Bill > HB1983

This bill requires Oklahoma public schools to teach media literacy and cybersecurity as a half-unit course for students in sixth, seventh, or eighth grade, beginning in the 2027-2028 school year. The course will cover critical digital skills such as identifying online scams, recognizing fraudulent digital content, protecting personal information, understanding password security, detecting fake news, and identifying deepfake and AI-generated media. The State Board of Education must develop and adopt specific curriculum standards for this instruction, and the State Department of Education is tasked with creating guidelines, professional development programs, and resources to support schools in implementing the course. The department must also ensure that resources are available for English language learners and students with specific learning disabilities. Transfer students who enter Oklahoma schools after eighth grade may be exempted from the course requirement, though schools are still encouraged to provide the instruction. The bill requires the State Board of Education to submit a report detailing the curriculum standards to legislative leadership within 30 days of completion, and the law will take effect on November 1, 2025.

Budget and Finance

http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb1983&Session=2600