Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB1243 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

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3		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1243 Page 1 1
	3	+	HB1243 HFLR Page 1
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28		-	ENGROSSED HOUSE
29		-	BILL NO. 1243 By: Strom, Deck, and Fugate of
30		-	the House
	29	+	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
	30	+
	31	+	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
	32	+
	33	+	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
	34	+
	35	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
	36	+	FOR
	37	+	HOUSE BILL NO. 1243 By: Strom of the House
31	38
32	39		and
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34	41		Hicks of the Senate
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	46	+
	47	+	COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE
39	48
40	49		An Act relating to career and technology education;
41	50		creating the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech
42	51		Assistance Act; providing short title; defining
43	52		terms; creating the Oklahoma National Guard
44	53		CareerTech Assistance Program to provide tuition
45	54		assistance to certain eligible members; providing for
46	55		amount of assistance subject to availability of
47	56		funding; limiting assistance to certain number of
48	57		years; allowing establishment of certain cap;
49	58		prohibiting assistance for courses ta ken in excess of
50	59		certain requirements; providing fo r eligibility;
51	60		providing eligibility retention requirements;
52	61		providing application process; allowing denial of
53	62		continued assistance for failure to meet certain
54	63		requirements; requiring repayment of assistance for
55	64		failure to meet certain requirement; providi ng for
56	65		calculation of repayment amount; allowing for
57	66		application of hardship waiver; directing certain
58	67		notification on available funding; providing for
59	68		promulgation of rules and regulations; directing
60	69		coordination of rules and regulations; creating the
61	70		Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
62	71		Revolving Fund; specifying source of fund; providing
63	72		for expenditures; providing purpose of fund;
64	73		providing for codification; providing an effective
65	74		date; and declaring an emergency.
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72		-	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
73		-
74		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1243 Page 2 1
	77	+	HB1243 HFLR Page 2
	78	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	103	+
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	107	+
	108	+	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
99	109		SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
100	110		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 14 -140 of Title 70, unless there
101	111		is created a duplica tion in numbering, reads as follows:
102	112		A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma
103	113		National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act".
104	114		B. As used in this act:
105	115		1. "Eligible Guard member" means a current member of the
106	116		Oklahoma National Guard in good standing who has a high school
107	117		diploma or who has completed General Educational Development (GED)
108	118		requirements and who has enrolled in a technology center school;
109	119		2. "Program" means the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech
110	120		Assistance Program established pu rsuant to the provisions of this
111	121		act; and
112	122		3. "Technology center school" means a technology center school
113	123		district under the governance of the State Board of Career and
114	124		Technology Education.
115	125		C. 1. There is hereby created the Oklahoma National Guard
116	126		CareerTech Assistance Program to provide assistance to e ligible
117	127		Guard members who enroll in a technology center school. Subject to
118	128		the availability of funds, the amount of assistance shall be
119		-	equivalent to the amount of tuition for a career and technology
120		-	program in which the eligible Guard member is enrolled leading to
121		-	certification or licensure, not to exceed a maximum of three (3)
122		-	years.
123	129
124		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1243 Page 3 1
	130	+	HB1243 HFLR Page 3
	131	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	156	+	equivalent to the amount of tuition for a career and technology
	157	+	program in which the eligible Guard member is enrolled leading to
	158	+	certification or licensure, not to exceed a maximum of three (3)
	159	+	years.
149	160		2. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
150	161		granted, without any limitation other than the amount of funds
151	162		available for the program and the number of eligible Guard members
152	163		who apply, subject to any cap established by the Military Department
153	164		of the State of Oklahoma.
154	165		3. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall not be
155	166		allowed for courses taken in exce ss of the requirements for
156	167		completion of a technolo gy center school program leading to
157	168		certification or licensure.
158	169		D. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
159	170		allocated to the technology center school from the Oklahoma National
160	171		Guard CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to
161	172		Section 2 of this act.
162	173		E. To be eligible to apply for the program, an eligible Guard
163	174		member shall:
164	175		1. Have at least one (1) year remaining on his or her
165	176		enlistment contract at the beginning of any semester for which the
166	177		member applies for assistance pursua nt to this section;
167	178		2. Agree in writing to complete his or her current service
168	179		obligation in the Oklahoma National Guard; and
169		-	3. Agree in writing to serve actively in good standing with the
170		-	Oklahoma National Guard for not less tha n twenty-four (24) months
171		-	after completion of the last semester for which the member receives
172		-	assistance pursuant to this act.
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174		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1243 Page 4 1
	181	+	HB1243 HFLR Page 4
	182	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	207	+	3. Agree in writing to serve actively in good standing with the
	208	+	Oklahoma National Guard for not less than twenty -four (24) months
	209	+	after completion of the last semester for which the member receives
	210	+	assistance pursuant to this act.
199	211		F. To retain eligibility for the program, an eligible Guard
200	212		member shall:
201	213		1. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory progress
202	214		according to standards of the technology center school in which the
203	215		member is enrolled;
204	216		2. Maintain the requirements for retention and completion as
205	217		established by the technology center school in which the member is
206	218		enrolled;
207	219		3. Maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0
208	220		scale;
209	221		4. Maintain satisfactory participation in the Oklahoma National
210	222		Guard; and
211	223		5. Possess a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) or Air Force
212	224		Specialty Code (AFSC) after his or her firs t semester.
213	225		G. An eligible Guard member seeking as sistance pursuant to the
214	226		provisions of this act shall submit an application on a form
215	227		prescribed by the Military Department of the State of Oklahoma to
216	228		the Educational Service Office of the Military Department prior to
217	229		the semester for which assistance is sought. The eligible Guard
218	230		member's Commander or his or her designee shall confirm a member's
219		-	standing and eligibility to the technology ce nter school in which
220		-	the student is enrolled. The Military Department may establish a
221		-	cap on the number of eligible Guard members allowed to participate
222		-	per semester per technology center school program.
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224		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1243 Page 5 1
	232	+	HB1243 HFLR Page 5
	233	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	258	+	standing and eligibility to the technology center school in which
	259	+	the student is enrolled. The Military Depar tment may establish a
	260	+	cap on the number of eligible Guard members allowed to participate
	261	+	per semester per technology center school program.
249	262		H. The eligible Guard member's Commander may deny an
250	263		application submitted by an eligible Guard member for continued
251	264		program assistance if he or she fails to comply w ith the provisions
252	265		of paragraph 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 of subsection F of this section.
253	266		I. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance
254	267		pursuant to the provisions of this act and who fails to co mply with
255	268		the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsecti on F of this section shall
256	269		be required to repay an amount to be calculated as follows:
257	270		1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursuant
258	271		to the provisions of this act;
259	272		2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this
260	273		subsection by twenty-four (24); and
261	274		3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this
262	275		subsection by the number of months the member did not fulfill the
263	276		requirements of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section.
264	277		Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma Natio nal Guard
265	278		CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2
266	279		of this act.
267	280		J. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance
268	281		pursuant to the provisions of this act and who fails to comply with
269		-	the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section due to
270		-	hardship circumstances may request a waiver from repayment. A
271		-	waiver request shall be submitted in writ ing to the Adjutant
272		-	General.
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274		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1243 Page 6 1
	283	+	HB1243 HFLR Page 6
	284	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	309	+	the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section due to
	310	+	hardship circumstances may request a waiver from repayment. A
	311	+	waiver request shall be submitted in writing to the Adjutant
	312	+	General.
299	313		K. By July 1 annually, the State Bo ard of Career and Technology
300	314		Education shall notify the Adjutant General of the amount of funding
301	315		available in the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
302	316		Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this act.
303	317		L. The State Board of Career and Technology Education shall
304	318		promulgate rules to impleme nt the provisions of this act including
305	319		deadlines for submission of applications required by subsection G of
306	320		this section. The Military Department of the State of Oklahoma
307	321		shall promulgate regulations per taining to the application process
308	322		and the determination of eligibility for the program. The Board and
309	323		the Department shall coordinate the promulgation of rules and
310	324		regulations, respectively. The Adjutant General may promulgate
311	325		regulations to implement the provisions of this act.
312	326		SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
313	327		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 14 -141 of Title 70, unless there
314	328		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
315	329		There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
316	330		for the State Board of Career and Technology Education to be
317	331		designated the "Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
318	332		Revolving Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject
319		-	to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all m onies received
320		-	by the State Board of Career and Technology Education from state
321		-	appropriations provided for the purpose of implementing the
322		-	provisions of Section 1 of this act. All monies accruing to the
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324		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 1243 Page 7 1
	334	+	HB1243 HFLR Page 7
	335	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	360	+	to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all monies received
	361	+	by the State Board of Career and Technology Education from state
	362	+	appropriations provided for the purpose of implementing the
	363	+	provisions of Section 1 of this act. All monies accruing to the
349	364		credit of the fund are h ereby appropriated and may be budgeted and
350	365		expended by the State Board of Career and Technology Education for
351	366		the purpose of providing assistance to eligible Guard members
352	367		pursuant to the provisions of Section 1 of this act. Expenditures
353	368		from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State
354	369		Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the
355	370		Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for
356	371		approval and payment.
357	372		SECTION 3. This act shall become effective Jul y 1, 2025.
358	373		SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
359	374		of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
360	375		declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
361	376		be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
362		-	Passed the House of Representatives the 11th day of March, 2025.
363	377
364		-
365		-
366		-
367		-	Presiding Officer of the House
368		-	of Representatives
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372		-	Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2025.
373		-
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377		-	Presiding Officer of the Senate
	378	+	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMI TTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET , dated
	379	+	03/03/2025 - DO PASS, As Amended and Coauthored.
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