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ENGR. H. B. NO. 1243 Page 1
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ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1243 By: Strom, Deck, and Fugate of
the House
and
Hicks of the Senate
An Act relating to career and technology education;
creating the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech
Assistance Act; providing short title; defining
terms; creating the Oklahoma National Guard
CareerTech Assistance Program to provide tuition
assistance to certain eligible members; providing for
amount of assistance subject to availability of
funding; limiting assistance to certain number of
years; allowing establishment of certain cap;
prohibiting assistance for courses taken in excess of
certain requirements; providing for eligibility;
providing eligibility retention requirements;
providing application process; allowing denial of
continued assistance for failure to meet certain
requirements; requiring repayment of assistance for
failure to meet certain requirement; providing for
calculation of repayment amount; allowing for
application of hardship waiver; directing certain
notification on available funding; providing for
promulgation of rules and regulations; directing
coordination of rules and regulations; creating the
Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
Revolving Fund; specifying source of fund; providing
for expenditures; providing purpose of fund;
providing for codification; providing an effective
date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
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SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 14-140 of Title 70, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Oklahoma
National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act".
B. As used in this act:
1. "Eligible Guard member" means a current member of the
Oklahoma National Guard in good standing who has a high school
diploma or who has completed General Educational Development (GED)
requirements and who has enrolled in a technology center school;
2. "Program" means the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech
Assistance Program established pursuant to the provisions of this
act; and
3. "Technology center school" means a technology center school
district under the governance of the State Board of Career and
Technology Education.
C. 1. There is hereby created the Oklahoma National Guard
CareerTech Assistance Program to provide assistance to eligible
Guard members who enroll in a technology center school. Subject to
the availability of funds, the amount of assistance shall be
equivalent to the amount of tuition for a career and technology
program in which the eligible Guard member is enrolled leading to
certification or licensure, not to exceed a maximum of three (3)
years.
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2. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
granted, without any limitation other than the amount of funds
available for the program and the number of eligible Guard members
who apply, subject to any cap established by the Military Department
of the State of Oklahoma.
3. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall not be
allowed for courses taken in excess of the requirements for
completion of a technology center school program leading to
certification or licensure.
D. Assistance provided pursuant to this section shall be
allocated to the technology center school from the Oklahoma National
Guard CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to
Section 2 of this act.
E. To be eligible to apply for the program, an eligible Guard
member shall:
1. Have at least one (1) year remaining on his or her
enlistment contract at the beginning of any semester for which the
member applies for assistance pursuant to this section;
2. Agree in writing to complete his or her current service
obligation in the Oklahoma National Guard; and
3. Agree in writing to serve actively in good standing with the
Oklahoma National Guard for not less than twenty-four (24) months
after completion of the last semester for which the member receives
assistance pursuant to this act.
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F. To retain eligibility for the program, an eligible Guard
member shall:
1. Maintain good academic standing and satisfactory progress
according to standards of the technology center school in which the
member is enrolled;
2. Maintain the requirements for retention and completion as
established by the technology center school in which the member is
enrolled;
3. Maintain a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0
scale;
4. Maintain satisfactory participation in the Oklahoma National
Guard; and
5. Possess a Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) or Air Force
Specialty Code (AFSC) after his or her first semester.
G. An eligible Guard member seeking assistance pursuant to the
provisions of this act shall submit an application on a form
prescribed by the Military Department of the State of Oklahoma to
the Educational Service Office of the Military Department prior to
the semester for which assistance is sought. The eligible Guard
member's Commander or his or her designee shall confirm a member's
standing and eligibility to the technology center school in which
the student is enrolled. The Military Department may establish a
cap on the number of eligible Guard members allowed to participate
per semester per technology center school program.
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H. The eligible Guard member's Commander may deny an
application submitted by an eligible Guard member for continued
program assistance if he or she fails to comply with the provisions
of paragraph 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 of subsection F of this section.
I. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance
pursuant to the provisions of this act and who fails to comply with
the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section shall
be required to repay an amount to be calculated as follows:
1. Determine the total amount of assistance provided pursuant
to the provisions of this act;
2. Divide the amount determined in paragraph 1 of this
subsection by twenty-four (24); and
3. Multiply the amount determined in paragraph 2 of this
subsection by the number of months the member did not fulfill the
requirements of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section.
Repayments shall be deposited into the Oklahoma National Guard
CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2
of this act.
J. An eligible Guard member who has received program assistance
pursuant to the provisions of this act and who fails to comply with
the provisions of paragraph 4 of subsection F of this section due to
hardship circumstances may request a waiver from repayment. A
waiver request shall be submitted in writing to the Adjutant
General.
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K. By July 1 annually, the State Board of Career and Technology
Education shall notify the Adjutant General of the amount of funding
available in the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
Revolving Fund created pursuant to Section 2 of this act.
L. The State Board of Career and Technology Education shall
promulgate rules to implement the provisions of this act including
deadlines for submission of applications required by subsection G of
this section. The Military Department of the State of Oklahoma
shall promulgate regulations pertaining to the application process
and the determination of eligibility for the program. The Board and
the Department shall coordinate the promulgation of rules and
regulations, respectively. The Adjutant General may promulgate
regulations to implement the provisions of this act.
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 14-141 of Title 70, unless there
is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
for the State Board of Career and Technology Education to be
designated the "Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance
Revolving Fund". The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject
to fiscal year limitations, and shall consist of all monies received
by the State Board of Career and Technology Education from state
appropriations provided for the purpose of implementing the
provisions of Section 1 of this act. All monies accruing to the
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credit of the fund are hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and
expended by the State Board of Career and Technology Education for
the purpose of providing assistance to eligible Guard members
pursuant to the provisions of Section 1 of this act. Expenditures
from the fund shall be made upon warrants issued by the State
Treasurer against claims filed as prescribed by law with the
Director of the Office of Management and Enterprise Services for
approval and payment.
SECTION 3. This act shall become effective July 1, 2025.
SECTION 4. It being immediately necessary for the preservation
of the public peace, health, or safety, an emergency is hereby
declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and
be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
Passed the House of Representatives the 11th day of March, 2025.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the ___ day of __________, 2025.
Presiding Officer of the Senate