Oklahoma legislature considering over 50 bills targeting LGBTQ+ issues. What do they say?
Over 50 bills targeting members of the LGBTQ+ community were filed during the 2024 legislative session in Oklahoma, but last week marked an important legislative deadline that killed the majority of them.
The deadline to report legislation from committees of the opposite origin was April 11. In most cases, bills that don't advance committee by the deadline are considered dead for the year.
From bans on gender-affirming health care to penalizing public school employees for asking a student their pronouns, here's a breakdown of the anti-LGBTQ+ bills in this legislative session.
Because bills that are introduced don't always become law, this list will be updated as the session continues to reflect their progress.
Anti-LGBTQ+ bills that progressed out of their chambers
Senate Bill 1677: Authored by Sen. Julie Daniels, R-Bartlesville, SB 1677 would prohibit the Department of Human Services from requiring adoptive or foster parents to affirm or support any government policy regarding sexual orientation or gender identity that conflicts with their moral or religious beliefs. The bill would also prohibit DHS from denying adoption or fostering for their beliefs about sexual orientation or gender identity.
Anti-LGBTQ+ bills that didn't meet passage requirements
Anti-LGBTQ+ bills targeting public school activity and curriculum
House Bill 3120: Authored by Rep. Danny Williams, R-Seminole, HB 3120 would amend the "Parents' Bill of Rights" and allow parents to exempt their children from learning material that doesn't align with their sexual, morality or religious beliefs. It would allow parents to withdraw their kids from sex education curricula. The bill would create policy that would prohibit public schools from referring to a student by the pronouns they use if it doesn't correspond to their assigned sex at birth. It would also penalize public school employees for asking a student about their preferred pronouns, and creates guidelines for AIDS prevention education.
House Bill 3135: Authored by Humphrey, HB 3135 would prohibit public funding to public schools from being used to "promote, encourage, or provide instruction on topics related to sexual choice, sexual orientation, drag queens, or similar topics in public institutions."
Senate Bill 1880: Authored by Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, SB 1880 would keep public school employees or volunteers from having to refer to a student by their pronouns if they don't correspond with their sex assigned at birth. The bill would also ban materials in public school districts that refer to an individual by their pronouns if it doesn't correspond to their sex assigned at birth.
Senate Bill 1563: Authored by Sen. Dana Prieto, R-Tulsa, SB 1563 would notify parents of any opportunity of sexual education that relates to sexual orientation or gender identity given to their children and allow them to withdraw. It would also allow parents to review books accessible to students.
Senate Bill 1981: Authored by Sen. Shane Jett, R-Shawnee, the "Oklahoma Sexual Education Reform and Parental Rights Protection Act" would require written consent from a parent for a child to opt in to comprehensive sexual education, sexual risk reduction instruction, optimal, sexual health education or sexual risk avoidance instruction, rather than requiring written consent to opt out.
Senate Bill 973: Authored by Jett, SB 973 would prohibit curriculum related to sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through grade six. For grades seven and above, the bill would require teachers to provide instruction to ensure "quality time is spent on the two-gender perspective."
Senate Bill 1007: Authored by Jett, the "Save Men's Sports Act" would requires parents or legal guardians to sign an affidavit acknowledging the assigned sex at birth of a student on an athletic team in public schools. The bill prohibits people who are assigned female at birth from joining teams designated for "males," "men" or "boys."
Senate Bill 131: Authored by Sen. Cody Rogers, R-Tulsa, SB 131 would require written consent from a public school student's parents to participate in instruction related to gender roles, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation or romantic or sexual relationships.
Senate Bill 937: Authored by Jett, the "Schools Establishment Clause Act" would allow a signed statement by a licensed physician stating a public school student's assigned sex at birth, if it's disputed. The bill would also prohibit public schools from creating, enforcing or endorsing a policy that promotes "non-secular self-asserted sex-based identity narratives or sexual orientation orthodoxy."
Senate Bill 935: Authored by Jett, the "Stop the Wrongs to Our Kids and Employees Act" would prohibit certain topics related to race and gender, including that Oklahoma or the U.S. is fundamentally or irredeemably racist or sexist.
Senate Bill 30: Authored by Rogers, SB 30 would prohibit public school employees from referring to a student by their pronouns if they don't correspond with their sex assigned at birth without a parent's consent. It would also prohibit instruction related to sexual orientation or gender identity from kindergarten through grade six.
Senate Bill 932: Authored by Jett, SB 932 would prohibit public schools from referring to a student by their name if it doesn't correspond to the name listed on their birth certificate. It would also prohibit public school employees from referring to a minor student by their pronouns if they don't correspond with their sex assigned at birth without a parent's consent, or if it violates the employee's religious or moral beliefs.
House Bill 1781: Authored by Williams, HB 1781 would mandate that school boards of education adopt a procedure for parents who object to instruction that questions beliefs or practices in sex, morality, race or gender, including gender identity. It would also require parents to opt their children into instruction regarding gender identity or sexuality.
House Bill 1017: Authored by Jett, HB 1017 requires all curriculum and materials related to sex education, or tests, surveys or questionnaires that elicit responses on sexual behavior or attitudes to be available for inspection by parents or guardians.
Senate Bill 933: Authored by Jett, SB 933 would prohibit mandatory gender or sexual diversity training in public higher education.
House Bill 1780: Authored by Williams, HB 1780 would prohibit public schools from providing sex education classes, programs, tests, surveys or questionnaires.
Senate Bill 1303: Authored by Standridge, SB 1303 would prohibit public higher education from establishing a diversity, equity and inclusion office, and bans mandatory training related to race, color, ethnicity, gender identity or sexual orientation.
Senate Bill 1678: Authored by Dahm, SB 1678 would prohibit public funds to be used for DEI positions, departments, activities, procedures or programs. It would also prohibit mandatory DEI training.
Oklahoma bills seeking to restrict gender-affirming healthcare
House Bill 1011: Authored by Rep. Jim Olsen, R-Roland, would prohibit health care professionals from performing gender-affirming care to anyone under 21 years old. It would also prohibit public funds from being used at any organization or person that provides gender-affirming care to anyone under 21. Any healthcare professional who provides this care would be given a felony charge and fined up to $100,000, or held in custody for up to 10 years.
Senate Bill 1777: Authored by Sen. Nathan Dahm, R-Broken Arrow, SB 1777 would prohibit reimbursement through Medicaid or other public funding for healthcare providers who perform gender transition procedures.
Senate Bill 1730: Authored by Dahm, SB 1730 would prohibit gender-affirming health care for minors without parental consent.
Senate Bill 878 and House Bill 1377: SB 878, authored by Jett, and HB 1377, authored by Rep. Tom Gann, R-Inola, the "Oklahoma Save Adolescents from Experimentation Act" would prohibit health care providers from administering gender-affirming care to minors. It would also prohibit public funds from being used for gender-affirming care for minors.
Senate Bill 345: Authored by Sen. Warren Hamilton, R-McCurtain, SB 345 would criminalize gender-affirming care for people under 21 years old. It would also make it unlawful for parents to consent to gender-affirming care for their children, and health care professionals to perform such care for anyone under 21 years old.
Senate Bill 252: Authored by Dahm, SB 252 would ban gender-affirming care for minors, and punish health care providers who provide such care for minors.
House Bill 1466: Authored by Rep. Chris Sneed, R-Fort Gibson, HB 1466 would prohibit gender-affirming care for minors and revoke the license of any healthcare provider who administers such care for minors.
Senate Bills 786, 787, 788 and 789: Authored by Standridge, SB 786, SB 787, SB 788 and SB 789 would prohibit gender-affirming care for minors, and allows anyone who received such care to bring action against their parent who consented and the health care provider.
Senate Bill 250: Authored by Dahm, SB 250 prohibits healthcare providers from receiving reimbursement through Medicaid or other federal or state programs from gender-affirming procedures.
Senate Bill 614: Authored by Daniels, SB 614 would prohibit healthcare professionals from providing gender-affirming care for minors.
Senate Bill 129: Authored by Bullard, the "Milestone Act of 2023" would prohibit healthcare professionals from administering gender-affirming care for anyone under 26 years old, and bans public funds from being used for such procedures for people under 26.
House Bill 2177: Authored by West, HB 2177 would prohibit health care providers from administering gender-affirming care for minors, and bans public funds from being used for such procedures for minors.
Oklahoma bills limiting LGBTQ+-related speech and expression
House Bill 3217: Authored by West, the "Patriotism Not Pride Act," would prohibit state agencies from displaying flags that represent sexual orientation or gender identity on state property. The bill also would ban state agencies from using any funds ― federal or private — to develop, administer, engage in, promote or endorse any activity that aims to promote or recognize Pride Month or any event with a similar theme.
House Bill 2736: Authored by Rep. Collin Duel, R-Guthrie, would prohibit drag performances in the presence of minors.
House Bill 2186: Authored by Rep. West, would prohibit adult cabaret performances in the presence of minors and subjects anyone found in violation of the bill to a misdemeanor, punishable by up to one year in county jail or a fine of up to $1,000.
Oklahoma bills limiting the ability to accurately identify someone
Senate Bills 1530: Authored by Sen. Jessica Garvin, R-Duncan, the "Women's Bill of Rights" would require the state and any political subdivision collecting statistics to include the identification or any person in the data collection as either male or female.
House Bill 3219: Authored by West, HB 3219 would prohibit Oklahomans from amending the biological sex designation on a birth certificate.
Senate Bills 1731 and 251: Authored by Dahm, SB 1731 and SB 251 would prohibit public entities from recognizing genders outside of "male" or "female."
Senate Bill 1831: Authored by Bullard, SB 1831 would define the terms father, female, gender, male, man/boy, mother, natural person, sex and woman/girl for statutory construction purposes.
House Bill 3022: Authored by Rep. Justin Humphrey, R-Lane, HB 3022 would require incarcerated individuals in state correctional facilities to use restrooms, changing rooms and sleeping quarters that correspond with their sex assigned at birth.
Anti-LGBTQ+ laws allowing for religious exemptions
House Bill 3543: Authored by Rep. Sherrie Conley, R-Newcastle, the "Oklahoma Freedom of Religious Expression Act" would allow certain Judeo-Christian teachings and lessons to be taught in schools, including the shortcomings of historically significant Judeo-Christian figures. The bill would also permit the singing of traditional songs and music, like Christmas carols, and allow the discussion for "intelligent design in correspondence with other relevant scientific study and information concerning the origin of species and the natural laws of the universe as provided by the Oklahoma Academic Standards." The act would prohibit excluding the impact Judeo-Christian values have had.
Senate Bill 1883: Authored by Sen. Paul Rosino, R-Oklahoma City, SB 1883 would prohibit any health care institution or payor from being required to participate in or pay for health care service that violates their conscience.
Senate Bills 1984 and 968: Authored by Jett, Senate Bills 1984 and 968 would allow school districts to contract with a chaplain to perform the duties of a school counselor, and does not require them to meet certification requirements.
House Bill 3214: Authored by Rep. Kevin West, R-Oklahoma City, the "Medical Ethics Defense Act" would grant a medical practitioner, healthcare institution or health care player the ability to decline a medical procedure that "violates" their conscience. It would also allow a religious medical practitioner, healthcare institution or health care player to make employment, staffing, contracting and admitting privilege decisions consistent with its religious beliefs. HB 3214 would not allow a medical provider to be scheduled for, assigned to or requested to perform, facilitate, refer for or participate in an abortion unless the practitioner consents in writing.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma legislature considering 54 bills targeting LGBTQ+ issues: List