shall not negate any locally negotiated
leave policies which exceed the minimum benefits stated above set
forth in this subsection. Each school district may provide not more
than five (5) days each year for emergency leave. Each school
district will shall determine the purposes for which emergency leave
can be used. Those days shall not be chargeable to sick leave and
will shall be noncumulative. Unused sick leave shall be cumulative
up to a total of sixty (60) days, and cumulative sick leave shall be
transferable to another school district or to the Oklahoma School
for the Blind or the Oklahoma School for the Deaf where the teacher
is employed the next succeeding school year, provided that the
number of days transferred shall not exceed the maximum days
permitted by the receiving school and that such transferred days
shall be used first in case of illness and, provided further, that
if the receiving school pays teachers for unused sick leave upon
retirement or termination of contract, then said such payments shall
be for only those days accumulated in the receiving school. The
school board of education of the sending school district shall
certify the exact number of days eligible for transfer.
ENR. S. B. NO. 1204 Page 3
2. If a teacher is employed at the Oklahoma School for the
Blind or the Oklahoma School for the Deaf after July 1, 2017, any
unused sick leave up to a total of sixty (60) days that is
accumulated at a school district prior to such date shall be
transferable.
B. The plan of each school district for sick leave benefits may
include other terms and conditions, but shall not provide less sick
leave benefits than those prescribed herein. Hospital and medical
proceeds may not be charged against sick leave benefits, but the
proceeds received by the teacher from any insurance provided by the
district for loss of compensable time may be charged against sick
leave benefits. Provided the board of education may provide all or
part of hospital and medical benefits, and sickness, accident,
health, and life insurance or any of the aforesaid such benefits for
any or all of its employees. On authorization of the teacher, the
district may approve payroll deductions for such teacher’s portion
of the aforesaid benefits.
C. Each school district shall grant a teacher leave for jury
service or as a witness subpoenaed in a criminal, civil, or juvenile
proceeding and shall pay the teacher during such service the full,
current contract salary. Provided that the district may deduct any
compensation received for serving as a juror or witness from the
teacher’s salary during such service.
D. 1. A school district shall also provide for benefits for
personnel other than teachers. Benefits for support personnel
employees shall include provisions for paid sick leave of at least
one (1) day per month of employment not to exceed the number of
hours per day for which they are regularly employed cumulative to a
total of sixty (60) days and cumulative sick leave shall be
transferable to another school district where the person is employed
the next succeeding school year; provided, that the number of days
transferred shall not exceed the maximum days permitted by the
receiving district and that such transferred days shall be used
first in case of illness up to a maximum of ten (10) transferred
days per school year unless the local school district board of
education authorizes the use of additional transferred days during
the school year in an amount set by the board and, provided further,
that if the receiving district pays such person for unused sick
leave upon retirement or termination of employment, then said such
ENR. S. B. NO. 1204 Page 4
payments shall be for only those days accumulated in the receiving
district. The school board of education of the sending district
shall certify the exact number of days eligible for transfer. Each
school district shall provide for all support employees, a minimum
of three (3) days for personal business leave, upon the request of
the support employee. Salary deductions for personal business leave
shall not exceed an amount necessary to cover the costs of services
provided to the district by the support employee and shall not
exceed the salary of the support employee. The terms for personal
business leave provided by this subsection shall not negate any
locally negotiated leave policies which exceed the minimum benefits
stated above set forth in this subsection. Payment for such leave
shall be calculated with regard to the definition of “support
employee” provided by Section 6-101.40 of this title. Provided;
provided, however, that such benefits shall not exceed those
authorized for teachers hereunder pursuant to this section.
2. Support employees, as defined by Section 6-101.40 of this
title, shall be entitled to pay for any time lost when school is
closed on account of epidemics or otherwise when an order for such
closing has been issued by a health officer authorized by law to
issue the order.
E. Each school district shall grant a teacher or support
personnel employee three (3) days of paid bereavement leave
following the death of the teacher’s or employee’s spouse or child,
which shall include a miscarriage. Bereavement leave following a
miscarriage shall be in addition to and not in place of sick leave
due to miscarriage and recovery therefrom. The terms for
bereavement leave provided by this subsection shall not negate any
locally negotiated leave policies which exceed the minimum benefits
set forth in this subsection.
SECTION 2. AMENDATORY Section 7, Chapter 291, O.S.L.
2023 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 6-104.9), is amended to read as
follows:
Section 6-104.9. A. There is hereby created in the State
Treasury a revolving fund for the State Board of Education to be
designated the “Public School Paid Maternity Leave Revolving Fund”.
The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year
limitations, and shall consist of all monies received by the State
ENR. S. B. NO. 1204 Page 5
Board of Education from state appropriations provided for the
purposes set forth in Sections 6-104 and 6-104.8 of this title. All
monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated
and may be budgeted and expended by the State Board of Education for
the purpose of reimbursing school districts for expenses related to
providing paid maternity and bereavement leave as provided for in
subsection B of this section. Expenditures from the fund shall be
made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims
filed as prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of
Management and Enterprise Services for approval and payment.
B. School districts in this state shall file claims with the
State Board of Education for reimbursement of expenses related to
providing eligible employees with paid maternity leave as provided
for in Section 1 6-104.8 of this act title and paid bereavement
leave as provided for in Section 6-104 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. S. B. NO. 1204 Page 6
Passed the Senate the 26th day of March, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
Passed the House of Representatives the 6th day of May, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
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: _________________________________