Committee approves adding students to Governmental Tort Claims Act for experiential learning

Oklahoma City — The House committee approved House Bill 3037, sponsored by Representative LePak, to add students acting under the direction of a professor to the definition of "employee" for the limited purpose of claims under the Governmental Tort Claims Act. LePak said the change is intended to protect professors and institutions in experiential learning settings where students are working in the community as part of coursework.

LePak described examples such as semester classes that produce goods or services and noted that proceeds often go to charity; he said the change "limits what we're really talking about is a tort claim" and is not intended to expand payroll or HR obligations. Representative Deck asked whether the change would include student athletes and what impact labeling them as employees would have on university employee counts or benefits; LePak said the provision is focused on tort liability and that the bill's scope does not itself resolve all employment or NIL issues.

Action: After discussion the committee moved the bill and the motion passed on a recorded vote (tally recorded as 7 ayes, 2 nays). The bill will be reported as passed by the committee.