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28	28	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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30	30	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
31	31
32	32	HOUSE BILL 2212 By: Lay
33	33
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38	38	AS INTRODUCED
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40	40	An Act relating to labor; amending Section 5, Chapter
41	41	361, O.S.L. 2023 (40 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 904),
42	42	which relates to the Oklahoma Work force Commission
43	43	responsibilities; adding oversight duties;
44	44	establishing the Oklahoma Registered Apprenticeship
45	45	Program; defining terms; providing qualifications and
46	46	eligibility; establishing funding; authorizing income
47	47	tax credit for certain qualified emp loyers;
48	48	authorizing income tax credit for certain qualified
49	49	apprentices; providing for credit amount; prohibiting
50	50	use of tax credit to reduce income tax liability
51	51	amount less than zero; providing for carryover;
52	52	providing for codification; and providing an
53	53	effective date.
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58	58	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
59	59	SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 5, Chapter 361, O.S.L.
60	60	2023 (40 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 904), is amended to read as
61	61	follows:
62	62	Section 904. The Oklahoma Workforce Commission shall have the
63	63	following powers, duties, and responsibi lities:
64	64	1. To administer the provisions of this act or any duty as
65	65	directed by statute;
66	66	2. To establish an office for the Commission within this state;
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93	93	3. To elect whatever ot her officers may be necessary to direct
94	94	operations of the Commission;
95	95	4. To employ or contract for personnel and administrative
96	96	support as the Commission deems appropriate to carry out the purpose
97	97	and provisions of this act, including but not limited to a nonprofit
98	98	corporation to carry out the Commission 's objectives, an Executive
99	99	Director or other chief executive officer and any other employees or
100	100	contractors the Commission deems appropriate, and to prescribe their
101	101	duties and fix their compensation;
102	102	5. To administer the Workforce Coordination Revolving Fund
103	103	created in Section 255.4 of Title 62 of the Oklahoma Statutes;
104	104	6. To approve or disapprove the budget of the Commission;
105	105	7. To promulgate rules to carry out the provisions of this act;
106	106	8. To enter into contracts or agreements for studies,
107	107	professional services, grant administ ration and procurement,
108	108	research projects, supplies, or any other services the Commission
109	109	deems necessary to carry out its purpose, and to incur those
110	110	expenses necessary to carry out those purposes;
111	111	9. To cooperate with any private, local, state, or national
112	112	commission, organization, agency, or group and to make contracts and
113	113	agreements for joint programs beneficial to Oklahoma 's workforce
114	114	development efforts;
115	115	10. To accept donations, grants, contributions, and gifts from
116	116	any public or private source and deposit such in the Workforce
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143	143	Coordination Revolving Fund, created in Section 255.4 of Title 62 of
144	144	the Oklahoma Statutes;
145	145	11. To oversee and direct to the extent permitted by la w the
146	146	activities and administration of the Governor 's Council for
147	147	Workforce and Economic Development, including but not limited to the
148	148	creation and submission of state plans to the federal government
149	149	pursuant to the provisions of the Workforce Innovation a nd
150	150	Opportunity Act;
151	151	12. To collect data from federal, state, and local agenci es,
152	152	departments, educational institutions, boards, commissions, or any
153	153	other entities including, but not limited to:
154	154	a. number of participants in workforce development
155	155	programming,
156	156	b. cost per participant,
157	157	c. wages before and after participation in programs,
158	158	d. degree or certificate conferred on each participant,
159	159	e. number of jobs open needing degrees or certificates,
160	160	f. labor force and economic information, and
161	161	g. any other information the Commission deems appropriate
162	162	to guide funding decisions, facilitate its work or the
163	163	work of workforce development entities in the state,
164	164	or to understand the impact of the state 's workforce
165	165	efforts and programming;
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192	192	13. To create and maintain a public dashboard and create
193	193	reports with data concerning workforce development efforts in the
194	194	state. All state and local agencies, departments, educational
195	195	institutions, boards, commissions, and other public entities shall
196	196	cooperate with information and d ata requests from the Commission or
197	197	its designees. It is the intent of the Le gislature that the
198	198	Oklahoma Workforce Commission serve as the centralized data and
199	199	information repository for workforce development activities for the
200	200	state; and
201	201	14. To make recommendations to the Legislature to improve
202	202	workforce development programs in the state ; and
203	203	15. To administer the Oklahoma Registered Apprenticeship
204	204	Program (ORAP) with a focus on developing, registering, and
205	205	monitoring apprenticeships statewide .
206	206	SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
207	207	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 910 of Title 40, unless there is
208	208	created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
209	209	The Oklahoma Registered Apprenticeship Program (ORAP) is hereb y
210	210	established and is subject to the provisions under this act. This
211	211	act seeks to modernize and expand apprenticeship opportunities
212	212	across Oklahoma, aligning with federal and state workforce goals,
213	213	while fostering inclusion, equity, and economic growth.
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240	240	SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
241	241	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 911 of Title 40, unless there is
242	242	created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
243	243	A. As used in this section, unless used in a context th at
244	244	clearly requires a different meaning, the term:
245	245	1. "Apprenticeship" or "apprenticeship program " means an
246	246	apprenticeship program registered under the federal National
247	247	Apprenticeship Act, 29 U.S.C. , Section 50 et seq., or another
248	248	federal apprenticeship p rogram administered by the United States
249	249	Department of Labor's Office of Apprenticeship;
250	250	2. "Associate of applied science degree " means an associate-
251	251	level college degree with a focus on a particular applied science or
252	252	technical skill designed for students planning to enter the
253	253	workforce upon degree completion ;
254	254	3. "Eligible course" means any class or program of instruction
255	255	offered at a public community and technical college for which the
256	256	eligible student receives credit toward the general education
257	257	requirements that lead to an associate of applied science degree.
258	258	Applied academics for adult education instruction, developmental
259	259	education, physical education courses, and recreation and leisure
260	260	studies courses are not eligible courses for purposes of this
261	261	program;
262	262	4. "Eligible student" means any person who has graduated from
263	263	high school or has obtained a general equivalency diploma or other
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290	290	approved equivalency -based test, is eighteen (18) years of age or
291	291	older, and is an apprentice or participating in an app renticeship
292	292	program as verified by the registered apprenticeship program who
293	293	registers to participate in the program. Eligible student also
294	294	includes journeyworkers who have received a certificate recognized
295	295	by the United States Department of Labor ; and
296	296	5. "Student-apprentice" means a student who has been accepted
297	297	into and is participating in the program created in this section.
298	298	B. Under the supervision of the Oklahoma Workforce Commission ,
299	299	the Chancellor shall establish the ORAP program whereby the state 's
300	300	public community and technical colleges may offer general education
301	301	courses to eligible students in a manner and on a timeline that will
302	302	allow the eligible student to earn at least fifteen (15) credit
303	303	hours of general education courses toward an associa te of applied
304	304	science degree.
305	305	1. To be eligible for the ORAP program, an individual must be
306	306	enrolled in an apprenticeship program recognized by the United
307	307	States Department of Labor 's Office of Apprenticeship or must have
308	308	received a United States Departme nt of Labor Certificate of
309	309	Completion of Apprenticeship.
310	310	2. An apprentice or journeyworker may apply for enrollment in
311	311	the ORAP program at the next available program offering.
312	312	3. Student-apprentices shall complete and pass all general
313	313	education coursework within six (6) years from the initial date of
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340	340	enrollment in the ORAP program or within two (2) years after
341	341	completing the apprentice program, whichever is longer.
342	342	Journeyworkers shall complete and pass all general education
343	343	coursework within six (6) years from the initial date of enrollment.
344	344	SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
345	345	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 912 of Title 40, unless there is
346	346	created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
347	347	For employers to be eligible under Oklahoma Registered
348	348	Apprenticeship Program (ORAP), the employer must:
349	349	1. Register apprenticeships with the Oklahoma Workforce
350	350	Commission and submit detailed workplans;
351	351	2. Establish a wage schedule and benefits based on skill level;
352	352	and
353	353	3. Ensure apprenticeships are accessible and inclusive to
354	354	underrepresented groups.
355	355	SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
356	356	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 913 of Title 40, unless there is
357	357	created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
358	358	Per Section 904 of Title 40 of the Oklahoma Statutes , the
359	359	Oklahoma Workforce Commission has the following duties:
360	360	1. Serve as the coordinating body for apprenticeship programs
361	361	and ensure alignment with the state 's economic priorities;
362	362	2. Collect data on apprenticeship participation, completion
363	363	rates, and economic outcomes;
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390	390	3. Maintain a public dashboard to tract program metrics and
391	391	promote transparency; and
392	392	4. Create and maintain the Oklahoma Apprenticeship Grant Fund.
393	393	SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
394	394	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 914 of Title 40, unless there is
395	395	created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
396	396	Funding for ORAP is established under the Oklahoma Work force
397	397	Commission to cover tuition, tools, and other necessary resources to
398	398	ensure success in apprenticeships.
399	399	SECTION 7. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
400	400	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 2357.901 of Title 68, unless
401	401	there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
402	402	A. As used in this section:
403	403	1. "Qualified employer" means any lawful business entity that
404	404	is authorized to participate in an apprenticeship program; and
405	405	2. "Qualified apprentice " means a person enrolled in secondary
406	406	or postsecondary Career and Technical Education (CTE) programs.
407	407	B. For taxable years beginning after December 31, 2025, there
408	408	shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed pursuant to
409	409	Section 2355 of Title 68 of the Oklahoma Statutes in the amount of:
410	410	1. Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for each
411	411	qualified employer participating in a qualified apprenticeship
412	412	program; and
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439	439	2. Five Hundred Dollars ($500.00) for each qualified
440	440	apprentice.
441	441	C. The tax credit authoriz ed by this section may not be used to
442	442	reduce the income tax liability of the t axpayer to less than zero
443	443	(0).
444	444	D. To the extent not used, the tax credit authorized by this
445	445	section may be carried over, in order, to each of the five (5)
446	446	succeeding tax years.
447	447	SECTION 8. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
448	448
449	449	60-1-11281 TKR 01/16/25

Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2212 Compare Versions