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 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 233 By: Standridge
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to higher education; creating the
7 Teacher Shortage Reduction Act; providing short
8 title; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section 628.13, which
8 relates to concurrent enrollment; updating statutory
9 language; adding exception to limitations on tuition
9 waiver for concurrent enrollment; providing certain
10 tuition waiver for juniors and seniors who meet
10 certain requirements and declare certain intention;
11 providing for maximum tuition waiver subject to
11 availability of funding; directing certain
12 declaration to be submitted on certain form;
12 requiring repayment of tuition waiver for failure to
13 comply with certain provisions; allowing the Oklahoma
13 State Regents for Higher Education to establish
14 certain schedule; allowing for application of
14 hardship waiver; providing for promulgation of rules;
15 providing for noncodification; providing for
15 codification; providing an effective date; and
16 declaring an emergency.
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19 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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20 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
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21 codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
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22 This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Teacher
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23 Shortage Reduction Act".
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Req. No. 619 Page 1
1 SECTION 2. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 628.13, is
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2 amended to read as follows:
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3 Section 628.13. A. 1. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
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4 Education, in cooperation with the State Board of Education, shall
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5 actively encourage the concurrent enrollment in college or
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6 university institution of higher education courses of eligible high
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7 school students on high school campuses, on college and university
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8 institution of higher education campuses, and via online courses.
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9 2. The State Regents and State Board shall establish concurrent
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10 enrollment requirements with an emphasis on determining course
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11 readiness and take all necessary actions to ensure the availability
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12 of concurrent enrollment opportunities to students in all Oklahoma
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13 high schools in this state.
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14 B. The State Board of Education in cooperation with the
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15 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall prepare
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16 promotional materials explaining the requirements, features, and
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17 opportunities of concurrent enrollment and shall ensure that the
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18 independent public school districts distribute the materials to each
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19 student prior to enrollment for each year of high school.
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20 C. No institution of within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
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21 Education shall deny enrollment in any course to any otherwise
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22 eligible high school student, or student of at least thirteen (13)
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23 years of age who is receiving high-school-level instruction at home,
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24 who meets the requirements of concurrent enrollment, nor shall any
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Req. No. 619 Page 2
1 independent public school district prohibit any student who meets
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2 the requirements of concurrent enrollment from participating.
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3 D. 1. Each Except as provided for in Section 3 of this act,
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4 each high school senior who meets the eligibility requirements for
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5 concurrent enrollment shall be entitled to receive a tuition waiver
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6 equivalent to the amount of resident tuition for a maximum of
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7 eighteen (18) credit hours in their senior year.
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8 2. Subject Except as provided for in Section 3 of this act,
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9 subject to the high school senior concurrent enrollment program
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10 being fully funded, each high school junior who meets the
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11 eligibility requirements for concurrent enrollment shall be entitled
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12 to receive a tuition waiver equivalent to the amount of resident
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13 tuition for a maximum of nine (9) credit hours in their junior year,
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14 subject to the availability of funds.
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15 3. Tuition waivers provided pursuant to this section shall be
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16 granted without any limitation on the number of waivers granted in
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17 any year other than the amount of funds available for the program
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18 and the number of eligible applicants.
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19 E. When a student earns college credit through concurrent
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20 enrollment, school districts shall provide academic credit for any
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21 concurrently enrolled higher education courses that are correlated
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22 with the academic credit awarded by the institution of higher
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23 education. Academic credit shall only be transcripted as elective
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24 credit if there is no correlation between the concurrent enrollment
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1 higher education course and a course provided by the school
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2 district.
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3 F. On or before December 1 of each year, the Oklahoma State
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4 Regents for Higher Education shall issue an annual report on the
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5 concurrent enrollment program implemented pursuant to this section.
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6 The annual report shall include, but not be limited to, the
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7 following information:
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8 1. The number of students participating in concurrent
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9 enrollment;
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10 2. The number of students participating in concurrent
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11 enrollment who received tuition waivers pursuant to subsection D of
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12 this section;
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13 3. The high school graduation rate of students described in
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14 paragraphs 1 and 2 of this subsection; and
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15 4. The number of students described in paragraphs 1 and 2 of
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16 this subsection who earned an associate's degree or a bachelor's
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17 degree at an institution of higher education.
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18 The annual report shall be posted on the websites of the
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19 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the State Department
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20 of Education.
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21 SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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22 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 628.13a of Title 70, unless
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23 there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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1 A. Juniors and seniors enrolled in a public school district or
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2 public charter school in this state who:
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3 1. Meet the eligibility requirements for concurrent enrollment;
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4 and
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5 2. Declare an intention to pursue an undergraduate teacher
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6 education program accredited by the Commission for Educational
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7 Quality and Accountability at an institution of higher education
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8 within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education and teach in a
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9 public school in this state for three (3) years within ten (10)
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10 years following attainment of a bachelor's degree from an approved
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11 teacher education program,
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12 shall be entitled to receive a tuition waiver for a maximum of sixty
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13 (60) credit hours, subject to the availability of funding.
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14 B. The declaration required by paragraph 2 of subsection A of
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15 this section shall be submitted to the Oklahoma State Regents for
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16 Higher Education on a form prescribed by the State Regents.
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17 C. 1. An individual who has received a tuition waiver pursuant
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18 to this section and who fails to comply with the provisions of
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19 paragraph 2 of subsection A of this section shall be required to
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20 repay an amount equal to the tuition waiver provided pursuant to
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21 this section. The State Regents may establish a schedule for
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22 installment repayments.
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23 2. An individual subject to the provisions of paragraph 1 of
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24 this subsection may request a waiver from repayment due to hardship
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1 circumstances. The waiver request shall be submitted to the State
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2 Regents on a form prescribed by the State Regents.
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3 D. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall
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4 promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section.
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5 SECTION 4. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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6 SECTION 5. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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7 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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8 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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9 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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Req. No. 619 Page 6Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.