Schools; requiring school districts and charter schools to adopt a policy providing a period of prayer or religious text reading for students and employees on each school day; effective date.
HB3240 requires Oklahoma public school districts and charter schools, beginning with the 2026-2027 school year, to adopt a policy providing every public school student and employee an opportunity each school day to participate in a period of prayer and reading of the Bible or another religious text. The bill specifies that participation is voluntary, that the period may include individual or group activities, and that the policy must include a prescribed statement announcing the school’s obligation to provide the period in accordance with state law.
The measure also sets detailed conditions for participation and implementation. Students and employees may not participate unless a signed consent form is submitted, and the form must acknowledge the voluntary nature of participation, identify opportunities for prayer or reading, state there is no objection to hearing the prayers or readings, and include a waiver of claims under state or federal law, including Establishment Clause claims. The bill prohibits use of the public address system for these prayers or readings, requires that the period not replace instructional time, allows consent to be revoked, and directs schools to avoid exposing nonconsenting persons to the activity. It also authorizes the Attorney General to provide compliance advice, defend districts or charter schools in related lawsuits, supply a model consent form, and, when defending a school, makes the state liable for resulting expenses, costs, judgments, or settlements.
HB3240 would amend Oklahoma’s school prayer statute, 70 O.S. 2021, Section 11-101.1, by shifting from a general permission for voluntary prayer to a mandatory policy framework for prayer and religious-text reading in public schools and charter schools. It would impose new administrative duties on school boards and charter governing bodies, create consent and waiver requirements for students and employees, and establish liability and defense provisions involving the Attorney General and the state. The bill’s effective date is November 1, 2026, but the required policies would begin with the 2026-2027 school year.
The bill appears to have received generally favorable treatment among supporters, as reflected in its advancement through committee and passage on third reading in the House. Committee discussion framed the measure as strengthening legal protection for schools when prayer occurs in schools, suggesting supportive sentiment from proponents. However, the recorded votes also show meaningful opposition, indicating the bill was not unanimous and remained controversial. The House ultimately passed the bill 60-29 after earlier committee approvals.
The main point of contention is the bill’s requirement that schools provide a daily prayer or religious-text reading period and its attempt to manage constitutional risk through consent forms and waivers. Opponents appear to have objected to the measure broadly, as shown by the failed motion to delete the entire bill and the substantial no votes in committee and on the floor. Supporters, by contrast, emphasized that the bill would protect schools from court challenges involving prayer in schools and provide a clearer legal framework. The liability provisions, the waiver of claims, and the involvement of the Attorney General are likely to be especially contentious because they directly address potential Establishment Clause litigation and state exposure to damages or settlements.