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1 STATE OF OKLAHOMA
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2 1st Session of the 60th Legislature (2025)
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3 SENATE BILL 32 By: Stanley
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6 AS INTRODUCED
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7 An Act relating to the Oklahoma National Guard
7 Educational Assistance Act; amending Section 1,
8 Chapter 24, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section
8 3231), which relates to creation of the act;
9 directing certain assistance to include program fees
9 and any other fees for courses; directing the
10 Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the
10 Military Department of the State of Oklahoma to
11 jointly review certain fees; allowing the State
11 Regents to determine if certain fees are ineligible
12 for program assistance; authorizing the Department to
12 establish certain cap; modifying retention
13 eligibility; authorizing the Department to establish
13 a cap on certain program participation; modifying
14 reasons for which an application for assistance may
14 be denied; directing the Department to promulgate
15 certain regulations; directing the State Regents and
15 the Department to coordinate certain promulgation;
16 updating statutory references; updating statutory
16 language; providing an effective date; and declaring
17 an emergency.
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20 BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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21 SECTION 1. AMENDATORY Section 1, Chapter 24, O.S.L. 2022
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22 (70 O.S. Supp. 2024, Section 3231), is amended to read as follows:
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23 Section 3231. A. This act shall be known and may be cited as
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24 the "Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Act".
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Req. No. 126 Page 1
1 B. As used in this act the Oklahoma National Guard Educational
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2 Assistance Act:
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3 1. "Oklahoma educational institution" means an institution of
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4 higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher
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5 Education;
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6 2. "Eligible Guard member" means a current member of the
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7 Oklahoma National Guard in good standing who has a high school
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8 diploma or who has completed General Educational Development (GED)
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9 requirements and who has secured admission to and enrolled in an
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10 Oklahoma educational institution;
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11 3. "Graduate program" means a program offered by an Oklahoma
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12 educational institution that leads to the award of a master's
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13 degree;
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14 4. "Program" means the Oklahoma National Guard Educational
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15 Assistance Program established pursuant to the provisions of this
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16 section; and
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17 5. "Undergraduate program" means a program offered by an
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18 Oklahoma educational institution that leads to the award of an
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19 associate's degree or a baccalaureate degree.
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20 C. There is hereby created the Oklahoma National Guard
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21 Educational Assistance Program to provide assistance to eligible
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22 Guard members who enroll in an Oklahoma educational institution.
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23 Subject to the availability of funds and limitations established by
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24 the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, the amount of
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Req. No. 126 Page 2
1 assistance shall be equivalent to the amount of resident tuition,
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2 mandatory fees, and program fees, academic service fees, and any
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3 other fees for courses in which the eligible Guard member is
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4 enrolled, not to exceed a maximum of eighteen (18) credit hours each
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5 semester. The mandatory fees, program fees, academic service fees,
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6 and any other fees for courses shall be jointly reviewed by the
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7 State Regents and the Military Department of the State of Oklahoma.
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8 The State Regents may determine fees or fee amounts to be ineligible
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9 for program assistance. If the State Regents make such a
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10 determination, program assistance for those fees or fee amounts
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11 shall not be provided to eligible Guard members participating in the
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12 program.
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13 1. The amount of assistance provided to an eligible Guard
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14 member enrolled in an undergraduate program shall not exceed a
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15 maximum of one hundred twenty (120) credit hours in pursuit of an
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16 associate's degree and/or a baccalaureate degree.
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17 2. Subject to the assistance for eligible Guard members
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18 enrolled in undergraduate programs being fully funded, assistance
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19 shall be provided to an eligible Guard member with a baccalaureate
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20 degree enrolled in a graduate program. The amount of assistance
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21 provided to an eligible Guard member enrolled in a graduate program
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22 shall not exceed a maximum of forty (40) credit hours in pursuit of
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23 a master's degree.
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1 3. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
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2 granted without any limitation other than the amount of funds
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3 available for the Program program and the number of eligible Guard
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4 members who apply, subject to any cap established by the Military
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5 Department.
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6 4. Assistance allowed by this section shall not be allowed for
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7 courses taken in excess of the requirements for completion of an
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8 undergraduate program or a graduate program, whichever is applicable
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9 for the eligible Guard member.
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10 D. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
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11 allocated to the Oklahoma educational institution from the Oklahoma
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12 National Guard Educational Assistance Revolving Fund created
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13 pursuant to Section 2 3232 of this act title.
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14 E. To be eligible to apply for the Program program, an eligible
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15 Guard member shall:
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16 1. Have at least one (1) year remaining on his or her
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17 enlistment contract at the beginning of any semester for which the
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18 member applies for assistance pursuant to this section;
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19 2. Agree in writing to complete his or her current service
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20 obligation in the Oklahoma National Guard; and
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21 3. Agree in writing to serve actively in good standing with the
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22 Oklahoma National Guard for not less than twenty-four (24) months
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23 after completion of the last semester for which the member receives
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24 assistance pursuant to this section.
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Req. No. 126 Page 4
1 F. To retain eligibility for the Program program, an eligible
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2 Guard member shall:
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3 1. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory academic
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4 progress according to standards of the Oklahoma educational
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5 institution in which the member is enrolled;
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6 2. Maintain the requirements for retention and degree
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7 completion as established by the Oklahoma educational institution in
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8 which the member is enrolled;
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9 3. Maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0
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10 scale; and
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11 4. Maintain satisfactory participation in the Oklahoma National
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12 Guard; and
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13 5. Possess a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) or Air Force
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14 Specialty Code (AFSC) after his or her first semester.
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15 G. An eligible Guard member seeking assistance pursuant to the
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16 provisions of this section shall submit an application on a form
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17 prescribed by the Military Department of the State of Oklahoma to
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18 the Educational Service Office of the Military Department prior to
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19 the semester for which assistance is sought. The eligible Guard
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20 member's Commander or his or her designee shall confirm a member's
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21 standing and eligibility to the Oklahoma educational institution in
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22 which the student is enrolled. The Military Department may
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23 establish a cap on the number of eligible Guard members allowed to
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24 participate per semester per undergraduate or graduate program.
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1 H. The eligible Guard member's Commander may deny an
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2 application submitted by an eligible Guard member for continued
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3 Program program assistance if he or she fails to comply with the
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4 provisions of paragraph 1, 2, or 3, 4, or 5 of subsection F of this
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5 section.
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6 I. An eligible Guard member who has received Program program
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7 assistance pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails
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8 to comply with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this
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9 section shall be required to repay an amount to be calculated as
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10 follows:
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11 1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursuant
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12 to the provisions of this section;
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13 2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this
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14 subsection by twenty-four (24); and
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15 3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this
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16 subsection by the number of months the member did not fulfill the
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17 requirements of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section.
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18 Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma National Guard
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19 Educational Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2
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20 3232 of this act title.
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21 J. An eligible Guard member who has received Program program
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22 assistance pursuant to the provisions of this section and who fails
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23 to comply with the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this
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24 section due to hardship circumstances may request a waiver from
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Req. No. 126 Page 6
1 repayment. A waiver request shall be submitted in writing to the
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2 Adjutant General.
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3 K. By July 1 annually, the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher
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4 Education shall notify the Adjutant General of the amount of funding
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5 available in the Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance
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6 Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 3232 of this act title.
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7 L. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall
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8 promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this act the
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9 Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Act including
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10 deadlines for submission of applications required by subsection G of
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11 this section. The Military Department of the State of Oklahoma
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12 shall promulgate regulations pertaining to the application process
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13 and the determination of eligibility for the program. The State
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14 Regents and the Department shall coordinate the promulgation of
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15 rules and regulations, respectively. The Adjutant General may
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16 promulgate regulations to implement the provisions of this act the
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17 Oklahoma National Guard Educational Assistance Act.
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18 SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
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19 SECTION 3. 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 60-1-126 EB 12/16/2024 4:23:30 PM
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Req. No. 126 Page 7Every fact on this page links to its source, starting with the official bill record.