[Oasfaa] State Legislative Update

Fri May 26 16:54:15 CDT 2023

Following is a summary of the status of bills we have been tracking with action up through today, the final day of the regular legislative session.  For bills passed by the House and Senate this last week of the session and sent to the Governor, the Governor will have 15 days to take final action on the bills.  As you will see further below, two bills were passed this week and sent to the Governor.  Three other bills we were tracking either did not pass during the last week or had all language related to student financial aid removed from the bill.

Bills Recently Signed into Law by the Governor

  *   HB 2559 (Rep. Mark McBride and Sen. Dewayne Pemberton): "Inspired to Teach."  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".
Final Bill Text: https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/legislation/59th/2023/1R/HB/2559.pdf

Bills Previously Signed into Law by the Governor

  *   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.
Final Text:  https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/legislation/59th/2023/1R/SB/0093.pdf

  *   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.
Final Text: https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/legislation/59th/2023/1R/HB/2885.pdf

  *   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.
Final Text: https://www.sos.ok.gov/documents/legislation/59th/2023/1R/HB/1443.pdf

Bills Passed by the House and Senate this week and sent to the Governor

  *   HB 2663 (Rep. Nicole Miller 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.
Final Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20ENR/hB/HB2663%20ENR.PDF

  *   SB 27 (Sen. Dewayne Pemberton and Rep. Ken Luttrell): Oklahoma's Promise - career technology option and SAT score. 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.

Current Text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20ENR/SB/SB27%20ENR.PDF

Bills that did not pass by the last week of the session or had financial aid language deleted

  *   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. (All the language related to OTAG and OKPromise was removed from SB 322).
Last text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20ENR/SB/SB322%20ENR.PDF

  *   SB 600 (Sen. Dave Rader and Rep. John Pfeiffer):  All language related to the Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship was removed from SB 600.
Last text: http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20ENR/SB/SB600%20ENR.PDF

  *   SB 654 (Sen. Paul Rosino and Rep. Ty Burns): Would have created the Captain Steven L. Farley Goldstar Families Act tuition and fee waiver and also would have amended the Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Program to add a benefit at career technology centers.
Last text:  http://webserver1.lsb.state.ok.us/cf_pdf/2023-24%20COMMITTEE%20SUBS/SCCS/SB654%20CCS.PDF

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

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