1| HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES - FLOOR VERSION |
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2| STATE OF OKLAHOMA |
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3| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) |
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4|HOUSE BILL 2559 By: McBride, Baker, Waldron, |
| Fugate, Dollens, Davis, |
5| West (Tammy), and Schreiber |
| of the House |
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| Pemberton of the Senate |
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10| AS INTRODUCED |
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11| [ teacher scholarships - Inspired to Teach Program - |
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12| student eligibility - grade point average |
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13| requirement - effective date ] |
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17|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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18| SECTION 1. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 698.1, as |
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19|amended by Section 1, Chapter 344, O.S.L. 2022 (70 O.S. Supp. 2022, |
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20|Section 698.1), is amended to read as follows: |
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21| Section 698.1 A. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher |
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22|Education shall establish and maintain an incentive scholarship |
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23|program and teacher employment incentive program, as funding is |
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24|available, to encourage the preparation of public school teachers |
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1|for prekindergarten through twelfth grade, including minority |
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2|teachers, at all state public higher education institutions or |
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3|private higher education institutions accredited pursuant to Section |
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4|4103 of this title and incentivize employment as public teachers for |
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5|prekindergarten through twelfth grade in the state for at least five |
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6|(5) years, to be known as the Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship |
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7|and Employment Incentive Inspired to Teach Program. Prospective |
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8|teachers planning to pursue an undergraduate teacher education |
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9|program at an accredited Oklahoma teacher preparation program shall |
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10|be considered if they graduated from an Oklahoma high school, |
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11|completed high-school level instruction at home, or completed |
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12|General Educational Development (GED) test requirements; meet the |
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13|higher education admission standards,; and declare a pre-education |
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14|major or major in an approved Oklahoma teacher preparation degree |
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15|program leading to a standard teaching certificate. |
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16| B. To the extent that funds are available, scholarships, |
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17|renewable for up to three (3) additional years for qualified |
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18|students meeting satisfactory academic progress standards in |
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19|completing a teacher preparation degree program leading to a |
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20|standard teaching certificate, shall be awarded to cover costs of |
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21|tuition, general enrollment fees, other fees, books, materials, and |
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22|services provided by the institution, including room and board, in |
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23|the following manner: |
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1| 1. One Thousand Dollars ($1,000.00) per academic year for up to |
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2|three (3) academic years for full-time students who have earned less |
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3|than ninety (90) credit hours; and |
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4| 2. Two Thousand Five Hundred Dollars ($2,500.00) for the final |
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5|academic year for full-time students who have earned ninety (90) or |
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6|more credit hours. |
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7|The maximum amount of scholarship funds awarded as provided in this |
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8|subsection to any qualified student shall not exceed Five Thousand |
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9|Five Hundred Dollars ($5,500.00). |
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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 than twelve |
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17|(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 at the institution due to a documented disability and who |
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21|has been approved to take less than twelve (12) credit hours. |
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22| B D. It is the intent of the Oklahoma Legislature that the |
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23|Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education create a committee |
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24|composed of educators, teacher educators from the participating |
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1|institutions, and representatives of the public schools and the |
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2|State Department of Education to provide recommendations to the |
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3|State Regents to improve effectiveness of the program Inspired to |
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4|Teach Program. The committee shall prepare and deliver a report on |
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5|the program to the Legislature on or before July 1 of each year. |
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6| C E. Each scholarship participant, prior to entry into the |
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7|program Inspired to Teach Program, shall have agreed to teach in an |
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8|Oklahoma public prekindergarten through twelfth grade school for a |
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9|minimum of five (5) consecutive years upon graduation and licensure |
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10|as a teacher. Any scholarship participant failing to maintain a 2.5 |
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11|grade point average throughout matriculation, changing to an |
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12|ineligible area of study, failing to meet satisfactory academic |
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13|progress standards, withdrawing or otherwise leaving school, or |
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14|failing to meet requirements for licensure and certification to |
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15|teach as established by law shall be subject to disqualification |
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16|from the program. |
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17| D F. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education are |
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18|authorized to make employment incentive payments pursuant to the |
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19|provisions of this section to program Inspired to Teach Program |
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20|participants who are employed as traditionally certified teachers in |
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21|Oklahoma public prekindergarten through twelfth grade schools |
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22|following graduation. Incentive payments may be awarded following |
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23|each consecutive year of satisfactory service as documented by the |
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24|employing school district, up to five (5) years of service for |
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1|scholarship recipients as provided in subsection A of this section, |
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2|upon graduation from an accredited Oklahoma teacher preparation |
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3|degree program. The maximum amount of employment incentive payments |
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4|for any qualified participant shall be Four Thousand Dollars |
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5|($4,000.00) per year for up to five (5) years, not to exceed a total |
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6|of Twenty Thousand Dollars ($20,000.00) per participant. |
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7| E G. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall |
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8|require the execution of appropriate contracts with eligible program |
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9|Inspired to Teach Program participants. Participants failing to |
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10|comply with the requirements of this section or failing to provide |
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11|current contact information shall not be eligible for the employment |
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12|incentive payments provided for in this section. The Chancellor of |
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13|the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education, with the approval |
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14|of the State Regents, may contract with any other appropriate |
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15|organization or unit of government for the administration of the |
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16|provisions of this section. |
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17| F H. If sufficient funds are not available for employment |
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18|incentive payments to qualified participants during any fiscal year, |
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19|the Chancellor may make reductions in the payments made to qualified |
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20|participants. |
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21| G I. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may, at |
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22|the time an award is made on behalf of the Oklahoma Future Teacher |
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23|Scholarship and Employment Incentive Inspired to Teach Program, set |
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24|aside funds for the full commitment made to an eligible student. |
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1| H J. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education may |
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2|utilize Oklahoma Future Teacher Scholarship and Employment Incentive |
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3|Inspired to Teach Program designated funds for administration of the |
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4|program. |
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5| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2023. |
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7|COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS AND BUDGET, dated |
|03/02/2023 - DO PASS, As Amended and Coauthored. |
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