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 235 By: Pugh
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to teachers; defining term;
7 establishing the Grow Your Own Educator Program to be
8 maintained by the Office of Educational Quality and
8 Accountability; providing purpose; providing for
9 grant applications to be made on certain form;
9 providing for contents of application; directing
10 grants to be allocated on certain basis from certain
10 fund; requiring grant recipients to submit certain
11 report by certain date; providing for contents of
11 report; directing the Office of Educational Quality
12 and Accountability to submit certain report by
12 certain date; providing for contents of report;
13 providing for promulgation of rules; creating the
13 Grow Your Own Educator Revolving Fund; specifying
14 source of fund; providing for expenditures; providing
14 purpose of fund; providing for codification;
15 providing an effective date; and declaring an
15 emergency.
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18 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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19 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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20 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 698.4 of Title 70, unless there
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21 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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22 A. As used in this section, "eligible school district" means a
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23 public school district or public school district foundation in this
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24 state that has established a program to provide tuition or loan
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Req. No. 169 Page 1
1 repayment assistance to school district employees who pursue an
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2 undergraduate degree from a teacher preparation program accredited
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3 by the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability leading
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4 to a standard teaching certificate.
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5 B. There is hereby created the Grow Your Own Educator Program
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6 to provide matching fund grants to eligible school districts. The
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7 program shall be established and maintained by the Office of
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8 Educational Quality and Accountability.
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9 C. An eligible school district seeking to participate in the
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10 Grow Your Own Educator Program shall submit an application in the
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11 manner and on a form prescribed by the Office of Educational Quality
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12 and Accountability. The application shall include:
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13 1. The amount of matching fund grants requested;
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14 2. The position of the employee pursuing an undergraduate
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15 degree from a teacher preparation program; and
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16 3. The subject area in which the employee is pursuing an
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17 undergraduate degree from a teacher preparation program.
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18 D. Matching fund grants shall be awarded on a first-come,
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19 first-served basis. Grants shall be provided without any limitation
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20 other than the amount of funds available in the Grow Your Own
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21 Educator Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this act
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22 and the number of eligible school districts that apply.
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23 E. By June 30, 2026, and each June 30 thereafter, an eligible
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24 school district that receives a matching fund grant pursuant to this
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Req. No. 169 Page 2
1 section shall electronically submit a report to the Office of
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2 Educational Quality and Accountability that includes:
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3 1. A status update on the progress the employee receiving
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4 tuition assistance is making in the teacher preparation program in
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5 which he or she is enrolled; or
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6 2. The employment status of the employee receiving loan
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7 repayment assistance.
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8 F. By December 31, 2026, and each December 31 thereafter, the
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9 Office of Educational Quality and Accountability shall
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10 electronically submit a report to the Governor, the President Pro
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11 Tempore of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House of
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12 Representatives that includes:
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13 1. The school district matching fund grant recipients;
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14 2. The amount of matching fund grants allocated to each
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15 recipient;
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16 3. The subject area in which the employee receiving tuition
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17 assistance is pursuing an undergraduate degree, or the subject area
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18 in which the employee receiving loan repayment assistance has
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19 received an undergraduate degree; and
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20 4. The information submitted pursuant to subsection E of this
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21 section.
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22 G. The Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability
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23 shall promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section.
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Req. No. 169 Page 3
1 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
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2 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 698.5 of Title 70, unless there
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3 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
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4 There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
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5 for the Commission for Educational Quality and Accountability to be
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6 designated the "Grow Your Own Educator Revolving Fund". The fund
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7 shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations,
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8 and shall consist of all monies received by the Commission for
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9 Educational Quality and Accountability from legislative
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10 appropriations provided for the purpose of implementing the Grow
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11 Your Own Educator Program created in Section 1 of this act. All
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12 monies accruing to the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated
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13 and may be budgeted and expended by the Commission for the purpose
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14 provided for in this section. Expenditures from the fund shall be
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15 made upon warrants issued by the State Treasurer against claims
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16 filed as prescribed by law with the Director of the Office of
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17 Management and Enterprise Services for approval and payment.
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18 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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19 SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
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20 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
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21 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
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22 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
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24 60-1-169 EB 12/30/2024 5:15:39 PM
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Req. No. 169 Page 4Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.