[Oasfaa] State Legislative Update

[Fair, Bryce]

Following is an update on the status of some of the legislation introduced for the 2009 legislative session.  The deadline for bills to be passed out of committee in the Senate was yesterday, Feb. 19.  The deadline for initial committee action in the House is next Thursday, Feb. 26.  We will be able to shorten our list of active bills after next week.

There were 13 bills introduced related to Oklahoma's Promise (OKPromise).   There appear to be no bills related to OTAG (Oklahoma Tuition Aid Grant) or to Academic Scholars.  There was also a bill passed out of a Senate Committee that would move tuition-setting authority for state system institutions from the State Regents back to the Legislature (see SB 791 at the bottom of this e-mail).  There are also a few other bills waiving tuition for certain persons that we will provide information on next week.  You can also find another list of bills being tracked at http://www.okhighered.org/leg-info/2009/subject.shtml

Following are the 13 Oklahoma's Promise bills.  Several are related to the recommendations of the OKPromise Task Force that met last fall.  The bills we think have the most likelihood of advancing in the legislative process are SB 982 and HB 2249, the authors of which were both on the Task Force.

Senate Bills on OKPromise:
SB 309 - by  Sen. Susan Paddack, D - Ada
*	Would provide for a family income limit of $100,000 at the time of application for children of a certified teacher with at least six years of experience employed with a public school.
*	Would require that the teacher must continue to teach in a public school in Oklahoma during the duration of the benefits provided by the OKPromise program.
Current text: <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/sb309_sflr.rtf> 
Status:  Passed Senate Appropriations Committee, pending Senate floor action


SB 354 - by Sen. David Myers, R - Ponca City
*	As introduced, the bill would have required that that the $50,000 per year income limit be calculated based on a three-year average of the family income for all applicants.  The bill was amended in committee to allow applicants to use either the current year income or a three-year average.
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/sb354_sflr.rtf> 
Status:  Passed Senate Appropriations Committee, pending Senate floor action


SB 389 - by Sen. Sean Burrage, D-Claremore
*	This bill reflects the recommendations of the Task Force on Oklahoma's Promise.
*	Would modify the initial income limits so that the parents' Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) less the amount claimed for personal exemptions must be less than $50,000 (removes consideration of untaxed income and adjusts for family size).
*	Would base college retention requirements on institutional academic standards.  Would delete the statutory college GPA requirements scheduled to go into effect in 2010-11.
*	Would delay the implementation of a second income limit at the time the student enters college until 2012-13.
Current text: <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/sb309_sflr.rtf> 
Status:  Assigned to Senate Rules Committee; has not been heard (dead for session)


SB 468 - by Sen. Kenneth Corn, D-Howe
*	Would modify the initial income limits for OKPromise so that the parents' Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) less the amount claimed for personal exemptions must be less than $50,000 (removes consideration of untaxed income and adjusts for family size).
*	Would require all OKPromise participants to submit an application for federal financial aid. 
*	Would base OKPromise college retention requirements on institutional academic standards.  Would delete the statutory college GPA requirements schedule to go into effect in 2010-11.
*	Would delay the implementation of a second income limit at the time the student enters college until 2012-13.
*	Would require school districts to ensure that eligible students are enrolled in OKPromise.
*	Would create the Second Century Promise Act for certain students to pay tuition and fees for up to 64 credit hours of education at a state two-year higher education institution or an equivalent amount at a four-year institution; a student who received a Second Century Promise could qualify for OKPromise after completion of 30 credit hours with a 2.5 cumulative grade point average at a two- or four-year institution..
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/sb468_int.rtf>
Status:  Assigned to Senate Appropriations Committee; has not been heard. (dead for session)


SB 471 - by Sen. Mary Easley, D-Tulsa
*	Would increase the OKPromise qualifying income level for students who apply during the eighth, ninth or 10th grade from $50,000 of income from taxable and nontaxable sources to $75,000 of income from taxable and nontaxable sources. The bill was amended in committee to change the threshold calculation from a single-year to a three-year average.
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/sb468_int.rtf> 
Status:  Passed Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; pending action on the Senate floor.


SB 656 - by Sen. Randy Bass, D-Lawton
*	Would add payment of mandatory fees and up to $1,000 annually in required textbook costs to the scholarship provided by OKPromise.
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/sb656_int.rtf>
Status:  Assigned to Senate Rules Committee; has not been heard (dead for session)


SB 753 - by Sen. Jim Halligan, R-Stillwater
*	Would base OKPromise college retention requirements on institutional academic standards.  (Would replace the statutory college GPA requirements schedule to go into effect in 2010-11.)
*	Would delay the implementation of a second income limit at the time the student enters college until 2012-13.
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/sb753_int.rtf>
Status:  Passed Senate Appropriations Committee; pending action on Senate floor.


SB 973 - by Sen. John Sparks, D-Norman
*	"Shell bill;" does not contain operative language
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/sb973_int.rtf>
Status:  Assigned to Senate Rules Committee; has not been heard (dead for session)


SB 982 - by Sen. John Ford, R-Bartlesville
*	Would modify the initial income limits so that the parents' Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) less the amount claimed for personal exemptions must be less than $40,000 (removes consideration of untaxed income and adjusts for family size; reduces the income level from $50,000 to $40,000 in order to keep the change cost neutral).
*	Requires the Legislature to review the income limit every three years with the goal of providing eligibility for 50% of Oklahoma families.
*	Would limit the OKPromise award to only the nonguaranteed tuition rate at state system institutions.
*	Would base OKPromise college retention requirements on institutional academic standards.  Would delete the statutory college GPA requirements schedule to go into effect in 2010-11.
*	Would delay the implementation of a second income limit at the time the student enters college until 2012-13.
*	Would require recipients of the OKPromise award to reside in Oklahoma after college one year for every year they received the award.  The requirement would have to be fulfilled within the first ten years after college.  Students not completing the residency requirement would have to repay the award.
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/sb982_int.rtf>
Status:  Passed Senate Appropriations Committee; pending action on Senate floor.



House Bills on OKPromise:

HB1317 - by Rep. Wallace Collins, D-Norman
*	Would modify eligibility of adopted students for participation in OKPromise.
*	Would allow certain 11th and 12th grade students whose custodial parent or guardian did not have custody of them during the eighth, ninth or 10th grades to participate in the program. 
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/HB/HB1317_int.rtf>
Status:  Assigned to House Appropriations and Budget Committee; has not been heard.


HB1440 - by Rep. Brian Renegar, D-McAlester
*	Would exempt an applicant from the income limits if the applicant is the dependent of a person who is a full-time certified employee of a public school district in the state.
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/HB/HB1440_int.rtf>
Status:  Assigned to House Appropriations and Budget Committee; has not been heard.


HB1822 - by Rep. Steve Martin, R-Bartlesville
*	Would require OKPromise students to remain a resident of the state for at least five consecutive years after graduation from college and have an income earned from employment in the state for at least five years.  Students failing to comply with such requirements to pay to the State Regents for Higher Education an amount equal to 20 percent of the total amount of scholarship awarded to the student for every year the student failed to meet the five-year requirement. 
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/HB/HB1822_int.rtf>
Status:  Assigned to House Committee on Higher Education and Career Technology; has not been heard.  


HB 2249 - by Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore
*	Would modify the initial income limits so that the parents' Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) less the amount claimed for personal exemptions must be less than $50,000 (removes consideration of untaxed income and adjusts for family size).
Current text:  <http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/HB/HB2249_int.rtf>
Status:  Passed House Appropriations Subcommittee on Education; pending action in full House Appropriations and Budget Committee.



Bill related to tuition-setting authority.
SB 791 // Senator Jim Reynolds- Allows the Legislature to set tuition and fees for higher education institutions.  
·	The legislation directs the Legislature to establish resident tuition, nonresident tuition and fees for institutions within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year. 
·	The bill repeals statutory language authorizing the State Regents for Higher Education the authority to set tuition and fees.
Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/2009-10bills/SB/sb791_int.rtf
UPDATE:  The bill passed out of the Senate Appropriations Committee on February 18, 2009 with a committee vote of 10-8.  


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