1| STATE OF OKLAHOMA | | | 2| 1st Session of the 59th Legislature (2023) | | | 3|SENATE BILL 529 By: Pugh | | | 4| | | | 5| | | | 6| AS INTRODUCED | | | 7| An Act relating to teachers; creating the Oklahoma | | Teacher Corps Program to be administered by the | 8| Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education; | | providing purpose; providing eligibility criteria; | 9| requiring execution of certain agreement; providing | | for calculation of assistance amount; providing | 10| retention criteria; prohibiting individuals who | | accept certain assistance from also being eligible | 11| for certain award, scholarship, or incentive payment; | | requiring repayment of assistance for failure to meet | 12| certain agreement; providing for calculation of | | repayment amount; allowing request for hardship | 13| waiver; providing for promulgation of rules; creating | | the Oklahoma Teacher Corps Revolving Fund; specifying | 14| source of fund; providing for expenditures; providing | | purpose of fund; providing for codification; | 15| providing an effective date; and declaring an | | emergency. | 16| | | | 17| | | | 18|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: | | | 19| SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified | | | 20|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 700 of Title 70, unless there is | | | 21|created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: | | | 22| A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma Teacher Corps Program | | | 23|to be administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher | | | 24|Education to provide assistance to individuals who earn a degree | | | Req. No. 574 Page 1 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|from an approved teacher preparation degree program at an | | | 2|institution of higher education within The Oklahoma State System of | | | 3|Higher Education and agree to teach in a school district in this | | | 4|state that meets the criteria of paragraph 3 of subsection C of this | | | 5|section for four (4) consecutive years. | | | 6| B. To be eligible to participate in the Oklahoma Teacher Corps | | | 7|Program during the 2023-2024 academic year and thereafter, an | | | 8|individual shall: | | | 9| 1. Enroll in an institution of higher education within The | | | 10|Oklahoma State System of Higher Education; | | | 11| 2. Submit an application on a form prescribed by the Oklahoma | | | 12|State Regents for Higher Education; | | | 13| 3. Declare a major in an approved Oklahoma teacher preparation | | | 14|degree program leading to a standard teaching certificate; and | | | 15| 4. Execute an agreement pursuant to subsection C of this | | | 16|section. | | | 17| C. An individual who meets the eligibility criteria set forth | | | 18|in subsection B of this section shall execute an agreement stating | | | 19|that he or she shall: | | | 20| 1. Agree to earn a bachelor's degree from an approved Oklahoma | | | 21|teacher preparation degree program leading to a standard teaching | | | 22|certificate; | | | 23| | | | 24| | | | Req. No. 574 Page 2 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| 2. Agree to meet the requirements of Section 6-187 of Title 70 | | | 2|of the Oklahoma Statutes to earn a standard teaching certificate; | | | 3|and | | | 4| 3. Agree to teach in a school district in this state that is | | | 5|designated as a comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) school | | | 6|or targeted support and improvement (TSI) school pursuant to the | | | 7|Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as | | | 8|reauthorized and amended by P.L. No. 114-95, also known as the Every | | | 9|Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for four (4) consecutive years. The | | | 10|individual is not required to teach at the same school district for | | | 11|four consecutive years. | | | 12| D. 1. The amount of assistance shall be equivalent to the | | | 13|amount of tuition and mandatory fees for courses in which the | | | 14|eligible individual enrolls for completion of a bachelor's degree. | | | 15|Assistance shall not be allowed for courses or other postsecondary | | | 16|units taken in excess of the requirements for completion of a | | | 17|bachelor's degree or taken more than five (5) years after the | | | 18|individual's first semester of enrollment in an institution of | | | 19|higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher | | | 20|Education. | | | 21| 2. Assistance provided pursuant to this subsection shall be | | | 22|allocated to the institution of higher education from the Oklahoma | | | 23|Teacher Corps Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this | | | 24|act. | | | Req. No. 574 Page 3 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| E. To retain eligibility for the Oklahoma Teacher Corps | | | 2|Program, an eligible individual shall: | | | 3| 1. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory academic | | | 4|progress while enrolled in an institution of higher education | | | 5|according to the institution's standards; and | | | 6| 2. After earning a bachelor's degree, submit annual proof of | | | 7|employment with a school district described in paragraph 3 of | | | 8|subsection C of this section to the Oklahoma State Regents for | | | 9|Higher Education. | | | 10| F. An individual who accepts assistance pursuant to this | | | 11|section shall not also be eligible for an Oklahoma Higher Learning | | | 12|Access Program award provided for by Section 2601 et seq. of Title | | | 13|70 of the Oklahoma Statutes or an Oklahoma Future Teacher | | | 14|Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program scholarship or | | | 15|employment incentive payment provided for by Section 698.1 of Title | | | 16|70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. | | | 17| G. An individual who has received Oklahoma Teacher Corps | | | 18|Program assistance pursuant to this section and who fails to comply | | | 19|with the agreement executed pursuant to subsection C of this section | | | 20|shall be required to repay an amount to be calculated as follows: | | | 21| 1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursuant | | | 22|to the provisions of this section; | | | 23| 2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this | | | 24|subsection by twelve (12); and | | | Req. No. 574 Page 4 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| 3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this | | | 2|subsection by the number of months the individual did not fulfill | | | 3|the requirements of the agreement executed pursuant to subsection C | | | 4|of this section. Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma | | | 5|Teacher Corps Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this | | | 6|act. | | | 7| H. An individual who has received Oklahoma Teacher Corps | | | 8|Program assistance pursuant to this section and who fails to comply | | | 9|with the agreement executed pursuant to subsection C of this section | | | 10|due to hardship circumstances may request a waiver from repayment | | | 11|from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. | | | 12| I. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall | | | 13|promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section. | | | 14| SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified | | | 15|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 700.1 of Title 70, unless there | | | 16|is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: | | | 17| There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund | | | 18|for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to be designated | | | 19|the "Oklahoma Teacher Corps Revolving Fund". The fund shall be a | | | 20|continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall | | | 21|consist of all monies received by the Oklahoma State Regents for | | | 22|Higher Education from state appropriations. All monies accruing to | | | 23|the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted | | | 24|and expended by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for | | | Req. No. 574 Page 5 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|the purpose of implement the provisions of the Oklahoma Teacher | | | 2|Corps Program created pursuant to Section 1 of this act. | | | 3|Expenditures from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the | | | 4|State Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the | | | 5|Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for | | | 6|approval and payment. | | | 7| SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. | | | 8| SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation | | | 9|of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby | | | 10|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and | | | 11|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. | | | 12| | | | 13| 59-1-574 EB 1/17/2023 7:05:36 PM | | | 14| | | | 15| | | | 16| | | | 17| | | | 18| | | | 19| | | | 20| | | | 21| | | | 22| | | | 23| | | | 24| | | | Req. No. 574 Page 6