Legislation that would mandate open meetings whenever the officials at the Oklahoma Secondary School Activities Association (OSSAA) determine students’ eligibility to participate in extracurricular activities has advanced from a state Senate committee.

House Bill 2153, by state Rep. Rob Hall and state Sen. Avery Frix, mandates that all OSSAA hearings, particularly hearings regarding “rule violations, eligibility determinations, and requests for hardship waivers,” must be conducted in an open meeting that members of the public can attend.

The OSSAA, which has been deemed a “state actor” by the courts, has been embroiled in repeated controversies in recent years over alleged inconsistent application of the organization’s rules when students transfer to a new district and seek to participate in extracurricular activities, ranging from band to drama to football.

Critics have argued that the OSSAA board, which is mostly composed of school district coaches or similar officials, has effectively undercut the state’s open-transfer law to reduce competition for the OSSAA board members’ own districts.

During a November 2025 legislative hearing, lawmakers were told that OSSAA officials had often been not only inconsistent but also arbitrary in their rulings, depriving numerous students of participation in sporting events, including youths dealing with family tragedies or escaping abuse at a prior school.

HB 2153 passed the Senate Education Committee on a 7-3 vote after brief discussion. The bill now advances to the floor of the Oklahoma Senate.