[Oasfaa] February 9th Legislative Update and OSRHE Scholarship Administration Staffing Updates

[Beam, Colbi]

Good morning,

It’s that time of year again! We are one week into the legislative session, and committee meetings are underway. In this email, you’ll find our regular legislative update, along with an update on OSRHE Scholarship Administration staff and points of contact.

OSRHE Scholarship Administration Staff Update
We have several new faces on our team and other team members have moved into new roles. I want to be sure everyone knows who to contact for each of our programs. Below is a general overview of our staff and the programs they support.
Please note that this list is meant as a guide. If you have a question about something not listed below, feel free to reach out to any member of our team, and we’ll make sure you’re connected with the right person.
Ms. Kanika Brown
Director of Scholarship Administration
Kbrown at osrhe.edu<mailto:Kbrown at osrhe.edu>
Administration of: Oklahoma's Promise, Heroes Promise, and Oklahoma Access and Achievement Scholarship.

Ms. Linette McMurtrey
Director of Scholarship Administration
Lmcmurtrey at osrhe.edu<mailto:Lmcmurtrey at osrhe.edu> <mailto:Lmcmurtrey at osrhe.edu>
Administration of: OTAG, OTEG, Oklahoma National Guard EAP, and Tulsa Reconciliation Education and Scholarship.

Ms. Wei-Ju Gange
Coordinator of Scholarship Administration
Wgange at osrhe.edu<mailto:Wgange at osrhe.edu> <mailto:Wgange at osrhe.edu>
Administration of: Oklahoma Rising Scholars, Regional University Baccalaureate Scholarship, Chiropractic Education Scholarship, William P. Willis Scholarship, Francis Koop Parsons/AT&T Pioneers Scholarship, and Ruby N. Courtney Writer's Scholarship.

Ms. Lizeth Torres
Scholarship Specialist III
Ltorres at osrhe.edu<mailto:Ltorres at osrhe.edu> <mailto:Ltorres at osrhe.edu>
Oklahoma's Promise

Mr. Alan Hernandez
Scholarship Specialist III
ahernandez at osrhe.edu<mailto:ahernandez at osrhe.edu>
Oklahoma's Promise

Mr. Ron Reynolds
Scholarship Specialist I
rreynolds at osrhe.edu<mailto:rreynolds at osrhe.edu>
Oklahoma's Promise

Ms. Neenu Varughese
Scholarship Specialist II
nvarughese at osrhe.edu<mailto:nvarughese at osrhe.edu>
OTAG, OTEG, Oklahoma National Guard EAP

Mr. Calvin Ong
Scholarship Specialist II
cong at osrhe.edu<mailto:cong at osrhe.edu>
OTAG, OTEG, Oklahoma National Guard EAP

Legislative Update
One week down, and the session is already moving at full speed. Committee meetings are underway, and while Postsecondary Education did not meet last week, there has already been movement on several bills we are tracking. Please note that the House made several changes to committee assignments last week, so you may see bills move between committees.
If you have not already done so, please mark your calendar for Tuesday, March 31, for Higher Education and Oklahoma’s Promise Day at the Capitol. Save‑the‑date information has been distributed, and we are actively working to secure speakers and finalize the agenda. We will continue to share updates as details are confirmed.
The priority bill list can be found below my signature line.

Colbi Beam, Ph.D.

Associate Vice Chancellor for State Grants and Scholarships

Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education



655 Research Parkway, Suite 200

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73104

Cbeam at osrhe.edu<mailto:cbeam at osrhe.edu>

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________


The update below reflects the major legislation concerning Higher Education.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Jarrett Jobe, Vice Chancellor for Governmental Relations, at jjobe at osrhe.edu<mailto:jjobe at osrhe.edu>.

Priority Legislation List
2/6/26
Agency Admin
SB1399 by Sen. Micheal Bergstrom: Creates the Federal Funds Oversight Act. It requires, beginning for fiscal year 2028 and each subsequent fiscal year and prior to accepting federal funding the Office of Management and Enterprise Services (OMES) and the state agency which will be charged with accepting the federal funding electronically submit a report to the Governor, the Senate president pro tempore, House speaker, the State Auditor and Inspector, and the State Treasurer.
Update: Assigned to Rules Committee(s).

Concurrent Enrollment
HB3126 by Rep. Kevin West: Creates a Concurrent Enrollment revolving fund. Funds it through the Commissioners of the Land office.
Update: Assigned to Appropriations and Budget Committee(s).

General Education
SB1482 by Sen. Ally Seifried: creating the Oklahoma City National Memorial Education Revolving Fund; directing certain license plate fee to be deposited into fund.
Update: Assigned to Aeronautics & Transportation then Appropriations Committee(s).

SB1781 by Sen. Randy Grellner: Creates the Federal Education Deregulation Task Force to study and make recommendations regarding federal education funding sources and state and local use of federal funds. It sunsets the task force on Dec. 1, 2026.
Update: Assigned to Education then Appropriations Committee(s).

Graduation Requirements
SB1477 by Sen. Ally Seifried: Puts a cap of 21 years of age for students who are receiving high-school-level instruction at home to enroll in any course otherwise eligible high school student.
Update: Assigned to Education Committee(s).

Gun Laws
SB2090 by Sen. Dusty Deevers: Allows concealed carry on college campuses for those with a valid handgun license.
Update: Assigned to Public Safety Committee(s).

Higher Education
HB3132 by Rep. Kevin West: Creates the Selecting Neutral Accreditors Act. Requires each institution to review its accrediting agencies to see if they have adopted or used DEI practices in the last 5 years and report the findings to legislative leadership and change to an accreditor that has not used DEI.
Update: Assigned to Postsecondary Education then Education Oversight Committee(s).

HB3134 by Rep. Kevin West: Creates the Keep Accreditation about academics act. Defines and creates civil penalties for violating a framework for basing accreditation decisions.
Update: Assigned to Judiciary and Public Safety Oversight Committee(s).


HB3315 by Rep. Ryan Eaves: Calls for a Regents for Higher Education feasibility study on implementing a 90 credit hours or 3 year bachelors program
Update: Assigned to Postsecondary Education then Education Oversight Committee(s).

HB3316 by Rep. Ryan Eaves: HEAR act, Requires an institution of Higher education to complete a request for a security threat assessment at least 30 days prior to an event.
Update: Assigned to Rules Committee(s).

HB3379 by Rep. Trish Ranson: Creates the Higher Education Workforce Development and Fair Admission Act. It prohibits a state educational institution within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education from inquiring about a prospective student's criminal history on an initial application form or at any time during the admissions process prior to the institution's decision relative to the prospective student's acceptance for admission.
Update: Assigned to Postsecondary Education then Education Oversight Committee(s).

HB3493 by Rep. Ryan Eaves: Requires documentation of United State nationality or status as an alien lawfully present in the United States to receive certain public funds for higher education tuition.
Update: Assigned to Rules Committee(s).

HB3700 by Rep. Chad Caldwell: Requires all state educational institutions to create a policy ensuring student grades are evaluated solely on an academic basis. Regents are required to withhold funding from institutions that fail to adopt such a policy.
Update: Assigned to Postsecondary Education then Education Oversight Committee(s).

HB3709 by Rep. Chad Caldwell: Directs any educational system within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education that constructs any new building to place a mount equal to 5 percent of the construction cost into a general maintenance fund to be utilized for general upkeep and maintenance of buildings owned by the institution, not for new construction. The bill prohibits these funds from supplanting or replacing existing allocations to that purpose.
Update: Assigned to Rules Committee(s).

HB4344 by Rep. Anthony Moore: Permits the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to reduce allocations in order to make payments for annual obligations.
Update: Assigned to Appropriations and Budget Committee(s).

HJR1037 by Rep. Gabe Woolley: Proposes a vote of the people on a constitutional amendment that would allow the Legislature, by a majority vote of both the Senate and the House and with gubernatorial approval or a legislative veto override, to freeze, suspend, or withhold up to 100 percent of state-appropriated funding to any taxpayer-funded university, college, or institution of higher education for up to two years. It also would allow the Legislature to vote at any time to lift, terminate, or modify the freeze, suspension, or withholding of funds using the same procedures. It provides the freeze, suspension, or withholding of funds would only apply to state funding and would not affect federal or private funds.
Update: Assigned to Rules Committee(s).

SB1261 by Sen. Warren Hamilton: Prohibits the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education from keeping confidential any information pertaining to donors and prospective donors to or for the benefit of the institutions or agencies. The bill defines applicable terms.
Update: Assigned to Education then Appropriations Committee(s).

SB1357 by Sen. Carri Hicks: Requires, subject to the availability of funds, the Legislature to provide matching funds for federal grant funds received by the state through the Adult Education and Family Literacy Act provided by the United States Department of Education, or any successor grant program of the same purpose administered by any agency of the United States, on a dollar-for-dollar basis.
Update: Assigned to Education Committee(s).

SB1593 by Sen. Todd Gollihare: Deletes language regarding the promulgation of rules and the presidential search process for the Board of Trustees for Oklahoma State University/Tulsa.
Update: Assigned to Education Committee(s).

SB1631 by Sen. Randy Grellner: Creates the Oklahoma Free Speech Committee defines membership. Tasks the committee with collecting complaints of free speech violations at institutions of higher education. Requires Institutions to post written notification on how to report to this committee as part of freshman orientation.
Update: Assigned to Education Committee(s).

SB1669 by Sen. Warren Hamilton: Requires every institute within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education to list how many students from foreign countries and territories are enrolled, their country of origin and the percentage of total enrollment comprised of these students on their website.
Update: Assigned to Education Committee(s).

SB1843 by Sen. Shane Jett: Providing immunity from personal liability for members of the State Regents for any negligent or wrongful act of an employee of any institution.
Update: Assigned to Judiciary Committee(s).

SB2051 by Sen. Kristen Thompson: Creates the Oklahoma Research Attraction Program (ORAP) matches private gifts to institutions from the created revolving fund. Defines eligibility and sets up continuing fund in the state treasury.
Update: Assigned to Education then Appropriations Committee(s).

Higher Education Affordability
HB3051 by Rep. Ron Stewart: Modifies qualifications for participation in the Tulsa Reconciliation Education and Scholarship Program.
Update: Assigned to Appropriations and Budget Committee(s).

SB2040 by Sen. Regina Goodwin: Modifies eligibility for the Tulsa Reconciliation Education and Scholarship Program.
Update: Assigned to Rules Committee(s).

SB1272 by Sen. Kelly Hines: increases the student's parent's income level to qualify for the Oklahoma Tuition Equalization Grant to $80,000 from $50,000.
Update: Assigned to Education then Appropriations Committee(s).

Higher Education/CareerTech
SB1968 by Sen. Rob Standridge: Requires the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, in consultation with the State Board of Career and Technology Education, to adopt a policy allowing institutions within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education to grant college credit for courses taken at technology center school districts under the authority of the State Board of Career and Technology Education.
Update: Assigned to Education Committee(s).

Oklahoma's Promise
HB2963 by Rep. Rick West: Removes the ACT test as one of the qualifying criteria for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP).
Update: Assigned to A&B Education then to Appropriations Committee(s).

HB2982 by Rep. Chris Banning: Modifies the qualification for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program (OHLAP) for students who are the child of a certified classroom teacher to also allow those who will graduate in 2025.
Update: Assigned to A&B Education then to Appropriations Committee(s).

HB3395 by Rep. Amanda Clinton: modifies eligibility requirements for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program.  Changing certified classroom teacher to school employee
Update: Assigned to Rules Committee(s).

HB3963 by Rep. Cyndi Munson: opens the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program scholarship to children of all school employees.
Update: Assigned to Appropriations and Budget Committee(s).

HB4326 by Rep. Anthony Moore: modifies the qualifications for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program to include students in court ordered custody or a federally recognized Indian tribe.
Update: Assigned to Appropriations and Budget Committee(s).

HB4479 by Rep. Jared Deck: Requires the completion of an Oklahoma's Promise application for all high school graduates.
Update: Assigned to Appropriations and Budget Committee(s).

SB1340 by Sen. Adam Pugh: Increases income eligibility limits for Oklahoma's Promise.  It increases the income cap for the program to $130,000 beginning with the 2027-2028 academic year.
Update: Assigned to Education then Appropriations Committee(s).

SB1615 by Sen. Avery Frix: Extends Oklahoma's Promise for teachers students eligibility to certified administrators. Adds the SAT and CLT as eligible tests.
Update: Assigned to Education then Appropriations Committee(s).

SB1899 by Sen. Adam Pugh: Provides eligibility for children of school district certified personnel in the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program.
Update: Assigned to Education then Appropriations Committee(s).

Teacher Recruitment & Retention
SB1546 by Sen. Adam Pugh:
Update: Assigned to Education Committee(s).

SB1891 by Sen. Lisa Standridge: Creates the Oklahoma Teacher-Led Curriculum Development Act. It requires the State Department of Education to establish a curriculum consortium to review curriculum developed by teachers in Oklahoma and make such curriculum available for use by teachers in school districts statewide.
Update: Assigned to Education then Appropriations Committee(s).

Workforce and Economic Development
SB1632 by Sen. Jerry Alvord: Requires the Regents for Higher Education to allow institutions to grant college credit based on assessment-based credentials and scores earned on career-readiness assessments.
Update: Assigned to Education Committee(s).

SB1830 by Sen. Shane Jett: Prohibits the employment of individuals that meet the definition of an H-1B nonimmigrant, as provided in 8 U.S.C., Section 1182(n)(4)(C), to qualify for payments specified in the Oklahoma Quality Jobs Program Act.
Update: Assigned to Rules Committee(s).



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