[Oasfaa] State Legislative Update as of 4/24/23

[Fair, Bryce]

Following is an update on the status of bills since April 17.  The next legislative deadline is this Thursday, April 27 for bills that are still alive to be passed on the floor in the opposite house.

Bills Signed by the Governor:

  *   HB 2885 - Ok. National Guard program funding

Bills that have passed both Houses and have been sent to the Governor:

  *   HB 1443 - Ok. Student Borrowers Bill of Rights amendments

Bills that passed in a committee/subcommittee since 4/14/23:

  *   SB 11 - OTAG eligibility for incarcerated persons (see committee amendment in bill description).
  *   SB 654 - Captain Steven L. Farley Goldstar Families Act

Bills added to the list

  *   SB 600 - Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship tax credit for donations to college foundations for scholarships (Note: the contents from HB 2318, which is now dormant and has been deleted from the list, were amended into SB 600 in the House Appropriations and Budget Committee.)

Bills deleted from the list

  *   SB 529 - Oklahoma Teacher Corps Scholarship Program
  *   HB 2318 - Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship tax credit for donations to college foundations for scholarships (Note: the contents from this bill were amended into SB 600)
  *   HB 2555 - Oklahoma Critical Industries Scholarship
  *   HB 2718 - Oklahoma Promise Opportunity Scholarship (Note: the contents of this bill were amended into SB 322)
[Note: HB 2663 - related to in-state tuition status for military personnel and dependents, would have been deleted but the Senate last week withdrew a second committee assignment for the bill which means the bill is still alive and is now pending consideration on the Senate floor.]


FAFSA
SB 93 (Sen. Dave Rader and Rep. Anthony Moore): Beginning with the 2024-25 school year, requires students to complete and submit a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) in order to graduate from a public high school accredited by the State Board of Education. It provides exemptions authorizing parents to opt the student out of the requirement. The bill requires the State Department of Education to develop and publish materials for students, parents, and legal guardians explaining the requirements to complete the FAFSA, the benefits to completing the FAFSA, the opt-out provisions and to provide an opt-out form to be used by school districts, charter schools, and virtual charter schools.

Status: Referred to Senate Education Committee; passed Senate Education Committee 2/21/23 (12 aye, 0 nay); passed Senate floor 3/9/23 (37 ayes, 8 nays); to House Common Education Committee; transferred to House Higher Ed & Career Tech Comm and passed on 4/10/23 (9 aye, 0 nay); next to House floor.
Current Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20FLR/HFLR/SB93%20HFLR.PDF


Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Program
HB 2885 (Rep. Kevin Wallace and Sen. Roger Thompson): Appropriates $9 million to pay for the 2022-23 costs of the Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Program.

Status: Passed the Joint Committee on Appropriations and Budget Committee 4/5/23 (House members voted 31 aye, 0 nay; Senate members voted 20 aye, 0 nay), passed House floor 4/10/23 (93 aye, 0 nay); passed Senate floor 4/13/23 (42 aye, 0 nay); signed by the Governor 4/17/23.
Current Text: https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/legislation/59th/2023/1R/HB/2885.pdf


Oklahoma's Promise
SB 27 (Sen. Dewayne Pemberton and Rep. Ken Luttrell): Oklahoma's Promise. Allows completion of the "core" high school curriculum rather than the current required college preparatory high school curriculum for students seeking admission to a technology center school overseen by the State Board of Career and Technology Education.  Also specifies an equivalent SAT score to the required ACT score for homeschool students and students graduating from non-accredited high schools.

Status: Referred to Senate Education Committee and then to Senate Appropriations Committee; passed Senate Education Committee 2/7/23 (11 aye, 0 nay, title stricken); passed Senate Appropriations Committee 2/15/23 (21 aye, 0 nay); passed Senate floor 3/2/23 (47 aye, 0 nay); passed House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education 4/3/23 (13 aye, 0 nay), amended and passed the full House Appropriations and Budget Committee 4/13/23 (33 aye, 0 nay); to the House floor.
Current Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20FLR/HFLR/SB27%20HFLR.PDF


Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant (OTAG)
SB 11 (Sen. Dave Rader and Rep. Daniel Pae): Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant - OTAG. Authorizes persons incarcerated in a state, federal or private correctional facility to be eligible to receive an OTAG award.  Deletes the current prohibition.  The bill was amended in the House Appropriations and Budget Committee to require that the incarcerated person must be within five years of release and may not be enrolled in a program structured primarily for virtual learning.

Status: Referred to Senate Education Committee and then to Senate Appropriations Committee; passed Senate Education Committee 2/7/23 (11 aye, 1 nay, title stricken); passed Senate Appropriations Committee 2/15/23 (21 aye, 0 nay); passed Senate floor 2/28/23 (42 aye, 1 nay); passed House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education 4/3/23 (10 aye, 3 nay), amended and passed the full House Appropriations and Budget Committee 4/20/23 (27 aye, 6 nay); next to House floor.
Current Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20FLR/HFLR/SB11%20HFLR.PDF

SB 322 (Sen. Ally Seifried and Rep. Mark McBride): Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant - OTAG/ Oklahoma Promise Opportunity Scholarship. Makes comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs approved by the U.S. Department of Education for students with intellectual and developmental disabilities eligible to participate in the OTAG program.
Note:  The bill was amended in the House Appropriations and Budget Committee to include the language that was previously in HB 2718 creating the Oklahoma Promise Opportunity Scholarship to provide a tuition scholarship for students with intellectual disabilities participating in comprehensive transition and postsecondary programs.  Defines eligibility and application process.

Status: passed to Senate Education Committee 2/14/23 (12 aye, 0 nay); passed Senate floor 3/9/23 (45 aye, 1 nay); passed House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education 4/3/23 (13 aye, 0 nay), passed as amended by House Appropriations and Budget Committee 4/13/23 (32 aye, 0 nay); to House floor.
Current Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20FLR/HFLR/SB322%20HFLR.PDF


Student Borrower Bill of Rights
HB 1443 (Rep. Melissa Provenzano and Sen. John Michael Montgomery): Amends the Oklahoma Student Borrowers Bill of Rights.  Clarifies that student loan servicers must inform student loan borrowers if their type of loan does not qualify for loan forgiveness programs.

Status: Passed House Committee on Banking, Financial Services and Pensions 2/22/23 (11 aye, 0 nay); passed House floor 3/23/23 (89 aye, 0 nay); passed the Senate Business and Commerce Committee 4/10/23 (10 aye, 0 nay); passed Senate floor 4/20/23 (46 aye, 0 nay); to the Governor.
Current Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20ENR/hB/HB1443%20ENR.PDF


Teacher Scholarships
HB 2559 (Rep. Mark McBride and Sen. Dewayne Pemberton): Changes the name of the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program to the "Inspired to Teach Program".  Allows students completing high school homeschool instruction or General Educational Development (GED) test requirements to be eligible to participate in the program.  Defines "full-time student".

Status: Referred to House Appropriations and Budget Committee, Education Subcommittee; passed House Appropriations & Budget Subcommittee on Education 2/13/23 (14 aye, 0 nay); passed full House Appropriations & Budget Committee 3/2/23 (31 aye, 0 nay); passed House floor 3/9/23 (91 aye, 0 nay); amended and passed the Senate Education Committee 4/11/23 (9 aye, 0 nay); to Senate floor.
Current Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20FLR/SFLR/HB2559%20SFLR.PDF



Tuition and Fee Rates (State System Institutions)
HB 2663 (Rep. Josh West and Sen. Brenda Stanley):  Related to in-state status for resident tuition at a state system institution for any person currently serving in the U.S. military, their spouse or dependent children.  Deletes certain time period limitations.

Status:  Referred to House Rules Committee; withdrawn from Rules Committee and referred to House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee; passed House Veterans and Military Affairs Committee 2/21/23 (9 aye, 0 nay); passed House floor 3/8/23 (94 aye, 0 nay); amended and passed Senate Education Committee 4/4/23 (12 aye, 0 nay), to Senate floor.
Current Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20FLR/SFLR/HB2663%20SFLR.PDF


Tuition, Fee, and Other Waivers (State System Institutions & Career Tech)
SB 654 (Sen. Paul Rosino and Rep. Ty Burns): Creates the Captain Steven L. Farley Goldstar Families Act. Provides that the surviving spouse and children of a member of any branch of the United States Armed Forces killed in action or in the line of duty after September 11, 2001, shall be eligible for a waiver of undergraduate resident tuition at a State System institution or resident tuition at a technology center school operated under the State Board of Career and Technology Education.  Estabishes eligibility requirements.

Status: Referred to Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee and then to Senate Finance Committee; passed Senate Veterans and Military Affairs Committee 2/15/23 (11 aye, 0 nay); passed Senate Finance Committee 2/27/23 (12 aye, 0 nay); passed Senate floor 3/8/23 (48 aye, 0 nay); passed House Appropriations and Budget Subcommittee on Education 4/3/23 (13 aye, 0 nay), amended and passed the full House Appropriations and Budget Committee 4/18/23 (32 aye, 0 nay); to House floor.
Current Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20FLR/SFLR/SB654%20SFLR.PDF


Scholarships
SB 600 (Sen. Dave Rader and Rep. John Pfeiffer):  Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship. The language previously in HB 2318 was amended into SB 600 in the House Appropriations an Budget Committee.  Extends the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship tax credit to cover contributions made to eligible college and university foundations to fund scholarships for students attending state system institution.  Total credits for all taxpayers are not to exceed $25 million annually, and the tax credit amount is capped at $6 million per public higher education institution.

Status:  Amended and passed in House Appropriations and Budget Committee 4/20/23 (32 aye, 0 nay); to House floor.
Current Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20FLR/HFLR/SB600%20HFLR.PDF





Bryce Fair
Associate Vice Chancellor for Scholarships & Grants
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
Phone: 405-225-9162
Email: bfair at osrhe.edu<mailto:bfair at osrhe.edu>

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