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An Act
ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 2961 By: Hildebrant, Deck, Menz,
Fugate, Wolfley, and
Rosecrants of the House
and
Woods of the Senate
An Act relating to postsecondary education; creating
the TSgt Marshal Dakota Roberts Gold Star Survivor
Act; waiving tuition for the spouse or children of a
Gold Star recipient; amending 70 O.S. 2021, Section
3218.7-1, as amended by Section 2, Chapter 382,
O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 3218.7-1),
which relates to waiver of room and board fees;
expanding application of waiver to the spouse or
children of a Gold Star recipient; amending 70 O.S.
2021, Section 14-134, which relates to waiver of
tuition at career technology districts; waiving
tuition and fees for the spouse or children of a Gold
Star recipient; amending Section 3, Chapter 382,
O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 14-134.1),
which relates to waiver of fees at career technology
districts; waiving fees for the spouse or children of
a Gold Star recipient; providing for noncodification;
providing for codification; and providing an
effective date
SUBJECT: Postsecondary education
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law not to be
codified in the Oklahoma Statutes reads as follows:
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "TSgt Marshal
Dakota Roberts Gold Star Survivor Act".
ENR. H. B. NO. 2961 Page 2
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 3218.7-2 of Title 70, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
Within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, no
resident tuition or nonresident tuition shall be charged to the
spouse or children of a Gold Star recipient who was killed in the
line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed Forces,
provided that either:
1. The Gold Star recipient was a legal resident of the State of
Oklahoma at the time of death; or
2. The spouse or child maintains residency in the State of
Oklahoma during enrollment.
SECTION 3. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 3218.7-1, as
amended by Section 2, Chapter 382, O.S.L. 2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025,
Section 3218.7-1), is amended to read as follows:
Section 3218.7-1. A. Within The Oklahoma State System of
Higher Education, no fees nor room and board shall be charged to:
1. Children of Oklahoma peace officers as defined by Section
648 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes who have given their lives
in the line of duty;
2. Children of Oklahoma firefighters who have given their lives
in the line of duty;
3. Children of commissioned members of the Oklahoma Law
Enforcement Retirement System, who have given their lives in the
line of duty; and
4. Children of Oklahoma emergency medical technicians who have
given their lives in the line of duty; and
5. The spouse or children of a Gold Star recipient who was
killed in the line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed
Forces, provided that either:
a. the Gold Star recipient was a legal resident of the
State of Oklahoma at the time of death, or
ENR. H. B. NO. 2961 Page 3
b. the spouse or child maintains residency in the State
of Oklahoma during enrollment.
B. Such waiver of fees and room and board shall be limited to a
period of five (5) years.
C. Such waiver of fees and room and board shall be a service
benefit of a commissioned member of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement
Retirement System.
D. For purposes of this section:
1. "Firefighter" means a volunteer firefighter or a permanent
salaried professional member of any fire department within the State
of Oklahoma; and
2. "Emergency medical technician" means a person volunteering
or employed as an emergency medical technician and who is licensed
as an emergency medical technician pursuant to Section 1-2505 of
Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
SECTION 4. AMENDATORY 70 O.S. 2021, Section 14-134, is
amended to read as follows:
Section 14-134. A. Within the system of career technology
districts, no resident tuition or nonresident tuition shall be
charged to the:
1. Children of Oklahoma peace officers as defined by Section
648 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes who have given their lives
in the line of duty;
2. Children of Oklahoma firefighters who have given their lives
in the line of duty;
3. Children of members of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement
Retirement System who have given their lives in the line of duty or
whose disability is by means of personal and traumatic injury of a
catastrophic nature, as defined by Section 2-300 of Title 47 of the
Oklahoma Statutes, and occurred in the line of duty; and
4. Children of Oklahoma emergency medical technicians who have
given their lives in the line of duty; and
ENR. H. B. NO. 2961 Page 4
5. The spouse or children of a Gold Star recipient who was
killed in the line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed
Forces, provided that either:
a. the Gold Star recipient was a legal resident of the
State of Oklahoma at the time of death, or
b. the spouse or child maintains residency in the State
of Oklahoma during enrollment.
B. Such waiver of resident tuition and nonresident tuition
shall be limited to a period of five (5) years.
C. Such waiver of resident tuition or nonresident tuition to
the children of deceased peace officers and to the children of
deceased firefighters as provided for in this section shall be a
service benefit of each Oklahoma peace officer and Oklahoma
firefighter.
D. For purposes of this section:
1. "Firefighter" means a volunteer firefighter or a permanent
salaried professional member of any fire department within the State
of Oklahoma; and
2. "Emergency medical technician" means a person volunteering
or employed as an emergency medical technician and who is licensed
as an emergency medical technician pursuant to Section 1-2505 of
Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
SECTION 5. AMENDATORY Section 3, Chapter 382, O.S.L.
2024 (70 O.S. Supp. 2025, Section 14-134.1), is amended to read as
follows:
Section 14-134.1. A. Within the system of career technology
districts, no fees shall be charged to:
1. Children of Oklahoma peace officers as defined by Section
648 of Title 21 of the Oklahoma Statutes who have given their lives
in the line of duty;
2. Children of Oklahoma firefighters who have given their lives
in the line of duty;
ENR. H. B. NO. 2961 Page 5
3. Children of commissioned members of the Oklahoma Law
Enforcement Retirement System, who have given their lives in the
line of duty; and
4. Children of Oklahoma emergency medical technicians who have
given their lives in the line of duty; and
5. The spouse or children of a Gold Star recipient who was
killed in the line of duty in any branch of the United States Armed
Forces, provided that either:
a. the Gold Star recipient was a legal resident of the
State of Oklahoma at the time of death, or
b. the spouse or child maintains residency in the State
of Oklahoma during enrollment.
B. Such waiver of fees shall be limited to a period of five (5)
years.
C. Such waiver of fees shall be a service benefit of a
commissioned member of the Oklahoma Law Enforcement Retirement
System.
D. For purposes of this section:
1. "Firefighter" means a volunteer firefighter or a permanent
salaried professional member of any fire department within the State
of Oklahoma; and
2. "Emergency medical technician" means a person volunteering
or employed as an emergency medical technician and who is licensed
as an emergency medical technician pursuant to Section 1-2505 of
Title 63 of the Oklahoma Statutes.
SECTION 6. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
ENR. H. B. NO. 2961 Page 6
Passed the House of Representatives the 5th day of May, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the House
of Representatives
Passed the Senate the 27th day of April, 2026.
Presiding Officer of the Senate
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR
Received by the Office of the Governor this ____________________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________
Approved by the Governor of the State of Oklahoma this _________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
_________________________________
Governor of the State of Oklahoma
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE
Received by the Office of the Secretary of State this __________
day of ___________________, 20_______, at _______ o'clock _______ M.
By: _________________________________