This bill amends Section 1-109 of Title 70 of the Oklahoma Statutes, which pertains to the length of the school year for public schools. It allows school districts and certain charter schools to include emergency virtual days in their policies, specifying that these days can be used for reasons such as inclement weather, teacher illness, or building maintenance issues. The bill mandates that if a school district decides to use an emergency virtual day, they must notify the State Department of Education within 72 hours, and the Department will determine compliance with the provisions outlined. If the use of virtual instruction does not comply, the school must provide an additional day of in-person instruction.

Additionally, the bill establishes requirements for the amount of virtual instruction that must be delivered during these emergency days, including a minimum of 5.5 hours for grades K-8 and 6 hours for grades 9-12, with specific synchronous instruction hours required. The State Department of Education is tasked with auditing compliance and reporting on the use of emergency virtual days annually. The bill also clarifies that it does not affect the rights of school districts to require teachers to work beyond the mandated instructional hours and updates statutory language and references. The act is set to take effect on July 1, 2025, and includes an emergency clause for immediate implementation upon passage.