1| SENATE FLOOR VERSION | | February 22, 2023 | 2| | | | 3|SENATE BILL NO. 529 By: Pugh | | | 4| | | | 5| | | | 6| [ teachers - Oklahoma Teacher Corps Program - | | agreement - waiver - rules - fund - codification - | 7| effective date - emergency ] | | | 8| | | | 9| | | | 10|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: | | | 11| SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified | | | 12|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 700 of Title 70, unless there is | | | 13|created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: | | | 14| A. There is hereby created the Oklahoma Teacher Corps Program | | | 15|to be administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher | | | 16|Education to provide assistance to individuals who earn a degree | | | 17|from an approved teacher preparation degree program at an | | | 18|institution of higher education within The Oklahoma State System of | | | 19|Higher Education and agree to teach in a school district in this | | | 20|state that meets the criteria of paragraph 3 of subsection C of this | | | 21|section for four (4) consecutive years. | | | 22| B. To be eligible to participate in the Oklahoma Teacher Corps | | | 23|Program during the 2023-2024 academic year and thereafter, an | | | 24|individual shall: | | | arsid16386816 SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB529 SFLR Page 1 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| 1. Enroll in an institution of higher education within The | | | 2|Oklahoma State System of Higher Education; | | | 3| 2. Submit an application on a form prescribed by the Oklahoma | | | 4|State Regents for Higher Education; | | | 5| 3. Declare a major in an approved Oklahoma teacher preparation | | | 6|degree program leading to a standard teaching certificate; and | | | 7| 4. Execute an agreement pursuant to subsection C of this | | | 8|section. | | | 9| C. An individual who meets the eligibility criteria set forth | | | 10|in subsection B of this section shall execute an agreement stating | | | 11|that he or she shall: | | | 12| 1. Agree to earn a bachelor's degree from an approved Oklahoma | | | 13|teacher preparation degree program leading to a standard teaching | | | 14|certificate; | | | 15| 2. Agree to meet the requirements of Section 6-187 of Title 70 | | | 16|of the Oklahoma Statutes to earn a standard teaching certificate; | | | 17|and | | | 18| 3. Agree to teach in a school district in this state that is | | | 19|designated as a comprehensive support and improvement (CSI) school | | | 20|or targeted support and improvement (TSI) school pursuant to the | | | 21|Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA), as | | | 22|reauthorized and amended by P.L. No. 114-95, also known as the Every | | | 23|Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) for four (4) consecutive years. The | | | 24| | | | arsid16386816 SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB529 SFLR Page 2 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|individual is not required to teach at the same school district for | | | 2|four consecutive years. | | | 3| D. 1. The amount of assistance shall be equivalent to the | | | 4|amount of tuition and mandatory fees for courses in which the | | | 5|eligible individual enrolls for completion of a bachelor's degree. | | | 6|Assistance shall not be allowed for courses or other postsecondary | | | 7|units taken in excess of the requirements for completion of a | | | 8|bachelor's degree or taken more than five (5) years after the | | | 9|individual's first semester of enrollment in an institution of | | | 10|higher education within The Oklahoma State System of Higher | | | 11|Education. | | | 12| 2. Assistance provided pursuant to this subsection shall be | | | 13|allocated to the institution of higher education from the Oklahoma | | | 14|Teacher Corps Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this | | | 15|act. | | | 16| E. To retain eligibility for the Oklahoma Teacher Corps | | | 17|Program, an eligible individual shall: | | | 18| 1. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory academic | | | 19|progress while enrolled in an institution of higher education | | | 20|according to the institution's standards; and | | | 21| 2. After earning a bachelor's degree, submit annual proof of | | | 22|employment with a school district described in paragraph 3 of | | | 23|subsection C of this section to the Oklahoma State Regents for | | | 24|Higher Education. | | | arsid16386816 SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB529 SFLR Page 3 ___________________________________________________________________________
1| F. An individual who accepts assistance pursuant to this | | | 2|section shall not also be eligible for an Oklahoma Higher Learning | | | 3|Access Program award provided for by Section 2601 et seq. of Title | | | 4|70 of the Oklahoma Statutes or an Oklahoma Future Teacher | | | 5|Scholarship and Employment Incentive Program scholarship or | | | 6|employment incentive payment provided for by Section 698.1 of Title | | | 7|70 of the Oklahoma Statutes. | | | 8| G. An individual who has received Oklahoma Teacher Corps | | | 9|Program assistance pursuant to this section and who fails to comply | | | 10|with the agreement executed pursuant to subsection C of this section | | | 11|shall be required to repay an amount to be calculated as follows: | | | 12| 1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursuant | | | 13|to the provisions of this section; | | | 14| 2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this | | | 15|subsection by twelve (12); and | | | 16| 3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this | | | 17|subsection by the number of months the individual did not fulfill | | | 18|the requirements of the agreement executed pursuant to subsection C | | | 19|of this section. Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma | | | 20|Teacher Corps Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this | | | 21|act. | | | 22| H. An individual who has received Oklahoma Teacher Corps | | | 23|Program assistance pursuant to this section and who fails to comply | | | 24|with the agreement executed pursuant to subsection C of this section | | | arsid16386816 SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB529 SFLR Page 4 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|due to hardship circumstances may request a waiver from repayment | | | 2|from the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. | | | 3| I. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education shall | | | 4|promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this section. | | | 5| SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified | | | 6|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 700.1 of Title 70, unless there | | | 7|is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: | | | 8| There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund | | | 9|for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to be designated | | | 10|the "Oklahoma Teacher Corps Revolving Fund". The fund shall be a | | | 11|continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year limitations, and shall | | | 12|consist of all monies received by the Oklahoma State Regents for | | | 13|Higher Education from state appropriations. All monies accruing to | | | 14|the credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted | | | 15|and expended by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education for | | | 16|the purpose of implement the provisions of the Oklahoma Teacher | | | 17|Corps Program created pursuant to Section 1 of this act. | | | 18|Expenditures from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the | | | 19|State Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the | | | 20|Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for | | | 21|approval and payment. | | | 22| SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. | | | 23| SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation | | | 24|of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby | | | arsid16386816 SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB529 SFLR Page 5 ___________________________________________________________________________
1|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and | | | 2|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. | | | 3|COMMITTEE REPORT BY: COMMITTEE ON APPROPRIATIONS | |February 22, 2023 - DO PASS | 4| | | | 5| | | | 6| | | | 7| | | | 8| | | | 9| | | | 10| | | | 11| | | | 12| | | | 13| | | | 14| | | | 15| | | | 16| | | | 17| | | | 18| | | | 19| | | | 20| | | | 21| | | | 22| | | | 23| | | | 24| | | | arsid16386816 SENATE FLOOR VERSION - SB529 SFLR Page 6