Journalist: Heba Saleh (TU)
The act was authored by Senator Daniel Geary (TU). It repealed 70 O.S. § 28-100; 70 O.S. § 28-100A; 70 O.S. § 28-101; 70 O.S. § 28-102; 70 O.S. § 28-103, all of which are provisions related to the Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Act or Oklahoma Parental Choice Tax Credit Program, which was established by the act. The purpose of this bill was to end the tax credit program for parents of private school children, the program that the OPCTCA established.
As the intent with this bill was to end the program in its entirety under the belief that parents who send their children to private schools are financially privileged enough to not need a tax credit, the bill itself did not institute any new law.
Section 7, which provided for an effective date, was the most controversial aspect of this bill. Initially, the author had provided for the bill to come into effect 90 days after passage and approval. This is the effective date ascribed to most non-education O.I.L bills.
However, senators took issue with this provision as it would mandate that the bill go into effect the middle of next semester — well into the school year. When asked questions regarding this, Sen. Geary stated that, in his belief, the families would be grandfathered into the program next semester. The bill, however, did not provide for this clause.
The effective date was soon after amended to read “This act shall become effective at the start of the 2026-2027 school year after passage and approval.” The amendment was introduced by Senator Hayes and seconded by Senator Maxwell.
After the passage of the amendment, the bill as a whole passed by a vote of 18 in the affirmative and three in the negative. It is now on its way to being heard in the House.