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ENGROSSED HOUSE AMENDME NT
TO
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 codificat ion;
providing an effective date; and declaring an
emergency.
AUTHOR: Add the following House coauthor: Menz
AMENDMENT NO. 1. Strike the title, enacting clause, and entire bill
and insert:
"[ postsecondary education - Captain Steven L. Farley
Gold Star Families Act - tuition waivers for
surviving spouses and children of military members
- retention eligibility - federal benefits –
eligibility for members in technology cent er school
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certificate programs – requirements – Oklahoma
National Guard Educational Certificate Program
Assistance Revolving Fund – source of funds –
reporting requirements – promulgation of rules –
codification – effective date –
emergency ]
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3234 of Title 70, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Captain
Steven L. Farley Gold Star Families Act”.
B. The surviving spouse and children of a member of any branch
of the United States Armed Forces who was ki lled in action or killed
in the performance of his or her d uty after September 11, 2001,
shall be eligible for a waiver of:
1. Undergraduate resident tuition, mand atory fees, and academic
service fees at institutions within The Oklahoma State System of
Higher Education. A student shall be eligible for a tuition and
fees waiver for up to five (5) years or completion of the
requirements for a baccalaureate degree, wh ichever comes first; or
2. Resident tuition and mandatory fees for a postsecondary
program at a technology center school operating under the State
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Board of Career and Technology Education. Students shall be
eligible for a tuition and fees waiver for up t o five (5) years or
completion of a certificate, whichever comes first.
C. To be eligible f or a tuition and fees waiver, a student
shall:
1. Be a resident of this state; and
2. Have secured admission to and enrolled in an institution
within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education or a
postsecondary program at a technology center school o perating under
the State Board of Career and Technology Edu cation.
D. To retain eligibility for a tuition and fees waiver, the
student shall maintain good academic standing and satisfactory
progress according to standards of the Oklahoma State Regents for
Higher Education or the State Board of Career and Technolo gy
Education.
E. A student seeking a tuition and fees waiver pursuant to this
section who is eligible fo r federal education benefits shall exhaust
all available federal benefits. Any amount of tu ition and fees owed
after federal benefits are exhausted sh all 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 and Technology Education shal l promulgate
rules to implement the provisions of this sect ion.
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SECTION 2. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 24, O.S.L. 2022
(70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 3231), is amended to read as follows:
Section 3231. A. This act shall be known a nd may be cited as
the "Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Act".
B. As used in this act:
1. "Oklahoma educational institution" means an institution of
higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
Education or a technology center school operating under the State
Board of Career and Tech nology Education;
2. "Eligible Guard member" means a current member of the
Oklahoma National Guard in go od standing who has a high school
diploma or who has completed General Educa tional Development (GED)
requirements and who has secured admission to and enrolled in an
Oklahoma educational institution;
3. "Certificate program" means a program offered by an Oklahoma
educational institution that leads to the award of a postsecondary
certificate;
4. "Graduate program" means a program offered by an Oklahoma
educational institution that lead s to the award of a master's
degree;
4. 5. "Program" means the Oklahoma National Guard Educational
Assistance Program established pursuant to the p rovisions of this
section; and
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5. 6. "Undergraduate program" means a progr am offered by an
Oklahoma educational institution that leads to the award of an
associate's degree or a b accalaureate degree.
C. There is hereby created the Oklahoma National Guard
Educational Assistance Program to provide assistance to eligible
Guard members who enroll in an Oklahoma ed ucational institution.
Subject to the availability of funds, the amount of assistance shall
be equivalent to the amount of resident tuition, mandat ory fees, and
academic service fees for courses in which the eligible Guard member
is enrolled, not to excee d a maximum of eighteen (18) credit hours
each semester.
1. The amount of assistance provided to an eligible Guard
member enrolled in an undergradu ate program shall not exceed a
maximum of one hundred twenty (120) credit h ours in pursuit of an
associate's degree and/or a baccalaureate degree.
2. Subject to the assistance for eligible Guard members
enrolled in undergraduate programs being fully funde d, assistance
shall be provided to an eligible Guard member with a baccalau reate
degree enrolled in a gradua te program. The amount of assistance
provided to an eligible Guard memb er enrolled in a graduate program
shall not exceed a maximum of forty (40) c redit hours in pursuit of
a master's degree.
3. Assistance provided pursua nt to this section shall be
granted without any limitation other than the amount of funds
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available for the Program and the number of eligible Guard members
who apply.
4. Assistance allowed by this section shall not be allowed for
courses taken in excess of the requirements for completio n of a
certificate program, an undergraduate program , or a graduate
program, whichever is applicable for the eligible Guard member.
D. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
allocated to the Oklahoma educati onal institution from the Oklahom a
National Guard Educational Assistance Revolving Fund created
pursuant to Section 2 3232 of this act title and the Oklahoma
National Guard Educatio nal Certificate Program Assistance Revolving
Fund created pursuant to Secti on 3 of this act.
E. To be eligible to apply for the Program, an eligible Guard
member shall:
1. Have at least one (1) year remaining on his or her
enlistment contract at the begi nning of any semester for which the
member applies for assistance pursuant to this section;
2. Agree in writing to complete his or her current service
obligation in the Oklahoma N ational Guard; and
3. Agree in writing to serve actively in good standing w ith the
Oklahoma National Guard for not less than twenty -four (24) months
after completion of the last semes ter for which the member receives
assistance pursuant to this section.
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F. To retain eligibility for the Program, an eligible Guard
member shall:
1. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory academic
progress according to standards of the Oklahoma educational
institution in which the member is enrolled;
2. Maintain the requirements for retention and certificate or
degree completion as establi shed by the Oklahoma educational
institution in which the member is enrolle d;
3. Maintain a minimum grade p oint average of 2.0 on a 4.0
scale; and
4. Maintain satisfactory partic ipation in the Oklahoma National
Guard.
G. An eligible Guard member seeking assistance pursuant to the
provisions of this section shall submit an appl ication on a form
prescribed by the Military Department of the State of Oklahoma to
the Educational Servi ce Office of the Military Department prior to
the semester for which assista nce is sought. The eligible Guard
member's Commander or his or her designe e shall confirm a member's
standing and eligibility to the Oklahoma educational institution in
which the student is enrolled.
H. The eligible Guard member's Commander may deny an
application submitted by an eligible Guard member for continued
Program assistance if he or she fails to comp ly with the provisions
of paragraph 1, 2, or 3 of subsection F of this s ection.
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I. An eligible Guard member who has received Program assistance
pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply
with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsec tion F of this section
shall be required to repay an amount to be calcul ated as follows:
1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursu ant
to the provisions of this section;
2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this
subsection by twenty-four (24); and
3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this
subsection by the number of months the member did not fulfill the
requirements of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section.
Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma National Guard
Educational Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant t o Section 2
3232 of this act title and the Oklahoma National Guard Educational
Certificate Program Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to
Section 3 of this act.
J. An eligible Guard member who has received Program assistance
pursuant to the provisi ons of this section and who fails to comply
with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section
due to hardship circumstances may reques t a waiver from repayment.
A waiver request shall be submitted in writing to the Adjutant
General.
K. By July 1 annually, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
Education and the State Board of Ca reer and Technology Education
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shall notify the Adjutant Gen eral of the amount of funding ava ilable
in the Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Revolving F und
created pursuant to Section 2 3232 of this act title and the
Oklahoma National Guard Edu cational Certificate Program Assistance
Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 3 of this act.
L. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the
State Board of Career and Technology Education shall promulgate
rules to implement the provisions of this act including deadlines
for submission of applicati ons required by subsection G of t his
section. The Adjutant General may promulgate regulations to
implement the provisions of this act.
SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3232. 1 of Title 70, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
for the State Board of Career and Technology Educ ation to be
designated the "Oklahoma National Guard Educati onal Certificate
Program Assistance Revolving Fund". The fund shall be a continuing
fund, not subject to fis cal year limitations, and shall consist of
all monies received by the State Board of Car eer and Technology
Education from state appropriations. Al l monies accruing to the
credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted a nd
expended by the State Board of Career and Technology Education for
the purpose of providing assistance to eligible Oklahoma National
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Guard members pursuant to the p rovisions of Section 3231 of Title 70
of the Oklahoma Statutes. Expenditures from the fu nd shall be made
upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claim s filed as
prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of Management and
Enterprise Services for approval and payment.
SECTION 4. This act shall become effecti ve July 1, 2023.
SECTION 5. It being immediately necessar y 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 af ter its passage and approval."
Passed the House of Representatives the 27th day of April, 2023.
Presiding Officer of the House of
Representatives
Passed the Senate the ____ day of _______ ___, 2023.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
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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 Golds tar 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 6. 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 7. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
SECTION 8. 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