The state of Oklahoma has adopted the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance definition into its state law, with Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt signing two related bills on Tuesday.
The first bill – SB 942 – defines antisemitism according to the IHRA definition, including all 11 modern examples, as well as mandating the definition’s incorporation into student, faculty, and employee codes of conduct.
This bill also intersects with the implementation of Title VI of the US Civil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits discrimination based on race, color, or national origin in programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.
As such, Oklahoma’s Education Department and its Higher Education bodies will now need to designate a Title VI coordinator to monitor antisemitic discrimination and harassment and investigate all submitted complaints, according to the wording of the bill.
As a result, any school that fails to address complaints of antisemitism after receiving a written notice will have the case reported to the US Justice and Education departments.
The second bill – SB 991 – adopts the IHRA definition into state law, making Oklahoma the 37th state to have either adopted or endorsed the definition, according to the Combat Antisemitism Movement.
According to the bill, the definition is to be used as a guide for “training, education, and recognizing and combating antisemitic hate crimes.”
Governor Stitt previously endorsed the definition in January 2022. The bills themselves were brought to a vote at the Oklahoma House of Representatives in April 2025, where they passed by majorities of 56-29 and 62-24, respectively.
Senator Kristen Thompson, who sponsored the bill alongside Rep. Emily Gise, said, “Oklahoma has always stood against hate, and today we move one step closer to ensuring our universities are equipped to recognize and respond decisively to antisemitism.”
'Hate has no place in Oklahoma'
“With this legislation, we send a clear message: hate has no place in Oklahoma,” she added.
“We can’t combat what we can’t define,” said Rep. Gise. “This framework is going to help us understand what is and isn’t antisemitism.”
Oklahoma’s House of Representatives said Gise’s inspiration for the bill derived from her position as a former student leader with ‘Sooners for Israel.’ Here, she reportedly saw “firsthand the harassment and isolation Jewish students endured simply for expressing their identity, an experience that left a lasting impression and continues to fuel her commitment to this work.”Oklahoma signs IHRA definition of antisemitism into state law