Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma House Bill HB2257 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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3		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 2257 Page 1 1
	3	+	HB2257 HFLR Page 1
	4	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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28		-	ENGROSSED HOUSE
29		-	BILL NO. 2257 By: Miller of the House
	29	+	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
	30	+
	31	+	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
	32	+
	33	+	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
	34	+
	35	+	HOUSE BILL 2257 By: Miller of the House
30	36
31	37		and
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33	39		Stanley of the Senate
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	45	+	AS INTRODUCED
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40	47		An Act relating to higher education; amending 70 O.S.
41	48		2021, Section 3231, which relates to the Oklahoma
42	49		National Guard Educational Assistance Act; including
43	50		program fees; requiring joint approval of fees;
44	51		authorizing cap; requiring certain specialty to
45	52		retain eligibility; authorizing Military Department
46	53		to promulgate regulations; requiring collaboration on
47	54		rules; and providing an effective date .
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52	59		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
53	60		SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 3231, is
54	61		amended to read as follows:
55	62		Section 3231. A. This act shall be known and may be cited as
56	63		the "Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Act ".
57	64		B. As used in this act:
58	65		1. "Oklahoma educational institution " means an institution of
59	66		higher education within The Oklahoma S tate System of Higher
60	67		Education;
61		-	2. "Eligible Guard member " means a current member of the
62		-	Oklahoma National Guard in goo d standing who has a high school
63		-	diploma or who has completed General Educational Development (GED)
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65		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 2257 Page 2 1
	69	+	HB2257 HFLR Page 2
	70	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	95	+	2. "Eligible Guard member " means a current member of the
	96	+	Oklahoma National Guard in good standing who has a high school
	97	+	diploma or who has completed General Educational Development (GED)
90	98		requirements and who has secured ad mission to and enrolled in an
91	99		Oklahoma educational institution;
92	100		3. "Graduate program" means a program offered by an Oklahoma
93	101		educational institution that leads to the award of a master 's
94	102		degree;
95	103		4. "Program" means the Oklahoma National Guard Educational
96	104		Assistance Program established pursuant to the provisions of this
97	105		section; and
98	106		5. "Undergraduate program " means a program offered by an
99	107		Oklahoma educational institution that leads to the award of an
100	108		associate's degree or a baccalaureate degree.
101	109		C. There is hereby created the Oklahoma National Guard
102	110		Educational Assistance Program to provide assistance to eligible
103	111		Guard members who enroll in an Oklahoma educational institution.
104	112		Subject to the availability of funds, the amount of assistance shall
105	113		be equivalent to the amount of resident tuition , and approved
106	114		mandatory fees, program fees, and academic service fees , and any
107	115		other fees for courses in which the eligible Guard member is
108	116		enrolled, not to exceed a maximum of eighteen (18) credit hours each
109	117		semester. The amount of mandatory fees, program fees, academic
110	118		service fees, and any other fees shall be jointly reviewed and
111		-	approved by the State Regents for Higher Education and the Military
112		-	Department of the State of Oklahoma before a determination to pay
113		-	the fees is made.
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115		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 2257 Page 3 1
	120	+	HB2257 HFLR Page 3
	121	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	146	+	approved by the State Regents for Higher Education and the Military
	147	+	Department of the State of Oklahoma before a determination to pay
	148	+	the fees is made.
140	149		1. The amount of assistance provided to an eligible Guard
141	150		member enrolled in an undergraduate program shall not exceed a
142	151		maximum of one hundred twenty (120) credit hours in pursuit of an
143	152		associate's degree and/or a baccalaureate degree.
144	153		2. Subject to the assistance for eligible Guard members
145	154		enrolled in undergraduate programs being fully funded, assistance
146	155		shall be provided to an eligible Guard member with a baccalaureate
147	156		degree enrolled in a graduate program. The amount of assistance
148	157		provided to an eligible Guard member enrolled in a graduate program
149	158		shall not exceed a maximum of forty (40) credit hours in pursuit of
150	159		a master's degree.
151	160		3. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
152	161		granted without any limitation other than the am ount of funds
153	162		available for the Program and the number of eligible Guard members
154	163		who apply subject to any cap established by the Military Department .
155	164		4. Assistance allowed by this section shall not be allowed for
156	165		courses taken in excess of the requirement s for completion of an
157	166		undergraduate program or a graduate program, whichever is applicable
158	167		for the eligible Guard member.
159	168		D. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
160	169		allocated to the Oklahoma educational institution from the Oklahoma
161		-	National Guard Educational Assistance Revolving Fund created
162		-	pursuant to Section 2 3232 of this act title.
163	170
164		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 2257 Page 4 1
	171	+	HB2257 HFLR Page 4
	172	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	197	+	National Guard Educational Assistance Revolving Fund created
	198	+	pursuant to Section 2 3232 of this act title.
189	199		E. To be eligible to apply for the Program, an eligible Guard
190	200		member shall:
191	201		1. Have at least one (1) year remaining on his or her
192	202		enlistment contract at t he beginning of any semester for which the
193	203		member applies for assistance pursuant to this section;
194	204		2. Agree in writing to complete his or her current service
195	205		obligation in the Oklahoma National Guard; and
196	206		3. Agree in writing to serve actively in good sta nding with the
197	207		Oklahoma National Guard for not less than twenty -four (24) months
198	208		after completion of the last semester for which the member receives
199	209		assistance pursuant to this section.
200	210		F. To retain eligibility for the Program, an eligible Guard
201	211		member shall:
202	212		1. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory academic
203	213		progress according to standards of the Oklahoma educational
204	214		institution in which the member is enrolled;
205	215		2. Maintain the requirements for retention and degree
206	216		completion as established by the Oklahoma educational institution in
207	217		which the member is enrolled;
208	218		3. Maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0
209	219		scale; and
210		-	4. Maintain satisfactory participation in the Oklahoma National
211		-	Guard; and
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213		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 2257 Page 5 1
	221	+	HB2257 HFLR Page 5
	222	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	247	+	4. Maintain satisfactory participation in the Oklahoma National
	248	+	Guard; and
238	249		5. Possess a Military Occupational Spec ialty (MOS) or Air Force
239	250		Specialty Code (AFSC) after his or her first semester .
240	251		G. An eligible Guard member seeking assistance pursuant to the
241	252		provisions of this section shall submit an application on a form
242	253		prescribed by the Military Department of the St ate of Oklahoma to
243	254		the Educational Service Office of the Military Department prior to
244	255		the semester for which assistance is sought. The Military
245	256		Department may establish a cap on the number of students per program
246	257		per semester to approve. The eligible Guard member's Commander or
247	258		his or her designee shall confirm a member 's standing and
248	259		eligibility to the Oklahoma educational institution in which the
249	260		student is enrolled.
250	261		H. The eligible Guard member 's Commander may deny an
251	262		application submitted by an eligi ble Guard member for continued
252	263		Program assistance if he or she fails to comply with the provisions
253	264		of paragraph 1, 2, or 3 of subsection F of this section.
254	265		I. An eligible Guard member who has received Program assistance
255	266		pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply
256	267		with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section
257	268		shall be required to repay an amount to be calculated as follows:
258	269		1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursuant
259	270		to the provisions of this se ction;
260		-	2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this
261		-	subsection by twenty -four (24); and
262	271
263		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 2257 Page 6 1
	272	+	HB2257 HFLR Page 6
	273	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	298	+	2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this
	299	+	subsection by twenty -four (24); and
288	300		3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this
289	301		subsection by the number of months the member did not fulfill the
290	302		requirements of paragraph 4 of su bsection F of this section.
291	303		Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma National Guard
292	304		Educational Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2
293	305		3232 of this act title.
294	306		J. An eligible Guard member who has received Program assistance
295	307		pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply
296	308		with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section
297	309		due to hardship circumstances may request a waiver from repayment.
298	310		A waiver request shall be submitted in writing to the Adjutan t
299	311		General.
300	312		K. By July 1 annually, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
301	313		Education shall notify the Adjutant General of the amount of funding
302	314		available in the Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance
303	315		Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 3232 of this act title.
304	316		L. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall
305	317		promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this act including
306	318		deadlines for submission of applications required by subsection G of
307	319		this section. The Military Department of t he State of Oklahoma
308	320		shall promulgate regulations pertaining to the application process
309	321		and the determination of eligibility for the assistance program.
310		-	The State Regents for Higher Education and Military Department shall
311		-	coordinate the promulgat ion of rules and regulations to ensure
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313		-	ENGR. H. B. NO. 2257 Page 7 1
	323	+	HB2257 HFLR Page 7
	324	+	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
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	349	+	The State Regents for Higher Education and Military Department shall
	350	+	coordinate the promulgat ion of rules and regulations to ensure
338	351		compatibility. The Adjutant General may promulgate regulations to
339	352		implement the provisions of this act.
340	353		SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2025.
341		-	Passed the House of Representatives the 3rd day of March, 2025.
342	354
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345		-
346		-	Presiding Officer of the House
347		-	of Representatives
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349		-
350		-	Passed the Senate the _____ day of __________, 2025.
351		-
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354		-
355		-	Presiding Officer of the Senate
	355	+	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON EDUCATIO N OVERSIGHT, dated
	356	+	02/26/2025 – DO PASS.