[Oasfaa] State legislative update

[Fair, Bryce]

Following is an update on bills of interest that are still alive for the 2008 legislative session and their current status.  The e-mail is a bit long but there appear to be more bills remaining alive at this point than we normally see.  And many of them keep changing as they move through the process.

Yesterday was the final deadline for bills to get out of committee in the House.  The Senate committee deadline was a little earlier. 

Bills related to Oklahoma's Promise:
*HB 2446 - would exempt any student that has been adopted (from DHS custody, tribal custody, or other court-ordered custody) from being subject to the program family income limits; the bill was amended on the House floor to provide an income limit on children adopted under age 13; the bill has passed out of the House and will next be sent to a Senate committee - current text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/HB/hb2446_engr.rtf 

*HB 3102 - would prohibit the OKPromise award from being used for remedial courses (OKPromise awards can currently be used toward the base tuition charges of remedial courses, but the award does not cover the additional remedial course fees at public institutions of $13 to $24 per credit hour; the bill would impact students beginning in 2010-11; Regents data shows that in 2006-07 about 1.5% of awards ($520,000 out of $33.8 million) were used toward remedial courses; [Regents' staff have concerns about the potential disproportionate negative impact of this bill on community college students coming from high schools that are predominantly low-income and have historically had low college-going rates, as well as first generation college students]; the bill has passed out of House committee and is pending action on the House floor - http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/HB/HB3102_hflr.rtf

*SB 1931 - would allow the child of a certified teacher with at least 6 years of employment with a public school to enroll in the OKPromise program if the student's parents' income was under $100,000; would require the parent to continue teaching for the duration of award; the bill was amended on the Senate floor to remove child support received from the income considered for eligibility to participate in the OKPromise program; the bill has passed the Senate and will next be sent to a House committee - http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/SB/sb1931_engr.rtf

*SB 1988 - would provide an exemption to the requirement that students begin using the OKPromise award within 3-years of graduating high school for students serving in the military; the bill was amended on the Senate floor by adding the language from SB 2020 creating the Second Century Promise program [see SB 2020 below; one difference in this amendment from the original SB 2020 is that it changes the OKPromise initial family income limit from $50,000 total income to $50,000 taxable income, a significant increase which would automatically adjust for family size and inflation; as originally introduced, SB 2020 would have increased the OKPromise income limit from $50,000 total income to $80,000 total income]; the bill has passed the Senate and now heads to House committee - current text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/SB/sb1988_engr.rtf 

*SB 2020 - would create the Second Century Promise program which is related to, but separate from OKPromise; would increase the OKPromise initial income limit from $50,000 to $80,000 - SB 2020 was never heard in Senate committee, so this bill is officially dead. However, the author of the bill has subsequently placed the language of SB 2020 into three other bills by amendment on the Senate floor.  Those bills are:
SB 1880 - related to the Achieving Classroom Excellence II Task Force; passed the Senate and now headed to House committee; current text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/SB/sb1880_engr.rtf
SB 1988 - see above
SB 2164 - see below

*SB 2164 - would provide for an "OHLAP Enhancement Award" of up to $1,000 in addition to the regular OKPromise award to cover costs of fees & books; the bill was amended on the Senate floor to include the Second Century Promise language from SB 2020; Regents' staff estimate the cost of the "OHLAP Enhancement Award" would be about $18.9 million for FY2009; the bill has passed the Senate and now heads to House committee - http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/SB/sb2164_engr.rtf


Academic Scholars Program:
*HB 3120 - would increase the limit on participation of nonresident students in the Academic Scholars program from 25% to 30%; passed House and now headed to Senate committee - http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/HB/HB3120_hflr.rtf


Tuition Waivers:
*HB 2658 - would provide a tuition waiver at state system institutions for veterans receiving certain medals/commendations or veterans disabled at least 20%; the bill further requires a full refund of tuition and fees to students required to deploy for military service; the bill has passed House committee and is pending action on the House floor -   http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/HB/HB2658_hflr.rtf

*HB 2950 -  would provide a one-year tuition waiver at state system institutions or technology center school districts for individuals that have completed the GED; up to 1000 students per year could receive the benefit; the bill passed House committee and is pending action on the House floor -  http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/HB/HB2950_hflr.rtf


Tuition Guarantee Legislation:
*HB 3397 - would make changes to the "tuition guarantee" legislation passed in 2007 related to state system institutions; the bill would remove two-year colleges from the requirement to have a guaranteed tuition rate; the guaranteed rate would not be subject to the limit of the average of peer institutions; the bill has passed House committee and is pending action on the House floor - http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/HB/HB3397_hflr.rtf


Other Bills of Interest:
*SB 1687 - would establish the Oklahoma Health Care Workers and Educators Assistance Program (for nursing and allied health occupations); passed the Senate and now headed to House committee  - http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/SB/sb1687_engr.rtf

*HB 2485 - related to residency status of dependent of federal employees transferred out of Oklahoma; passed House committee and pending action on House floor -   http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/HB/HB2485_hflr.rtf

*HB 2513 - authorizing persons to carry concealed weapons on college campuses; passed House committee, now pending House floor action - http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/HB/HB2513_hflr.rtf 

*HCR 1057 - Task Force on Student Remediation; passed House and now heads to Senate - http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2007-08bills/HB/hcr1057_engr.rtf


Let me know if you have questions.
Bryce



Bryce Fair 
Assoc. Vice Chancellor for Scholarships & Grants 
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education 
Phone:  (405) 225-9162 
Fax:  (405) 225-9230 
E-mail:  bfair at osrhe.edu 

Mailing Address: 
P.O. Box 108850 
Oklahoma City, OK  73101-8850 

Street Address: 
655 Research Parkway, Suite 200 
Oklahoma City, OK  73104