2009 Legislative Update - Bills by Subject
Tuition
HB1324 // Representative Mike Reynolds — The legislation requires the Legislature to set all resident tuition, nonresident tuition and other fees for institutions of higher education. It repeals language directing the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to set tuition and fees.
SB 30 // Senator Jim Wilson — The bill prohibits an increase in resident tuition, nonresident tuition or other fees established by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education from becoming effective if the increase is established during a calendar year when there is a decrease in the top marginal income tax rate.
SB0273 // Senator Jim Wilson — The legislation modifies the tuition setting authority of the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. The bill limits annual tuition increases to the lesser of 3 percent or the rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index.
SB 311 //Senator Debbe Leftwich — The legislation prohibits tuition and fees from being increased above the amounts authorized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as of Sept. 1, 2008, until June 30, 2011.
SB 393 // Senator Jim Reynolds — The legislation prohibits tuition and fee increases from being increased above the amounts authorized by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education as of Sept. 1, 2008, until June 30, 2011.
SB 791 // Senator Jim Reynolds — The legislation directs the Legislature to establish resident tuition, nonresident tuition and fees for institutions within the Oklahoma State System of Higher Education beginning with the 2010-2011 academic year. The bill repeals statutory language authorizing the State Regents for Higher Education the authority to set tuition and fees.
Student Veterans/Military
HB 1301//Representative Fred Jordan — The legislation grants students who are members of the Oklahoma Army or Air National Guard, a reserve element of the U.S. Armed Forces, or active-duty service members stationed in Oklahoma a 100 percent tuition and fee refund if the student is required to leave school as a result of deployment orders. It states that eligible students must notify the institution of higher education in writing of deployment orders. The bill allows deployed students to receive a grade of incomplete. It also allows students returning from duty to re-enter the institution with the identical educational and academic status held prior to deployment.
HB1337 // Representative Dennis Ray Bailey — The legislation directs the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to adopt a policy that allows students to enroll in a higher education institution and be eligible for resident tuition, regardless of residency, if they are serving on full-time active duty status with active military services; are currently serving as a member of the military reserve on active duty orders; or have served in the uniform military service or military reserves and have been discharged within the previous two years.
SB 255 // Senator Thomas Ivester — The legislation grants full resident tuition waivers to students who are recipients of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Silver Star, Bronze Star or Purple Heart; a veteran classified as a prisoner of war during Operation Global War on Terror; a combat veteran who served during Operation Global War on Terror; a veteran who receives 20 percent or more disability rating; a child or spouse of a veteran who died during Operation Global War on Terror; or a child or spouse of a veteran who has a service-related disability with a combined rating of 20 percent or more as a result of Operation Global War on Terror. The bill also authorizes a 100 percent refund of tuition and fees to students who are members of the Oklahoma Army or Air National Guard or in the reserve of the U.S. Armed Forces who have been deployed for Operation Global War on Terror if the student notifies the educational institution of the deployment and chooses to withdraw from coursework. It also allows students to receive a grade of incomplete and continue coursework after his/her return.
OK Promise
HB2249 // Representative Randy Terrill — The legislation modifies income qualification calculations for Oklahoma Higher Learning Education Program. The bill modifies calculation of income eligibility to be based on the adjusted gross income for federal income tax purposes less the amount claimed for personal and dependent exemptions.
SB0753 // Senator Jim Halligan — The legislation modifies criteria for retaining eligibility for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program. It removes language requiring that students achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 through a sophomore year and 2.5 through a junior year and thereafter. It requires students to maintain good academic standing according to the standards of the institution of higher learning in which they are enrolled. The bill also delays the implementation of the second income check until 2012-2013.
HB1822 // Representative Steve Martin — The legislation modifies requirements for retaining eligibility under the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program. The bill states that students, upon graduation from a higher learning program, must remain a resident of the state for at least five consecutive years after graduation and have an income earned from employment in the state for at least five years. It requires students who fail to comply with such requirements to pay to the State Regents for Higher Education an amount equal to 20 percent of the total amount of scholarship awarded to the student for every year the student failed to meet the five-year requirement. The measure also repeals language requiring someone be a U.S. citizen or lawfully present in the United States to be eligible for OHLAP and language related to student agreements for qualifying for OHLAP.
SB 309 // Senator Susan Paddack — The legislation modifies language relating to income eligibility under the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program. It states that a student who is the child of a certified teacher with at least six years of experience employed with a public school will be eligible for the award. However, if the parents' income exceeds $100,000 per year the student will not qualify for the program. The bill states that if the child of a teacher is awarded OHLAP benefits, the certified teacher must continue to teach in a public school in Oklahoma during the duration of the award.
SB 389 // Senator Sean Burrage — The legislation modifies retention requirements for awards granted under the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program. It removes a requirement that students achieve a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 for the sophomore year and a 2.5 GPA for the junior year and thereafter. The bill also delays the implementation of the second income check until 2012-2013. Additionally, the bill modifies calculation of income eligibility to be based on the adjusted gross income for federal income tax purposes less the amount claimed for personal and dependent exemptions.
SB 468 // Senator Kenneth Corn — The bill eliminates the minimum 2.0 grade point average requirement to maintain eligibility and only requires students to maintain good academic standing at the college or university in which they are in enrolled. For students applying after the 2012 to 2013 school year, the bill changes the qualifying income standard at the time the student applies and at the time the student begins postsecondary education to federal adjusted gross income less the amount claimed for personal and dependent exemptions. The legislation creates the Second Century Promise Act. The bill provides, subject to the availability of funds, tuition and fees for up to 64 credit hours at a state two-year higher education institution. The bill sets eligibility requirements for the program. The bill creates Second Century Promise Trust Fund, from which the awards will be made.
SB 807 // Senator Kenneth Corn — The legislation creates the Second Century Promise Act. The bill provides, subject to the availability of funds, tuition and fees for up to 64 credit hours at a state two-year higher education institution. The bill sets eligibility requirements for the program. The bill creates Second Century Promise Trust Fund, from which the awards will be made. The bill apportions the first $25 million of revenue from the gross production tax on natural gas to the fund.
SB 982 // Senator John Ford — The legislation modifies language related to retaining eligibility for the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program. It removes language requiring a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0 through a sophomore year and 2.5 through a junior year and thereafter. It requires a student to maintain good academic standing and satisfactory academic progress according to the standards of the institution of higher learning in which the student is enrolled. The bill modifies language related to the calculation income to determine financial aid, which is to be based on the parents' adjusted gross income less the amount eligible for personal and dependent exemptions. It also lowers from $50,000 to $40,000 the minimum threshold. It requires the Legislature to review the income limit every three years to consider adjusting it if necessary toward the goal of providing eligibility for 50 percent of Oklahoma families. The measure requires OHLAP recipients to reside in the state for one year for each full or partial year for which an OHLAP award was received. It requires students who do not comply with residency requirements to reimburse the OHLAP Trust Fund.
Endowed Chairs
SB 44 // Senator Patrick Anderson — The legislation prohibits the Capitol Improvement Authority from issuing obligations for contributions to the Oklahoma State Regents Endowment Trust Fund until after Aug. 1, 2010.
Security
HB1083 // Representative Jason Murphey – The legislation authorizes persons who hold valid concealed handgun licenses who are certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training or who are faculty members charged with classroom responsibilities to carry concealed handguns on public college or university property. It allows public colleges and universities to maintain the authority to restrict concealed handguns in access-controlled events where persons are subject to security checkpoint screenings upon entering.
SB1101 // Senator Randy Bass — The legislation authorizes any person certified by the Council on Law Enforcement Education and Training to carry a firearm and is currently employed by a law enforcement agency in Oklahoma, whether or not the person is in possession of a valid concealed handgun license, to carry a concealed firearm into or upon any college or university property. The bill also allows individuals to carry the firearm approved by the employing law enforcement agency into or upon any college or university property while wearing the uniform of their employing law enforcement agency. And finally, the bill authorizes individuals with a valid concealed handgun license, provided the individual is in possession of both the CLEET certification and the concealed handgun license, to carry the handgun onto college property.
SB 585 // Senator John Ford — The legislation permits public educational institutions to keep campus security plans confidential.
SB 605 // Senator Todd Lamb — The legislation permits the Oklahoma Department of Homeland Security to create a grant program from state appropriated funds. The bill creates Oklahoma School Security Grant Program Act and the Oklahoma School Security Revolving Fund. The bill requires the department to solicit proposals and create grants for the enhancement of campus security at public schools, private schools, technology centers, and institutions of higher learning in the State of Oklahoma.
Technology
SB 980 // Senator Glenn Coffee — The legislation creates the Oklahoma Information Services Act, creating the Office of Information Services and transferring the Information Services Division of the Office of State Finance to the Office of Information Services. It directs the office to be responsible for formulating and implementing an information technology strategy for the state and other duties. It states the chief information director will be appointed by the governor.
HB1704 // Representative David Derby — The legislation creates the Oklahoma Information Services Act and the Office of Information Services to be administered by a chief information director to be appointed by the governor. The Office of Information Services is to be responsible for formulating and implementing an information technology strategy for the state, overseeing applications development and professional development of technology staff and evaluating all technology investment choices. It transfers the Information Services Division of the Office of State Finance to the Office of Information Services.
Tech Prep
HB1581 // Representative Ann Coody — The legislation requires that any Oklahoma institution of higher learning offering elementary, early childhood education or special education programs approved by the Oklahoma Commission for Teacher Preparation incorporate the five elements of reading instruction: phonological awareness, phonics, reading fluency, vocabulary and comprehension, beginning with the 2010-2011 school year. Effective July 1, 2010, teacher candidates at those institutions in those programs shall pass prior to graduation a comprehensive examination to assess their teaching skills in the area of reading instruction.
Housing
HB1323 // Representative Mike Reynolds — The legislation creates the Freedom to Choose Where You Live Act, stating legislative intent that boards of regents for institutions of higher education adopt student housing policies that give all students, regardless of enrollment status or financial ability, the option to live in institution-owned on-campus housing or reside off campus. It states that the policy cannot require application for a waiver or exemption from an on-campus housing requirement.
Other
SB 415 // Senator Johnnie Crutchfield — The legislation transfers management and control of the Ardmore Higher Education Program from its board of trustees to the Regional University System of Oklahoma (RUSO) for the Ardmore facilities to serve as a branch campus. It directs the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education to determine which institution of higher education under the governance of RUSO shall administer the branch campus at Ardmore.
HB1878 //Representative Jeff Hickman — The legislation directs that, in the event that the State Regents of Higher Education express an intent to no longer hold title to property held on behalf of the board of trustees of the Quartz Mountain Arts and Conference Center and Nature Park, the control of the property reverts back to the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department.
EDGE Bills
SB 493 // Senator Jim Halligan — The legislation increases the membership on the Economic Development Generating Excellence Fund Policy Board from seven to eight. It directs that the chancellor of higher education serve as the eighth member.
SB 906 // Senator Glenn Coffee — The legislation directs the state treasurer to deposit the first $100 million in excess of the $150 million of gross production tax revenue deposited in various revolving funds into the Economic Development Generating Excellence Fund.
