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An Act
ENROLLED HOUSE
BILL NO. 3980 By: Caldwell (Trey) and Moore
of the House
and
Gollihare of the Senate
An Act relating to district attorneys; creating the
Rural District Attorney Loan Repayment Assistance
Program; providing short title; defining terms;
authorizing the District Attorneys Council to direct
certain payments under certain conditions; providing
for exceptions; providing for selection committee for
jurisdiction participation; providing eligibility
requirements; construing provisions; creating the
Rural District Attorney Loan Repayment Assistance
Program Revolving Fund; specifying source of fund;
providing for expenditures; providing purpose of
fund; providing for codification; and providing an
effective date.
SUBJECT: District attorneys
BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 215.42a of Title 19, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
This act shall be known and may be cited as the "Rural District
Attorney Loan Repayment Assistance Program".
SECTION 2. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 215.42b of Title 19, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
ENR. H. B. NO. 3980 Page 2
As used in the Rural District Attorney Loan Repayment Program:
1. "Eligible employee" means a person who is employed full time
as an assistant district attorney in the State of Oklahoma and who
has incurred a debt pursuant to the obligations under a qualified
education loan;
2. "Qualified education loan" means a debt owed by the eligible
employee to any private or public entity for which repayment is
legally required over a period greater than one (1) year, the
proceeds of which were used to pay tuition, fees, or other education
expenses, including books and materials, to an institution of higher
learning, including any private college or university, for
coursework leading to an undergraduate or graduate degree; and
3. "Required payback period" means two thousand (2,000) hours
of full-time employment as an assistant district attorney in a
designated high-need jurisdiction for each Five Thousand Dollars
($5,000.00) of qualified education loan expenses paid pursuant to
this act.
SECTION 3. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 215.42c of Title 19, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. The District Attorneys Council, subject to available
funding, may make direct payments not to exceed Five Thousand
Dollars ($5,000.00) in any twelve-month period, on behalf of an
eligible employee to any private or public entity for which a
qualified education loan expense is owed by the eligible employee.
B. With regards to payments made under this section, the
District Attorneys Council shall not make cumulative payments on
behalf of any single eligible employee that total an amount greater
than Fifty Thousand Dollars ($50,000.00).
C. The provisions of this section shall only be applicable to
qualified education loan obligations incurred prior to employment as
an assistant district attorney or qualified education loan
obligations associated with education directly related to employment
incurred during such employment.
D. Payments made pursuant to this section shall be made
directly to the loan service provider or lending institution.
ENR. H. B. NO. 3980 Page 3
SECTION 4. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 215.42d of Title 19, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. If an eligible employee on whose behalf payment has been
made pursuant to this act terminates services in a designated high-
need jurisdiction prior to the expiration of the required payback
period, the employee shall be required to reimburse the payor entity
for the amount of the qualified education loan expense paid.
B. If the employee performs less than the number of hours of
service required for the full amount of the expenses paid,
reimbursement shall be made on a pro rata basis, based upon the
actual number of hours of service performed.
SECTION 5. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 215.42e of Title 19, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A. Eligibility for participation in the Rural District Attorney
Loan Repayment Assistance Program shall be determined by a selection
committee composed of representatives of the district attorneys, in
coordination with the District Attorneys Council.
B. The committee shall designate high-need jurisdictions based
on factors including, but not limited to:
1. Population size;
2. Remoteness or rural characteristic of the district;
3. Length of vacancies or turnover rate;
4. Distance to institutions of higher education; and
5. Other workforce requirement and retention considerations.
C. Eligible employees shall submit documentation of qualified
education loan obligations and payments schedules annually, in a
manner prescribed by the committee.
SECTION 6. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 215.42f of Title 19, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
ENR. H. B. NO. 3980 Page 4
Nothing in this act shall be construed to create a vested right
to loan assistance payments. Loan assistance payments are subject
to availability of funds and continued eligibility as determined by
the administering committee.
SECTION 7. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 215.42g of Title 19, unless
there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
There is hereby created in the State Treasury a revolving fund
for the District Attorneys Council to be designated the "Rural
District Attorney Loan Repayment Assistance Program Revolving Fund".
The fund shall be a continuing fund, not subject to fiscal year
limitations, and shall consist of all monies directed for deposit to
the fund by law. All monies accruing to the credit of said fund are
hereby appropriated and may be budgeted and expended by the District
Attorneys Council for the purpose of direct payments for qualified
education loan payments on behalf of eligible employees.
Expenditures from said 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 8. This act shall become effective November 1, 2026.
ENR. H. B. NO. 3980 Page 5
Passed the House of Representatives the 6th 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: _________________________________