Oklahoma House Bill HB1361

Oklahoma 2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/3/25
• Refer: 2/4/25

Caption

Schools; definitions; prohibiting school personnel and students from requesting and using certain pronouns or alternate names in certain situations; effective date; emergency.

Summary

HB1361 would add a new section to Oklahoma school law restricting the use of pronouns and alternate names in public schools when those terms are inconsistent with a person’s sex assigned at birth. The bill applies to school personnel and students, and it generally bars school employees from asking students for preferred pronouns or alternate names, from using a student’s requested pronouns or alternate name, and bars students from making similar requests of school personnel, unless there is written permission from a parent or legal guardian. The bill defines key terms such as “assigned sex at birth,” “public school,” and “school personnel,” and it limits the scope of the law to personnel acting within their official school duties.

Impact

If enacted, the bill would create a new statutory requirement in Title 70 governing conduct in public schools and would expose school personnel to discipline for violations, including possible license suspension or revocation, contract cancellation, or termination. It also requires immediate reporting of violations to a school administrator and mandates parent or guardian notification within 24 hours, with a detailed description of the incident. The bill includes an exemption for students and personnel with certain genetically verifiable disorders of sex development and would take effect July 1, 2025, with an emergency clause intended to make it effective immediately upon passage and approval.

Sentiment

No committee transcript or recorded vote is available, so there is no direct public record of debate in the provided materials. Based on the bill’s subject matter and structure, it appears to be a strongly policy-driven measure focused on regulating gender-related language in schools, which typically draws polarized reactions. The bill’s referral to Common Education suggests it was still in early legislative consideration at the time of the available record.

Contention

The main points of contention are likely to be the bill’s restrictions on pronoun and name usage, the requirement for parental permission before students or staff can use preferred pronouns or alternate names, and the disciplinary consequences for school personnel. Supporters would likely view the measure as reinforcing parental rights and aligning school practices with biological sex definitions, while opponents would likely argue that it targets transgender and gender-nonconforming students and staff, intrudes on privacy, and could create hostile school environments. The exemption for certain disorders of sex development may also be a point of debate because it narrows the bill’s exceptions while leaving the broader restrictions intact.