Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official PDF posted by the Oklahoma Legislature, fetched 2026-07-23. Page and line markers are part of the official record; nothing is edited or removed. The official bill page.
1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
3 HOUSE BILL 2961 By: Hildebrant
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6 AS INTRODUCED
7 An Act relating to postsecondary education; waiving
tuition for the spouse and children of a Gold Star
8 recipient; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 3218.7-1,
as amended by Section 2, Chapter 382, O.S.L. 2024 (70
9 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 3218.7-1), which relates to
waiver of room and board fees; adding the spouse and
10 children of a Gold Star recipient; amending 70 O.S.
2021, Sections 14-134 and 14-134.1, which relate to
11 tuition and fees within the system of career and
technology districts; waiving tuition and fees for
12 the spouse and children of a Gold Star recipient;
providing for codification; providing an effective
13 date; and declaring an emergency.
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3218.7-2 of Title 70, unless
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there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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Within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, no
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resident tuition or nonresident tuition shall be charged to the
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spouse or children of a Gold Star recipient who was killed in the
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line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed Forces,
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provided that either:
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Req. No. 14429 Page 1
1 1. The Gold Star recipient was a legal resident of the State of
2 Oklahoma at the time of death; or
3 2. The spouse or child maintains residency in the State of
4 Oklahoma during enrollment.
5 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 3218.7-1, as
6 amended by Section 2, Chapter 382, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025,
7 Section 3218.7-1), is amended to read as follows:
8 Section 3218.7-1. A. Within The Oklahoma State System of
9 Higher Education, no fees nor room and board shall be charged to:
10 1. Children of Oklahoma peace officers as defined by Section
11 648 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes who have given their lives
12 in the line of duty;
13 2. Children of Oklahoma firefighters who have given their lives
14 in the line of duty;
15 3. Children of commissioned members of the Oklahoma Law
16 Enforcement Retirement System, who have given their lives in the
17 line of duty; and
18 4. Children of Oklahoma emergency medical technicians who have
19 given their lives in the line of duty; and
20 5. The spouse or children of a Gold Star recipient who was
21 killed in the line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed
22 Forces, provided that either:
23 a. the Gold Star recipient was a legal resident of the
24 State of Oklahoma at the time of death, or
Req. No. 14429 Page 2
1 b. the spouse or child maintains residency in the State
2 of Oklahoma during enrollment.
3 B. Such waiver of fees and room and board shall be limited to a
4 period of five (5) years.
5 C. Such waiver of fees and room and board shall be a service
6 benefit of a commissioned member of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement
7 Retirement System.
8 D. For purposes of this section:
9 1. "Firefighter" means a volunteer firefighter or a permanent
10 salaried professional member of any fire department within the State
11 of Oklahoma; and
12 2. "Emergency medical technician" means a person volunteering
13 or employed as an emergency medical technician and who is licensed
14 as an emergency medical technician pursuant to Section 1-2505 of
15 Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
16 SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 14-134, is
17 amended to read as follows:
18 Section 14-134. A. Within the system of career technology
19 districts, no resident tuition or nonresident tuition shall be
20 charged to the:
21 1. Children of Oklahoma peace officers as defined by Section
22 648 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes who have given their lives
23 in the line of duty;
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Req. No. 14429 Page 3
1 2. Children of Oklahoma firefighters who have given their lives
2 in the line of duty;
3 3. Children of members of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement
4 Retirement System who have given their lives in the line of duty or
5 whose disability is by means of personal and traumatic injury of a
6 catastrophic nature, as defined by Section 2-300 of Title 47 of the
7 Oklahoma Statutes, and occurred in the line of duty; and
8 4. Children of Oklahoma emergency medical technicians who have
9 given their lives in the line of duty; and
10 5. The spouse or children of a Gold Star recipient who was
11 killed in the line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed
12 Forces, provided that either:
13 a. the Gold Star recipient was a legal resident of the
14 State of Oklahoma at the time of death, or
15 b. the spouse or child maintains residency in the State
16 of Oklahoma during enrollment.
17 B. Such waiver of resident tuition and nonresident tuition
18 shall be limited to a period of five (5) years.
19 C. Such waiver of resident tuition or nonresident tuition to
20 the children of deceased peace officers and to the children of
21 deceased firefighters as provided for in this section shall be a
22 service benefit of each Oklahoma peace officer and Oklahoma
23 firefighter.
24 D. For purposes of this section:
Req. No. 14429 Page 4
1 1. "Firefighter" means a volunteer firefighter or a permanent
2 salaried professional member of any fire department within the State
3 of Oklahoma; and
4 2. "Emergency medical technician" means a person volunteering
5 or employed as an emergency medical technician and who is licensed
6 as an emergency medical technician pursuant to Section 1-2505 of
7 Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
8 SECTION 4. AMENDATORY Section 3, Chapter 382, O.S.L.
9 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 14-134.1), is amended to read as
10 follows:
11 Section 14-134.1. A. Within the system of career technology
12 districts, no fees shall be charged to:
13 1. Children of Oklahoma peace officers as defined by Section
14 648 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes who have given their lives
15 in the line of duty;
16 2. Children of Oklahoma firefighters who have given their lives
17 in the line of duty;
18 3. Children of commissioned members of the Oklahoma Law
19 Enforcement Retirement System, who have given their lives in the
20 line of duty; and
21 4. Children of Oklahoma emergency medical technicians who have
22 given their lives in the line of duty; and
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Req. No. 14429 Page 5
1 5. The spouse or children of a Gold Star recipient who was
2 killed in the line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed
3 Forces, provided that either:
4 a. the Gold Star recipient was a legal resident of the
5 State of Oklahoma at the time of death, or
6 b. the spouse or child maintains residency in the State
7 of Oklahoma during enrollment.
8 B. Such waiver of fees shall be limited to a period of five (5)
9 years.
10 C. Such waiver of fees shall be a service benefit of a
11 commissioned member of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement
12 System.
13 D. For purposes of this section:
14 1. "Firefighter" means a volunteer firefighter or a permanent
15 salaried professional member of any fire department within the State
16 of Oklahoma; and
17 2. "Emergency medical technician" means a person volunteering
18 or employed as an emergency medical technician and who is licensed
19 as an emergency medical technician pursuant to Section 1-2505 of
20 Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
21 SECTION 5. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
22 SECTION 6. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
23 of the public peace, health or safety, an emergency is hereby
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Req. No. 14429 Page 6
1 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
2 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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60-2-14429 AQH 12/31/25
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Req. No. 14429 Page 7Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.