OK
Oklahoma Senate Bill SB55

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB55 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.
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5353 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
5454
5555 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023)
5656
5757 SENATE BILL 55 By: Stanley
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6363 AS INTRODUCED
6464
6565 An Act relating to the Oklahoma National Gua rd
6666 Educational Assistance Act; amending Section 1,
6767 Chapter 24, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 202 2, Section
6868 3231), which relates to creation of the Oklahoma
6969 National Guard Educational Assist ance Program;
7070 increasing maximum number of hours in a gr aduate
7171 program for which assistance may be provided;
7272 modifying eligibility cr iteria; removing language
7373 regarding repayment of assistance under certain
7474 circumstances; providing for ineligibility under
7575 certain circumstances; modifying language regarding
7676 submission of certai n hardship waiver request;
7777 updating statutory references; providing an effective
7878 date; and declaring an emergency .
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8383 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
8484 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 24, O.S.L. 2022
8585 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, Section 32 31), is amended to read as follows:
8686 Section 3231. A. This act shall be known and may be c ited as
8787 the “Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Act”.
8888 B. As used in this act:
8989 1. “Oklahoma educational insti tution” means an institution of
9090 higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
9191 Education;
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143143 2. “Eligible Guard member” means a current member of the
144144 Oklahoma National Guard in good standing who has a high school
145145 diploma or who has completed General Educational Development (GED)
146146 requirements and who has secured admission to and enrolled in an
147147 Oklahoma educational institution;
148148 3. “Graduate program” means a program offered by an Oklahoma
149149 educational institution that leads to the award of a master’s
150150 degree;
151151 4. “Program” means the Oklahoma National Guard Educational
152152 Assistance Program established pursuant to the provisions of this
153153 section; and
154154 5. “Undergraduate program” means a program offered by an
155155 Oklahoma educational institution that leads to the award of an
156156 associate’s degree or a baccalaureate degree.
157157 C. There is hereby created the Oklahoma National Guard
158158 Educational Assistance Program to provide assistance to eligible
159159 Guard members who enroll in an Oklahoma educational institution.
160160 Subject to the availability of funds, t he amount of assistance shall
161161 be equivalent to the amount of resident tuition, mandatory fees, and
162162 academic service fees for courses in which the eligible Guard member
163163 is enrolled, not to exceed a maximum of eighteen (18) credit hours
164164 each semester.
165165 1. The amount of assistance provided to an eligible Guard
166166 member enrolled in an undergraduate program shall not exceed a
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218218 maximum of one hundred twenty (120) credit hours in pursu it of an
219219 associate’s degree and/or a baccalaureate degree.
220220 2. Subject to the assistance for eli gible Guard members
221221 enrolled in undergraduate programs being fully funded, assistance
222222 shall be provided to an eligible Guard member with a baccalaureate
223223 degree enrolled in a graduate program. The amount of assistance
224224 provided to an eligible Guard member e nrolled in a graduate program
225225 shall not exceed a maximum of forty (40) sixty (60) credit hours in
226226 pursuit of a master’s degree.
227227 3. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
228228 granted without any limitation other than the amount of fun ds
229229 available for the Program and the number of eligible Guard members
230230 who apply.
231231 4. Assistance allowed by this section shall not be allowed for
232232 courses taken in excess of the requireme nts for completion of an
233233 undergraduate program or a graduate program, whichever is applicable
234234 for the eligible Guard member.
235235 D. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
236236 allocated to the Oklahoma educational institution from the Oklahoma
237237 National Guard Educational Assis tance Revolving Fund created
238238 pursuant to Section 2 of this act Section 3232 of this title.
239239 E. To be eligible to apply for the Program, an eligible Guard
240240 member shall:
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292292 1. Have have at least one (1) year ninety (90) days remaining
293293 on his or her enlistment contract at the beg inning of any semester
294294 for which the member applies for assistance pursuant to this
295295 section;
296296 2. Agree in writing to complete his or her current service
297297 obligation in the Oklahoma Nationa l Guard; and
298298 3. Agree in writing to serve actively in good standing with the
299299 Oklahoma National Guard for not less than twenty-four (24) months
300300 after completion of the last semester for which the member receives
301301 assistance pursuant to this section.
302302 F. To retain eligibility for the Program, an eligible Guard
303303 member shall:
304304 1. Maintain good academic standing a nd satisfactory academic
305305 progress according to stand ards of the Oklahoma educational
306306 institution in which the member is enrolled;
307307 2. Maintain the requ irements for retention and degree
308308 completion as established by the Ok lahoma educational institution in
309309 which the member is enrolled;
310310 3. Maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0
311311 scale; and
312312 4. Maintain satisfactory participation in the Oklahoma National
313313 Guard.
314314 G. An eligible Guard member seeking assistance pursuant to the
315315 provisions of this sec tion shall submit an application on a form
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367367 prescribed by the Military Department of the State of Oklahoma to
368368 the Educational Service Office of the Military Department prior to
369369 the semester for which assistance is sought. The eligible Guard
370370 member’s Commander or his or her designee shall confirm a member’s
371371 standing and eligibility to the Oklahoma educational institution in
372372 which the student is enrolled.
373373 H. The eligible Guard member’s Commander may deny an
374374 application submitted by an eligible Guard member for continued
375375 Program assistance if he or she fails to comply with the provision s
376376 of paragraph 1, 2, or 3 of subsection F of this section .
377377 I. An eligible Guard member who has received Program assistance
378378 pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply
379379 with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this sectio n
380380 shall be required to repay an amount to be calculated as follows:
381381 1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursuant
382382 to the provisions of this section;
383383 2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this
384384 subsection by twenty-four (24); and
385385 3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this
386386 subsection by the number of months the member did not fulfill the
387387 requirements of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section.
388388 Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma National Guard
389389 Educational Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2
390390 of this act ineligible for future assistance .
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442442 J. An eligible Guard member who has received Program as sistance
443443 pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply
444444 with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section
445445 due to hardship circumstances may request a waiver from repayment.
446446 A submit a waiver request shall be submitted in writing to the
447447 Adjutant General.
448448 K. J. By July 1 annually, the Oklahoma State Re gents for Higher
449449 Education shall notify the Adjutant General o f the amount of funding
450450 available in the Okl ahoma National Guard Educati onal Assistance
451451 Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this act Section
452452 3232 of this title.
453453 L. K. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall
454454 promulgate rules to implement the provision s of this act the
455455 Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Act including
456456 deadlines for submission of applications required by subsection G of
457457 this section. The Adjutant General may promulgate regulations to
458458 implement the provisions of this act.
459459 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023.
460460 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
461461 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
462462 declared to exist, by reason whereof thi s act shall take effect and
463463 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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465465 59-1-766 EB 12/20/2022 9:17:38 AM