1|ENGROSSED SENATE |
|BILL NO. 654 By: Rosino of the Senate |
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| Burns of the House |
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6| An Act relating to postsecondary education; creating |
| the Captain Steven L. Farley Goldstar Families Act; |
7| providing short title; providing certain tuition |
| waivers for surviving spouses and children of certain |
8| military members killed after certain date; providing |
| eligibility; providing retention eligibility; |
9| directing certain federal benefits to be exhausted |
| prior to waiving of certain tuition; providing for |
10| promulgation of rules; providing for codification; |
| providing an effective date; and declaring an |
11| emergency. |
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14|BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA: |
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15| SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified |
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16|in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3234 of Title 70, unless there |
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17|is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows: |
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18| A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Captain |
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19|Steven L. Farley Goldstar Families Act". |
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20| B. The surviving spouse and children of a member of any branch |
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21|of the United States Armed Forces who was killed in action or killed |
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22|in the performance of his or her duty after September 11, 2001, |
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23|shall be eligible for a waiver of: |
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1| 1. Undergraduate resident tuition at institutions within The |
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2|Oklahoma State System of Higher Education. A student shall be |
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3|eligible for a tuition waiver for up to five (5) years or completion |
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4|of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree, whichever comes |
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5|first; or |
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6| 2. Resident tuition for a postsecondary program at a technology |
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7|center school operating under the State Board of Career and |
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8|Technology Education. Students shall be eligible for a tuition |
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9|waiver for up to five (5) years or completion of a certificate, |
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10|whichever comes first. |
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11| C. To be eligible for a tuition waiver, a student shall: |
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12| 1. Be a resident of this state; and |
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13| 2. Have secured admission to and enrolled in an institution |
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14|within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education or a |
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15|postsecondary program at a technology center school operating under |
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16|the State Board of Career and Technology Education. |
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17| D. To retain eligibility for a tuition waiver, the student |
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18|shall maintain good academic standing and satisfactory progress |
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19|according to standards of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher |
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20|Education or the State Board of Career and Technology Education. |
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21| E. A student seeking a tuition waiver pursuant to this section |
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22|who is eligible for federal education benefits shall exhaust all |
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23|available federal benefits. Any amount of tuition owed after |
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1|federal benefits are exhausted shall be waived by the institution of |
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2|higher education or the technology center school. |
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3| F. The Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education and the |
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4|State Board of Career and Technology Education shall promulgate |
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5|rules to implement the provisions of this section. |
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6| SECTION 2. This act shall become effective July 1, 2023. |
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7| SECTION 3. It being immediately necessary for the preservation |
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8|of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby |
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9|declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and |
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10|be in full force from and after its passage and approval. |
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11| Passed the Senate the 8th day of March, 2023. |
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| Presiding Officer of the Senate |
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15| Passed the House of Representatives the ____ day of __________, |
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16|2023. |
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| Presiding Officer of the House |
19| of Representatives |
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