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83rd OREGON LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY--2025 Regular Session
A-Engrossed
Senate Bill 785
Ordered by the Senate April 14
Including Senate Amendments dated April 14
Sponsored by Senator NASH, Representative LEVY B; Senators SMITH DB, WEBER, Representative HARBICK
(Presession filed.)
SUMMARY
The following summary is not prepared by the sponsors of the measure and is not a part of the body thereof subject
to consideration by the Legislative Assembly. It is an editor’s brief statement of the essential features of the
measure. The statement includes a measure digest written in compliance with applicable readability standards.
Digest: The Act creates a scholarship program for ag teachers. (Flesch Readability Score: 75.5).
Establishes the Agriculture Education Scholarship Program to provide [ free tuition and fees for
qualifying agriculture education students in exchange for the student’s commitment to work in a rural
community after graduation ] grants to qualified students for the equivalent of the cost of one
full-time academic year in a qualified agriculture program that will prepare the student to
be an agriculture teacher in a high school in this state .
Appropriates moneys for the 2025-2027 biennium to the Higher Education Coordinating Com-
mission for the purpose of administering the Agriculture Education Scholarship Program.
A BILL FOR AN ACT
Relating to an agriculture education scholarship.
Be It Enacted by the People of the State of Oregon:
SECTION 1.
(1) As used in this section:
(a) “Agriculture program” includes any degree or nondegree program of not more than
one academic year in length that prepares an individual to teach agriculture, rangeland,
farming, forestry, natural resources and other fields directly supporting agricultural and
environmental sectors and careers.
(b) “Agriculture teacher” includes any teacher of high school courses in agriculture,
rangeland, farming, forestry, natural resources and other fields directly supporting agricul-
tural and environmental sectors and careers.
(c) “Qualified student” has the meaning given that term in ORS 348.180.
(2) The Agriculture Education Scholarship Program is established within the Higher Ed-
ucation Coordinating Commission.
(3) In addition to any other form of student financial aid authorized by law, the com-
mission may award grants to any qualified student under the program established under this
section in accordance with rules adopted by the commission.
(4) A qualified student is eligible to receive a grant awarded under the program estab-
lished under this section if the qualified student is enrolled in a qualified agriculture program
that will prepare the student to be an agriculture teacher in a high school in this state.
(5) A grant awarded under this section to a qualified student may not be for more than
the equivalent of the cost of one full-time academic year in the agriculture program.
(6) The commission shall adopt rules for the implementation and administration of this
section. At minimum, the rules adopted under this subsection must:
NOTE:Matter in boldfaced type in an amended section is new; matter [ italic and bracketed] is existing law to be omitted.
New sections are in boldfaced type.
LC 2995
A-Eng. SB 785
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(a) Establish a process to identify agriculture programs that would qualify for the pro-
gram established under this section; and
(b) Determine the criteria for awarding a grant under this section to any qualified stu-
dent.
SECTION 2.
Section 1 of this 2025 Act first applies to the 2026-2027 academic year.
SECTION 3. There is appropriated to the Higher Education Coordinating Commission, for
the biennium beginning July 1, 2025, out of the General Fund, the amount of $1,000,000 for
the purpose of administering the program established in section 1 of this 2025 Act.
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