House committee discards bill requiring potty training before pre-K
A House committee on Wednesday rejected a bill to require potty training for children entering pre-K and passed legislation banning cellphones in schools. (Photo by Kyle Phillips/For Oklahoma Voice)
OKLAHOMA CITY — A bill that would require children to be toilet trained before entering pre-K has failed in a House vote.
The House Common Education Committee struck down Senate Bill 382 by vote of 8-3 on Wednesday.
The bill would have permitted public schools to temporarily withdraw a student after three or more soiling incidents until the child is toilet trained. Schools also could connect families with toilet training resources.
Students with disabilities would have been exempt from the rule.
The legislation from Sen. David Bullard, R-Durant, and Rep. Marilyn Stark, R-Bethany, passed almost unanimously through the full Senate. Bullard said a lack of toilet training puts 'an undue burden on the schools.'
But, a bipartisan group of House lawmakers opposed it on Wednesday. The committee panned the bill without discussion nor debate.
Rep. Ellen Pogemiller, D-Oklahoma City, said after the meeting that the bill could impact children who haven't yet been recognized as having a disability. Some children aren't identified for disability assistance until after they are enrolled in school, she said.
Toileting resistance is more common among young children who have autism or developmental delays, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
'That bill wasn't going to help the kids that need it most,' Pogemiller said.
Also on Wednesday, the committee advanced a bill with an 8-3 vote that would ban students from using cellphones in public schools for a year. Senate Bill 139 would allow districts to decide whether to keep the cellphone ban in place after the 2025-26 school year.
A similar bill that originated in the House passed through the Senate Education Committee the day before. House Bill 1276 would require districts to implement a policy restricting cellphone use during the school day, but it would allow local school boards to opt out and continue permitting cellphones if they wish.
Lawmakers from both chambers now will have to negotiate which bill language they prefer to send to the governor's desk.
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