Bill > HB2243

This bill addresses antisemitism in Oklahoma by adopting the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) Working Definition of antisemitism and providing guidelines for state departments and agencies to recognize and address antisemitic discrimination. The bill acknowledges that Jewish people continue to be a targeted minority in the United States, experiencing high rates of hate incidents, and seeks to provide state officials with tools to protect citizens from discriminatory acts. Specifically, the bill defines antisemitism using the IHRA definition, which includes various examples of anti-Jewish discrimination, and instructs state departments to consider antisemitism as evidence of discriminatory intent when evaluating laws or policies related to discrimination based on race, color, religion, or national origin. The bill includes several important caveats: it does not intend to infringe on First Amendment rights, conflict with existing discrimination laws, alter evidentiary requirements for discrimination, or create new legal rights. The provisions are designed to increase awareness and understanding of contemporary antisemitic discrimination while maintaining existing legal protections, and the bill is set to become effective on November 1, 2025.

Government Affairs

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb2243&Session=2600