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
1
2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
2
3 SENATE BILL 31 By: Hicks
3
4
4
5 AS INTRODUCED
5
6 An Act relating to career and technology education;
6 creating the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech
7 Assistance Act; providing short title; defining
7 terms; creating the Oklahoma National Guard
8 CareerTech Assistance Program to provide tuition
8 assistance to certain eligible members; providing for
9 amount of assistance subject to availability of
9 funding; limiting assistance to certain number of
10 years; allowing establishment of certain cap;
10 prohibiting assistance for courses taken in excess of
11 certain requirements; providing for eligibility;
11 providing eligibility retention requirements;
12 providing application process; allowing denial of
12 continued assistance for failure to meet certain
13 requirements; requiring repayment of assistance for
13 failure to meet certain requirement; providing for
14 calculation of repayment amount; allowing for
14 application of hardship waiver; directing certain
15 notification on available funding; providing for
15 promulgation of rules and regulations; directing
16 coordination of rules and regulations; creating the
16 Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
17 Revolving Fund; specifying source of fund; providing
17 for expenditures; providing purpose of fund;
18 providing for codification; providing an effective
18 date; and declaring an emergency.
19
19
20
20
21 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
21
22 SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
22
23 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 14-140 of Title 70, unless there
23
24 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
24
Req. No. 51 Page 1
1 A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma
1
2 National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act".
2
3 B. As used in this act:
3
4 1. "Technology center school" means a technology center school
4
5 under the governance of the State Board of Career and Technology
5
6 Education;
6
7 2. "Eligible Guard member" means a current member of the
7
8 Oklahoma National Guard in good standing who has a high school
8
9 diploma or who has completed General Educational Development (GED)
9
10 requirements and who has enrolled in a technology center school; and
10
11 3. "Program" means the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech
11
12 Assistance Program established pursuant to the provisions of this
12
13 section.
13
14 C. 1. There is hereby created the Oklahoma National Guard
14
15 CareerTech Assistance Program to provide assistance to eligible
15
16 Guard members who enroll in a technology center school. Subject to
16
17 the availability of funds, the amount of assistance shall be
17
18 equivalent to the amount of tuition for a career and technology
18
19 program in which the eligible Guard member is enrolled leading to
19
20 certification or licensure, not to exceed a maximum of three (3)
20
21 years.
21
22 2. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
22
23 granted without any limitation other than the amount of funds
23
24 available for the program and the number of eligible Guard members
24
Req. No. 51 Page 2
1 who apply, subject to any cap established by the Military Department
1
2 of the State of Oklahoma.
2
3 3. Assistance allowed by this section shall not be allowed for
3
4 courses taken in excess of the requirements for completion of a
4
5 technology center school program leading to certification or
5
6 licensure.
6
7 D. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
7
8 allocated to the technology center school from the Oklahoma National
8
9 Guard CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to
9
10 Section 2 of this act.
10
11 E. To be eligible to apply for the program, an eligible Guard
11
12 member shall:
12
13 1. Have at least one (1) year remaining on his or her
13
14 enlistment contract at the beginning of any semester for which the
14
15 member applies for assistance pursuant to this section;
15
16 2. Agree in writing to complete his or her current service
16
17 obligation in the Oklahoma National Guard; and
17
18 3. Agree in writing to serve actively in good standing with the
18
19 Oklahoma National Guard for not less than twenty-four (24) months
19
20 after completion of the last semester for which the member receives
20
21 assistance pursuant to this section.
21
22 F. To retain eligibility for the program, an eligible Guard
22
23 member shall:
23
24
24
Req. No. 51 Page 3
1 1. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory progress
1
2 according to standards of the technology center school in which the
2
3 member is enrolled;
3
4 2. Maintain the requirements for retention and completion as
4
5 established by the technology center school in which the member is
5
6 enrolled;
6
7 3. Maintain a minimum grade point of average of 2.0 on a 4.0
7
8 scale;
8
9 4. Maintain satisfactory participation in the Oklahoma National
9
10 Guard; and
10
11 5. Possess a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) or Air Force
11
12 Specialty Code (AFSC) after his or her first semester.
12
13 G. An eligible Guard member seeking assistance pursuant to the
13
14 provisions of this section shall submit an application on a form
14
15 prescribed by the Military Department of the State of Oklahoma to
15
16 the Educational Service Office of the Military Department prior to
16
17 the semester for which assistance is sought. The eligible Guard
17
18 member's Commander or his or her designee shall confirm a member's
18
19 standing and eligibility to the technology center school in which
19
20 the student is enrolled. The Military Department may establish a
20
21 cap on the number of eligible Guard members allowed to participate
21
22 per semester per technology center school program.
22
23 H. The eligible Guard member's Commander may deny an
23
24 application submitted by an eligible Guard member for continued
24
Req. No. 51 Page 4
1 program assistance if he or she fails to comply with the provisions
1
2 of paragraph 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 of subsection F of this section.
2
3 I. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance
3
4 pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply
4
5 with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section
5
6 shall be required to repay an amount to be calculated as follows:
6
7 1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursuant
7
8 to the provisions of this section;
8
9 2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this
9
10 subsection by twenty-four (24); and
10
11 3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this
11
12 subsection by the number of months the member did not fulfill the
12
13 requirements of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section.
13
14 Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma National Guard
14
15 CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2
15
16 of this act.
16
17 J. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance
17
18 pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails to comply
18
19 with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section
19
20 due to hardship circumstances may request a waiver from repayment.
20
21 A waiver request shall be submitted in writing to the Adjutant
21
22 General.
22
23 K. By July 1 annually, the State Board of Career and Technology
23
24 Education shall notify the Adjutant General of the amount of funding
24
Req. No. 51 Page 5
1 available in the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
1
2 Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this act.
2
3 L. The State Board of Career and Technology Education shall
3
4 promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this act including
4
5 deadlines for submission of applications required by subsection G of
5
6 this section. The Military Department of the State of Oklahoma
6
7 shall promulgate regulations pertaining to the application process
7
8 and the determination of eligibility for the program. The Board and
8
9 the Department shall coordinate the promulgation of rules and
9
10 regulations, respectively. The Adjutant General may promulgate
10
11 regulations to implement the provisions of this act.
11
12 SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
12
13 in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 14-141 of Title 70, unless there
13
14 is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
14
15 There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
15
16 for the State Board of Career and Technology Education to be
16
17 designated the "Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
17
18 Revolving Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject
18
19 to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all monies received
19
20 by the State Board of Career and Technology Education from state
20
21 appropriations provided for the purpose of implementing the
21
22 provisions of Section 1 of this act. All monies accruing to the
22
23 credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and
23
24 expended by the State Board of Career and Technology Education for
24
Req. No. 51 Page 6
1 the purpose of providing assistance to eligible Guard members
1
2 pursuant to the provisions of Section 1 of this act. Expenditures
2
3 from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State
3
4 Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the
4
5 Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for
5
6 approval and payment.
6
7 SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
7
8 SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
8
9 of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
9
10 declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
10
11 be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
11
12
12
13 60-1-51 EB 12/16/2024 4:19:27 PM
13
14
14
15
15
16
16
17
17
18
18
19
19
20
20
21
21
22
22
23
23
24
24
Req. No. 51 Page 7Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.