The civic record
Read. Follow. Verify.Oklahoma creates Education Employee Assistance Program for school staff
Last action · February 11, 2025: Referred to Appropriations and Budget Education Subcommittee
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What This Bill Proposed
House Bill 1589 establishes a voluntary Education Employee Assistance Program within the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services to provide assessment, referral, and counseling support for school district employees and their families, effective July 1, 2025.
Public school employees gain access to confidential personal, mental health, and substance abuse support services, while districts retain full authority to discipline staff regardless of program participation.
- House Bill 1589 was introduced in the first session of the 60th Oklahoma Legislature by Representative Johns. context
Who It Would Have Affected
Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.
school district employees
Employees gain access to voluntary, confidential assessment and referral services for personal and health issues while retaining their existing employment and disciplinary terms.
public school districts
Districts may receive management assistance for employees and must ensure any local employee assistance programs comply with state Board rules.
Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services
The Department is tasked with creating, administering, and contracting out services for the new Education Employee Assistance Program.
Key Facts
You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is participation in the Education Employee Assistance Program mandatory for school employees?
Are employee participation records kept in regular personnel files?
Can school districts still operate their own employee assistance programs?
What else do you want to know?
News Coverage
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Votes, people, money & the original sourceWhere This Stands
This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.
Procedural history
6 actions- Feb 11, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Appropriations and Budget Education Subcommittee
- Feb 10, 2025HouseCommitteeReferred to Appropriations and Budget
- Feb 10, 2025HouseCommitteeWithdrawn from Rules Committee
- Feb 4, 2025HouseCommitteeSecond Reading referred to Rules
- Feb 3, 2025HouseAuthored by Representative Johns
- Feb 3, 2025HouseIntroducedFirst Reading
Version history
Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.
View official text →Lobbying Activity
No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.
Full breakdown
Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.
Discoveries
Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.
Centralized Employee Support
Shifts oversight of specialized employee assistance resources to the Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services while setting baseline rules for local district programs.
Connected Entities
Sources
www.oklegislature.gov
Analysis Score
0–100- Significance20Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 60)
- Controversy15Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
- Entertainment5Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
- Buzz30Current news / social attention level
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