Oklahoma 2025 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB31 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

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3		-	SB31 HFLR Page 1
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	3	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 31 Page 1 1
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28		-
29		-	HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION
30		-
31		-	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
32		-
33		-	1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
34	27
35	28		ENGROSSED SENATE
36	29		BILL NO. 31 By: Hicks, Stanley, and Alvord
37	30		of the Senate
38	31
39	32		and
40	33
41	34		Strom of the House
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44	37
45	38		[ career and technology education - tuition
46	39		assistance - cap - eligibility - requirements -
47	40		application process - repayment of assistance -
48	41		hardship waiver - notification - rules and
49	42		regulations - fund - expenditures - codification -
50	43		effective date -
51	44		emergency ]
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57	50		BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
58	51		SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
59	52		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 14 -140 of Title 70, unless there
60	53		is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
61	54		A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the “Oklahoma
62	55		National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act ”.
63	56		B. As used in this act:
64	57		1. “Technology center school ” means a technology center school
65	58		under the governance of the State Board of Career and Technology
66	59		Education;
	60	+	2. “Eligible Guard member ” means a current member of the
	61	+	Oklahoma National Guard in good standing who has a high scho ol
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68		-	SB31 HFLR Page 2
69		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	63	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 31 Page 2 1
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94		-	2. “Eligible Guard member” means a current member of the
95		-	Oklahoma National Guard in good standing who has a high school
96	88		diploma or who has completed General Educational Development (GED)
97	89		requirements and who has enrolled in a technology center school; and
98	90		3. “Program” means the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech
99	91		Assistance Program established pursuant to the provisions of this
100	92		section.
101	93		C. 1. There is hereby created the Oklahoma National Guard
102	94		CareerTech Assistance Program to provi de assistance to eligible
103	95		Guard members who enroll in a technology center school. Subject to
104	96		the availability of funds, the amount of assist ance shall be
105	97		equivalent to the amount of tuition for a career and technology
106	98		program in which the eligible Guard member is enrolled leading to
107	99		certification or licensure, not to exceed a maximum of three (3)
108	100		years.
109	101		2. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
110	102		granted without any limitation other than the amount of funds
111	103		available for the program and the n umber of eligible Guard members
112	104		who apply, subject to any cap established by the Military Department
113	105		of the State of Oklahoma.
114	106		3. Assistance allowed by this section shall not be allowed for
115	107		courses taken in excess of the requirements for completion of a
116	108		technology center school program leading to certification or
117	109		licensure.
	110	+	D. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
	111	+	allocated to the technology center school from the Oklahoma National
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119		-	SB31 HFLR Page 3
120		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	113	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 31 Page 3 1
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145		-	D. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
146		-	allocated to the technology center school from the Oklahoma National
147	138		Guard CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuan t to
148	139		Section 2 of this act.
149	140		E. To be eligible to apply for the program, an eligible Guard
150	141		member shall:
151	142		1. Have at least one (1) year remai ning on his or her
152	143		enlistment contract at the beginning of any semester for which the
153	144		member applies for assistance pursuant to this section;
154	145		2. Agree in writing to complete his or her current service
155	146		obligation in the Oklahoma National Guard; and
156	147		3. Agree in writing to serve actively in good standing with the
157	148		Oklahoma National Guard for not less than twenty -four (24) months
158	149		after completion of the last semester for which the member receives
159	150		assistance pursuant to this section.
160	151		F. To retain eligibility f or the program, an eligible Guard
161	152		member shall:
162	153		1. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory progress
163	154		according to standards of the technology center school in which the
164	155		member is enrolled;
165	156		2. Maintain the requirements for retention and completion as
166	157		established by the technology center school in which the member is
167	158		enrolled;
	159	+	3. Maintain a minimum grade point of average of 2.0 on a 4.0
	160	+	scale;
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169		-	SB31 HFLR Page 4
170		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	162	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 31 Page 4 1
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195		-	3. Maintain a minimum grade point of average of 2.0 on a 4.0
196		-	scale;
197	187		4. Maintain satisfactory participation in the Oklahoma National
198	188		Guard; and
199	189		5. Possess a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) or Air Force
200	190		Specialty Code (AFSC) after his or her first semester.
201	191		G. An eligible Guard member seeking assistance pursuant to the
202	192		provisions of this section shall submit an application on a form
203	193		prescribed by the Military Department of the State of Oklahoma to
204	194		the Educational Service Office of the Military Department prior to
205	195		the semester for which assistance is sought. The eligible Guard
206	196		member’s Commander or his or her designee shall confirm a member ’s
207	197		standing and eligibility to the technology center school in which
208	198		the student is enrolled. The Military Department may establish a
209	199		cap on the number of eligible Guard members allowed to participate
210	200		per semester per technology center school program.
211	201		H. The eligible Guard member ’s Commander may deny an
212	202		application submitted by an eligible Guard member for continued
213	203		program assistance if he or she fails to comply with the provisions
214	204		of paragraph 1, 2, 3 , 4, or 5 of subsection F of this section.
215	205		I. An eligible Guard member seeking assi stance pursuant to this
216	206		section who is eligible for federal education benefits for
217	207		vocational training shall exhaust all such federal benefits, when
218	208		available, first.
	209	+	J. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance
	210	+	pursuant to the provisio ns of this section and who fails to comply
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220		-	SB31 HFLR Page 5
221		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	212	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 31 Page 5 1
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246		-	J. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance
247		-	pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply
248	237		with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section
249	238		shall be required to repay an amount to be calculated as follows:
250	239		1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursuant
251	240		to the provisions of this section;
252	241		2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this
253	242		subsection by twenty -four (24); and
254	243		3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this
255	244		subsection by the number of months the member did not fulfill the
256	245		requirements of paragr aph 4 of subsection F of this section.
257	246		Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma National Guard
258	247		CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2
259	248		of this act.
260	249		K. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance
261	250		pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply
262	251		with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section
263	252		due to hardship circumstances may request a waiver from repayment.
264	253		A waiver request shall be submitted in writing to the Adjutant
265	254		General.
266	255		L. By July 1 annually, the State Board of Career and Technology
267	256		Education shall notify the Adjutant Gene ral of the amount of funding
268	257		available in the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
269	258		Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of t his act.
	259	+	M. The State Board of Career and Technology Education shall
	260	+	promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this act including
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271		-	SB31 HFLR Page 6
272		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	262	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 31 Page 6 1
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297		-	M. The State Board of Career and Technology Education shall
298		-	promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this act including
299	287		deadlines for submission of applications required by subsection G of
300	288		this section. The Military Department of the Stat e of Oklahoma
301	289		shall promulgate regulations pertaining to the application process
302	290		and the determination of eligibili ty for the program. The Board and
303	291		the Department shall coordinate the promulgation of rules and
304	292		regulations, respectively. The Adjutant General may promulgate
305	293		regulations to implement the provisions of this act.
306	294		SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
307	295		in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 14 -141 of Title 70, unless there
308	296		is created a duplication in numberi ng, reads as follows:
309	297		There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
310	298		for the State Board of Career and Technology Education to be
311	299		designated the “Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
312	300		Revolving Fund”. The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject
313	301		to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all monies received
314	302		by the State Board of Career and Technology Education from state
315	303		appropriations provided for the purpose of implementing the
316	304		provisions of Section 1 of this act . All monies accruing to the
317	305		credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and
318	306		expended by the State Boar d of Career and Technology Education for
319	307		the purpose of providing assistance to eligible Guard members
320	308		pursuant to the provisions of Section 1 of this act. Expenditures
	309	+	from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State
	310	+	Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the
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322		-	SB31 HFLR Page 7
323		-	BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments. 1
	312	+	ENGR. S. B. NO. 31 Page 7 1
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348		-	from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State
349		-	Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the
350	337		Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for
351	338		approval and payment.
352	339		SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
353	340		SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
354	341		of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
355	342		declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
356	343		be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
	344	+	Passed the Senate the 24th day of March, 2025.
357	345
358		-	COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET, dated
359		-	04/16/2025 - DO PASS, As Amended.
	346	+
	347	+
	348	+	Presiding Officer of the Senate
	349	+
	350	+
	351	+	Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________,
	352	+	2025.
	353	+
	354	+
	355	+
	356	+	Presiding Officer of the House
	357	+	of Representatives
	358	+