Governor Stitt Signs Bill to Increase Transparency and Restore Local Control in High School Activities

OKLAHOMA CITY (May 15, 2026) - Governor Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 2153 into law, opening the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association’s (OSSAA) decisions to the public eye and ending penalizing student athletes for transferring schools.

House Bill 2153 requires OSSAA to conduct eligibility, rule violation, and hardship waiver hearings in meetings that are open to the public and subject to the Oklahoma Open Meeting Act.

The law also removes from state statute the automatic one-year “sit out” period that has prevented many transfer students from competing in athletics after changing schools.

“I’ve heard too many stories of students who did everything right to transfer, only to be sidelined by an unelected, unaccountable activities association,” said Governor Stitt. “No student’s chance to be a part of an activity should depend on whether their parents can afford an attorney. This law puts families, not bureaucracies, at the center.”

Under HB 2153, OSSAA has full authority to set eligibility standards and guard against unfair competitive advantages but must do so through procedures that are visible to parents, students, and schools. The law applies to all OSSAA sanctioned activities.

“In my 2026 State of the State, I made it clear that our goal is to protect the American Dream in Oklahoma by putting students and parents first,” Stitt said. “No child’s opportunities should be limited by their zip code. HB 2153 is another step toward an education system where families have real choices and where every student can succeed."

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