[Oasfaa] OASFAA Digest, Vol 142, Issue 6

Mon Mar 14 08:00:54 CDT 2016

Jonna:

I think, for the military, they are referring what (used to?) is called VHA, Variable Housing Allowance. When I was in, it was paid to people who lived off-post to make up for the difference in local cost of living and the basic amount allotted.

Matt Short
Associate Director
Office of Scholarships & Financial Aid
Oklahoma State University
119 Student Union | Stillwater, OK 74078
405-744-6763
financialaid.okstate.edu

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Today's Topics:

   1. Military Housing question for a Friday afternoon... (Jonna Raney)
   2. FW: Legislative Update ? March 11, 2016 (Fair, Bryce)

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Message: 1
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2016 17:24:49 -0500 (EST)
From: Jonna Raney <jonna.raney at okbu.edu>
To: oasfaa at lists.onenet.net
Subject: [Oasfaa] Military Housing question for a Friday afternoon...
Message-ID:
	<2041118718.25662826.1457735089871.JavaMail.zimbra at okbu.edu>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"

We can't get the same answer twice (or get anyone to answer the phone on the school line) from the DOE so I thought I'd ask the question here. 

We are stumped on a FAFSA question. On the untaxed question regarding housing allowance, it says: 

94.g. Housing, Food and other living allowances paid to members of the military, clergy and others (including cash payments and cash value of benefits.) Don't include the value of on-base military housing or the value of a basic military allowance for housing. 
It seems to me that the first sentence says to claim military housing, but the second sentence says not to include it. Which is correct? What am I missing? We've always had families include housing allowance as untaxed, but a mom is pushing the issue and when we went back to the FAFSA instructions, we are not questioning ourselves. 
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Message: 2
Date: Fri, 11 Mar 2016 22:29:48 +0000
From: "Fair, Bryce" <bfair at osrhe.edu>
To: "oasfaa at lists.onenet.net" <oasfaa at lists.onenet.net>
Subject: [Oasfaa] FW: Legislative Update ? March 11, 2016
Message-ID:
	<C24EDBA1A6D0DF46BCCD868D92714B8F59E1BD5C at Columbus.osrhe.edu>
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Below is this week?s legislative update.  You will see that our only remaining OKPromise bill (expanding the types of programs at career technology centers for which OKPromise may be used) passed the House floor on Monday by a 78-18 vote.  We be watching closely for the remainder of the legislative session for any possible proposals to change the current statutory dedicated funding for OKPromise.  We will also be monitoring funding discussions that could impact the FY2017 funding levels for our other scholarship and grant programs.  The next legislative deadline is Thursday, April 7 for bills to be approved in committee in the opposite house.
Bryce

OKLAHOMA STATE REGENTS FOR HIGHER EDUCATION

Memo

To:                  Legislative Network
From:             Chancellor Glen D. Johnson
Date:               Friday, March 11, 2016
Subject:          Legislative Update ? March 11, 2016

The update below reflects the current status of major legislation concerning Higher Education during the week of March 7, 2016 ? March 11, 2016.

If you have any questions, please contact Hollye Hunt at hhunt at osrhe.edu<mailto:hhunt at osrhe.edu> or 405.225.9424.

Legislative Report
March 11, 2016

Governance

No pending legislation.

Appropriations/funding/bonds

SB 1353// Senator Patrick Anderson// The legislation requires the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to submit the master lease list to every member of the Legislature, not just the Governor, Pro Tem, and Speaker.

UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the Senate on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 with a vote of 43-0.

HB 3058// Representative Tom Newell and Senator Greg Treat// The bill directs the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) to reconcile all state agency revolving funds following the reconciliation criteria created by the Director of OMES by the first Monday of August each year. Proceeds realized by the reconciliation are to be deposited in the Special Cash Fund for the certification by the State Board of Equalization for expenditure authority in the following fiscal year. The measure allows state agency directors to file reconciliation protests with the Legislative Oversight Committee by the second Friday in August each year. The measure authorizes the Oversight Committee to convene by the first Friday in December to consider the protest.

UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Monday, March 7, 2016 with a vote of 56-28.

Consolidation

SB 895// Senator Kyle Loveless// The legislation consolidates the Office of the State Bond Advisor into the Office of the State Treasurer.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the Senate on Thursday, March 10, 2016 with a vote of 25-15.

SB 1265// Senator Clark Jolley// The legislation deletes the language regarding the course offerings at Cameron University in Duncan, Connors State College in Muskogee, Eastern Oklahoma State College in McAlester, Southeastern Oklahoma State University in McCurtain County, Northwestern Oklahoma State University in Woodward, Northern Oklahoma College in Enid, and Carl Albert State College in Sallisaw.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the Senate on Thursday, March 10, 2016 with a vote of 43-1.

State Ballot Questions

HJR 1009 // Representative Dan Fisher // The ballot question would affirm the second amendment as a fundamental right.  Regulations by the state on the right to keep and bear arms would be subject to strict scrutiny.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Thursday, March 10, 2016 with a vote of 66-7.

OKPromise

HB 2823// Representative Lee Denney and Senator Jim Halligan// The legislation authorizes the OKPromise scholarship to be used for a career technology program eligible for federal student financial aid offered by a technology center school supervised by the State Board of Career and Technology Education.

UPDATE:    The legislation passed out of the House on Monday, March 7, 2016 with a vote of 78-18.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

HB 2676 // Representative Corey Williams// The legislation allows certain military personnel and their dependents to receive in-state status.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Monday, March 7, 2016 with a vote of 91-0.

Shell Bills

HB 2248// Representative Jason Murphey// The legislation is a shell bill related to the Chief Information Officer.

UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 with a vote of 64-27.

Repealer Bills

No pending legislation.

Energy Conservation

HB 3116// Representative Scott Martin// The legislation clarifies the exemption for the State Facilities Energy Conservation Program. Upon notification by a state agency, the Director shall consider any organizational behavior-based or performance-based energy conservation programs under contract with a state agency prior to August 24, 2012.

UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Wednesday, February 24, 2016 with a vote of 93-0.

Weapons on Campus/ Campus Safety

HB 2931// Representative Mark McCullough//  The legislation requires that each school district and institution of higher learning in the state have certain building safety plans and procedures in place and make specified annual reports. Further, the safety plans will follow a standard response protocol for emergency situations developed by a nationally recognized organization and be based on nationally recognized practices. Each plan will consist of four specific actions and include specific measures.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 with a vote of 85-8.

Housing

No pending legislation.

Telecommunications/ IT

HB 2616// Representative Todd Thomsen//  The legislation is a shell bill related to the ?Oklahoma Telecommunications Act of 1997.?
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Tuesday, March 8, 2016 with a vote of 69-25.

Data and Reporting

HB 3028// Representative John Paul Jordan//  The legislation requires the Oklahoma State Regents, in conjunction with the Oklahoma Department of Commerce, to annually prepare an economic security employment report of employment and earning outcomes for degrees earned at colleges and universities.  Beginning January 31, 2018, each institution will need to provide the report to students electronically.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Thursday, March 10, 2016 with a vote of 52-30.

HB 3166// Representative Jeff Hickman// The legislation requires additional information to be included in the State Regents? annual report to the legislature.  The legislation would now require the report to include:

1.     The budget prepared by the State Regents setting out in detail the necessary expenses of the State Regents for the next fiscal year;

2.     The budget requests or proposals submitted by each institution to the State Regents for the next fiscal year;

3.     The funding formula or allotment system used by the State Regents to allocate money to each institution, including a description of the functional goals of the formula or system for distributing funds to each institution;

4.     A calculation of any differences in the budget requests amounts for each institution and the actual amounts allocated to each institution, including an explanation for any differences; and

5.     Any other data considered relevant by the State Regents.
Additionally, by January 1 of each year, each institution of The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education shall submit a report to the Governor, the President Pro Tempore of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the minority floor leaders and education committee chairs of both houses of the Oklahoma Legislature, which includes:

1.     A copy of reports submitted to the State Regents, which itemizes the tuition and fees for each institution by campus or location; and

2.     The total budget of each institution for the previous fiscal year, including the amount of revenue received from tuition and fee and other sources and expenses for each campus or location.

UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Monday, March 7, 2016 with a vote of 67-25.

SB 1342// Senator Greg Treat and Representative Tom Newell// The legislation changes the definition of the term ?expenditure of state funds? to the term ?expenditure of funds? in the Taxpayer Transparency Act.  The bill requires the Open Books website to include data which tracks the expenditures of federal funds by FY 2017.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the on Monday, March 7, 2016 with a vote of 47-0.

State Authorization

SB 1157// Senator Stephanie Bice// The legislation requires all private and out-of-state public degree granting institutions to abide by policies and procedures that are established by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the Senate on Thursday, March 10, 2016 with a vote of 33-9.

Colleges of Education/ Academics

HB 2551// Representative Ann Coody and Senator Gary Stanislawski// The legislation requires the State Regents to enter into a contract with a nonprofit education center for the purposes of establishing a comprehensive dyslexia teacher training program.  The legislation establishes an advisory committee and requires the program to be implemented within 90 days of the effective date of the act.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Monday, February 29, 2016 with a vote of 87-4.

HB 2951// Representative Michael Rogers//  The legislation requires the State Department of Education and the Oklahoma State Regents to identify and recruit students into the teaching profession.  The legislation directs the Department to develop materials to distribute and emphasize the importance of teaching.

UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Monday, March 7, 2016 with a vote of 84-4.

SB 1380// Senator John Ford//  The legislation relates to requirements for graduation.  The bill would modify the description of laboratory science units, reduce the number of required art units or sets of competencies and add a computer education unit or set of competencies to the requirements.

UPDATE: The legislation passed out of the Senate on Wednesday, March 9, 2016 with a vote of 44-0.

Immigration

No pending legislation.

Athletics

HB 2615// Representative Todd Thomsen and Senator Jim Halligan// The legislation prohibits the giving of money or a thing of value to a student-athlete or family member for the purpose of recruitment, and it prohibits any transaction between a person and a student-athlete that would likely cause the student-athlete to permanently or temporarily lose athletic scholarship and participation eligibility.  A violation of the measure would result in a misdemeanor for the donor and the person would be subject to a fine or imprisonment or both.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on February 18, 2016 with a vote of 59- 30.

Employment/Retirement

HB 3164// Representative Jeff Hickman and Senator Dan Newberry//  The legislation provides that when an employee begins work for an employer, and both know the end date of employment is within 9 months, for purposes of the Employment Security Act the worker is considered to have voluntarily quit at that end date.
UPDATE:  The legislation passed out of the House on Tuesday, March 1, 2016 with a vote of 70-12.

Thank you.

Glen D. Johnson
Chancellor
Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education
655 Research Parkway, Suite 200
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104
405.225.9122
gjohnson at osrhe.edu<mailto:gjohnson at osrhe.edu>

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