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ENGROSSED SENATE
BILL NO. 654 By: Rosino of the Senate
and
Burns of the House
An Act relating to postsecondary education; creating
the Captain Steven L. Farley Goldstar Families Act;
providing short titl e; providing certain tuition
waivers for surviving spouses and children of certain
military members killed after certain date; providing
eligibility; providing retention eligibility;
directing certain federal benefits to be exhausted
prior to waiving of ce rtain tuition; providing for
promulgation of rules; providing for codification;
providing an effective date; and declaring an
emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new sect ion of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3234 of Title 70, unless there
is created a duplication in numb ering, reads as follows:
A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Captain
Steven L. Farley Goldstar Families A ct”.
B. The surviving spouse and ch ildren of a member of any branch
of the United States Armed Forces who was killed in action or killed
in the performance of his or her duty after September 11, 20 01,
shall be eligible for a waiver of:
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1. Undergraduate resident tuition at institutions with in The
Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. A student shall be
eligible for a tuition waiver for up to five (5) years or completion
of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree, wh ichever comes
first; or
2. Resident tuition for a postsecondary pr ogram at a technology
center school operating under the State Board of Career and
Technology Education. Students shall be eligible for a tuition
waiver for up to five (5) years or completi on of a certificate,
whichever comes first.
C. To be eligible for a tuition waiver, a student shall:
1. Be a resident of this state; and
2. Have secured admission to and enrolled in a n institution
within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education or a
postsecondary program at a technology center school operating under
the State Board of Career and Technology Education.
D. To retain eligibility for a tuition waiver , the student
shall maintain good academic standing and s atisfactory progress
according to standards of the Oklahoma State Regen ts for Higher
Education or the State Board of Career and Technology Education .
E. A student seeking a tuition waiver pur suant to this section
who is eligible for federal education benefits shall exhaust all
available federal benefits. Any amount of tuiti on owed after
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federal benefits are exhausted shall be waived by the institution of
higher education or the technology center school.
F. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the
State Board of Career a nd Technology Education shall promulgate
rules to implement the provisions of this section.
SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
Passed the Senate the 8th day of March, 2023.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________,
2023.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives