HCR 1025

1  ENGROSSED HOUSE
 CONCURRENT
2  RESOLUTION NO. 1025  By: Hilbert, Kerbs, Crosswhite
                                          Hader, Cantrell, and
3Hasenbeck of the House
4and
5Pugh of the Senate
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7A Concurrent Resolution supporting the elimination of
        the United States Department of Education and urging
8the United States Congress to fully cooperate with
        such efforts.
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11     WHEREAS, the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
12 clearly states that the powers not delegated to the federal
13 government by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States,
14 are reserved to the States or to the people; and
15     WHEREAS, education is not enumerated as a responsibility of the
16 federal government by the United States Constitution; and
17     WHEREAS, the creation of the United States Department of
18 Education in 1980 has led to significant federal overreach in
19 education through burdensome regulations and one-size-fits-all
20 mandates; and
21     WHEREAS, despite substantial increases in education funding,
22 with the Oklahoma Legislature increasing education-related funding
23 by nearly seventy-five percent (75%) since 2018, gaps in meeting
24 educational needs continue to cause Oklahoma students to suffer; and
 ENGR. H. C. R. NO. 1025  Page 1
1     WHEREAS, student outcomes in Oklahoma remain alarming, with only
2  approximately one in four Oklahoma students performing at grade
3  level in reading or mathematics, indicating that most students are
4  not proficient in either subject; and
5     WHEREAS, Oklahoma's low academic outcomes reflect a systemic
6  pattern of underperformance across grade levels, subject areas, and
7  student populations, rather than isolated deficiencies in any single
8  group or measure; and
9     WHEREAS, Oklahoma's current low educational ranking is not
10 inevitable, as the state previously performed near the national
11 average and has declined significantly in recent years while other
12 states with similar challenges and demographics have improved,
13 demonstrating that state and local education policies materially
14 impact student outcomes and that increased local control and
15 innovation are critical to reversing this decline; and
16    WHEREAS, national fourth- and eighth-grade reading scores remain
17 roughly unchanged since the early 1990s when measurements first
18 began; and
19    WHEREAS, national student reading scores have been on a decline
20 since 2019 with approximately forty percent (40%) of fourth graders
21 reading below a basic reading level based on national standards,
22 which is the largest percentage since 2002, and one-third (1/3) of
23 eighth graders having failed to meet national reading benchmarks,
24 which is the largest percentage ever; and
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1WHEREAS, states and local communities possess unique knowledge
2  of their students' educational needs and are best positioned to
3  develop the curriculum and policies that reflect their values and
4  priorities; and
5WHEREAS, President Donald J. Trump has publicly expressed a
6  desire to eliminate the United States Department of Education and
7  rightfully return primary authority over education to the states;
8  and
9WHEREAS, the elimination of the United States Department of
10 Education is not only a constitutional necessity and consistent with
11 the spirit of the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution,
12 but could ensure more efficient use of taxpayer dollars and improve
13 student outcomes through greater state and local control.
14NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
15 OF THE 2ND SESSION OF THE 60TH OKLAHOMA LEGISLATURE, THE SENATE
16 CONCURRING THEREIN:
17THAT the Oklahoma House of Representatives and the Oklahoma
18 State Senate support federal efforts to eliminate the United States
19 Department of Education and urge the United States Congress to fully
20 cooperate with these efforts.
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1      Adopted by the House of Representatives the 21st day of April,
 2026.
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4Presiding Officer of the House
                                                 of Representatives
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    Adopted by the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2026.
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9Presiding Officer of the Senate
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