The House of Representatives unanimously passed a measure that would provide Oklahoma school teachers some financial relief when they spend money out of pocket for their classrooms.

House Bill 2502, by House Speaker Charles McCall, would provide a $1,000 tax credit that teachers can claim for classroom expenditures and fees associated with the teacher certification process. In households with two teachers, both could claim the tax credit. The credit could be claimed for the tax year beginning January 1, 2020.

HB2502 passed out of the House by a vote of 96-0 and now heads to the Senate .

The House also passed a bill aimed at reducing the skyrocketing costs of the flexible benefit amount for teachers.

House Bill 2470 by McCall would substantially increase the “in lieu of” amount for teachers that opt out of receiving the flexible benefit allowance for health insurance. The state provides a benefit for teachers of $594 each month for teachers to use to purchase health insurance.

 Under current law, a teacher that opts out of the flexible benefit allowance receives an in lieu of amount of $69 per month. This bill would increase that amount to $300 per month.

“The current rate is simply not a fair amount for an in lieu of benefit allowance,” said McCall, R-Atoka. “This plan would be completely voluntary, and it would provide those teachers who may have health coverage through other means an incentive to opt out and save the state the full amount of providing that benefit.”

House Bill 2470 passed by a vote of 96-1 and now heads to the Senate.