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
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2 2nd Session of the 60th Legislature (2026)
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3 SENATE BILL 1546 By: Pugh
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to teachers; amending 70 O.S. 2021,
7 Section 698.1, as last amended by Section 1, Chapter
8 249, O.S.L. 2023 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 698.1),
8 which relates to the Inspired to Teach Program;
9 renaming the program; increasing scholarship amounts
9 available for eligible students; updating statutory
10 language; providing an effective date; and declaring
10 an emergency.
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13 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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14 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 698.1, as
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15 last amended by Section 1, Chapter 249, O.S.L. 2023 (70 O.S. Supp.
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16 2025, Section 698.1), is amended to read as follows:
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17 Section 698.1. A. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
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18 Education shall establish and maintain an incentive scholarship
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19 program and teacher employment incentive program, as funding is
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20 available, to encourage the preparation of public school teachers
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21 for prekindergarten through twelfth grade, including minority
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22 teachers, at all state public higher education institutions of
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23 higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
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24 Education or private higher education institutions accredited
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Req. No. 3188 Page 1
1 pursuant to Section 4103 of this title and incentivize employment as
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2 public school teachers for prekindergarten through twelfth grade in
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3 the state for at least five (5) years, to be known as the Inspired
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4 to Teach Program New Educators for Excellence in Teaching and
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5 Education (NEXT-ED) Program. Prospective teachers planning to
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6 pursue an undergraduate teacher education program at an accredited
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7 Oklahoma teacher preparation program in this state shall be
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8 considered if they graduated from high school, completed high-school
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9 level instruction at home, or completed General Educational
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10 Development (GED) test requirements; meet the higher education
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11 admission standards of the institution of higher education; and
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12 declare a pre-education major or major in an approved Oklahoma
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13 teacher preparation degree program in this state leading to a
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14 standard teaching certificate.
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15 B. To the extent that funds are available, scholarships,
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16 renewable for up to three (3) additional years for qualified
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17 students meeting satisfactory academic progress standards in
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18 completing a teacher preparation degree program leading to a
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19 standard teaching certificate, shall be awarded to cover costs of
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20 tuition, general enrollment and other fees, other fees, books,
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21 materials, and services provided by the institution, including room
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22 and board, in the following manner:
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23 1. One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) Two Thousand Dollars
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24 ($2,000.00) per academic year for up to three (3) academic years for
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Req. No. 3188 Page 2
1 full-time students who have earned less fewer than ninety (90)
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2 credit hours; and
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3 2. Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) Five Thousand
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4 Dollars ($5,000.00) for the final academic year for full-time
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5 students who have earned ninety (90) or more credit hours.
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6 The maximum amount of scholarship funds awarded as provided in this
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7 subsection to any qualified student shall not exceed Five Thousand
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8 Five Hundred Dollars ($5,500.00) Eleven Thousand Dollars
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9 ($11,000.00).
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10 C. As used in this section, "full-time student" means:
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11 1. An undergraduate student enrolled in twelve (12) or more
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12 semester credits toward teacher education degree requirements;
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13 2. An undergraduate student who is a teacher education major
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14 who is enrolled in or has completed an internship or student
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15 teaching credit hours in order to complete the degree program prior
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16 to certification and who has been approved to take less fewer than
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17 twelve (12) credit hours; or
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18 3. An undergraduate student who is a teacher education major
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19 with an approved reasonable accommodation from Student Accessibility
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20 Services student accessibility services at the institution due to a
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21 documented disability and who has been approved to take less fewer
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22 than twelve (12) credit hours.
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23 D. It is the intent of the Oklahoma Legislature that the
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24 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education create a committee
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1 composed of educators, teacher educators from the participating
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2 institutions, and representatives of the public schools in this
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3 state and the State Department of Education to provide
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4 recommendations to the State Regents to improve effectiveness of the
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5 Inspired to Teach Program NEXT-ED Program. The committee shall
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6 prepare and electronically deliver a report on the program to the
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7 Legislature on or before July 1 of each year.
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8 E. Each scholarship participant, prior to entry into the
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9 Inspired to Teach Program NEXT-ED Program, shall have agreed to
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10 teach in an Oklahoma a public prekindergarten through twelfth grade
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11 school in this state for a minimum of five (5) consecutive years
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12 upon graduation and licensure as a teacher. Any scholarship
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13 participant failing to maintain a 2.5 grade point average throughout
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14 matriculation, changing to an ineligible area of study, failing to
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15 meet satisfactory academic progress standards, withdrawing or
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16 otherwise leaving school, or failing to meet requirements for
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17 licensure and certification to teach as established by law shall be
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18 subject to disqualification from the program.
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19 F. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are
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20 authorized to make employment incentive payments pursuant to the
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21 provisions of this section to Inspired to Teach Program NEXT-ED
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22 Program participants who are employed as traditionally certified
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23 teachers in Oklahoma public prekindergarten through twelfth grade
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24 schools in this state following graduation. Incentive payments may
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1 be awarded following each consecutive year of satisfactory service
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2 as documented by the employing school district, up to five (5) years
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3 of service for scholarship recipients as provided in subsection A of
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4 this section, upon graduation from an accredited Oklahoma teacher
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5 preparation degree program in this state. The maximum amount of
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6 employment incentive payments for any qualified participant shall be
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7 Four Thousand Dollars ($4,000.00) per year for up to five (5) years,
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8 not to exceed a total of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) per
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9 participant.
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10 G. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall
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11 require the execution of appropriate contracts with eligible
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12 Inspired to Teach Program NEXT-ED Program participants.
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13 Participants failing to comply with the requirements of this section
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14 or failing to provide current contact information shall not be
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15 eligible for the employment incentive payments provided for in this
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16 section. The Chancellor of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
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17 Education, with the approval of the State Regents, may contract with
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18 any other appropriate organization or unit of government for the
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19 administration of the provisions of this section.
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20 H. If sufficient funds are not available for employment
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21 incentive payments to qualified participants during any fiscal year,
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22 the Chancellor may make reductions in the payments made to qualified
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23 participants.
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1 I. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may, at the
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2 time an award is made on behalf of the Inspired to Teach Program
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3 NEXT-ED Program, set aside funds for the full commitment made to an
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4 eligible student.
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5 J. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may utilize
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6 Inspired to Teach Program NEXT-ED Program designated funds for
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7 administration of the program.
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8 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2026.
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9 SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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10 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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11 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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12 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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Req. No. 3188 Page 6Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.