HB 1243: Career and technology education; creating the National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act; tuition assistance; repayment amount; hardship waiver; creating fund; effective date; emergency. - Oklahoma

Floor (House) → Floor (Senate) · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill text was converted from the House version to the Senate version, which includes substantive changes to eligibility requirements, retention rules, and repayment terms for the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Program. The Senate version adds specific service commitment requirements, academic performance standards, and a structured repayment calculation for members who fail to meet program conditions.

Scope change

The bill's scope remains focused on the same program, but eligibility and retention criteria have been expanded and clarified with new requirements for service commitments and academic performance.

ELIGIBILITY

Added specific eligibility requirements requiring members to have at least one year remaining on their enlistment contract, agree to complete current service obligations, and commit to serving 24 months after receiving assistance.

REQUIREMENT

Changed retention requirements to include maintaining good academic standing, a minimum 2.0 GPA, satisfactory participation in the National Guard, and possession of a Military Occupational Specialty after the first semester.

Added requirement that eligible members seeking federal education benefits must exhaust those benefits before receiving assistance under this program.

ENFORCEMENT

Added a structured repayment calculation requiring members who fail to meet retention requirements to repay assistance over 24 months, with repayments deposited into the program's revolving fund.

Added a hardship waiver provision allowing members to request repayment waivers from the Adjutant General due to hardship circumstances.

House Committee Substitute → Floor (House) · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill text was reformatted from a Committee Substitute version to a Floor version, with minor text adjustments and page number updates. The substantive policy content regarding the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act remains unchanged, including eligibility requirements, assistance amounts, and program rules.

TECHNICAL

Header formatting changed from 'Committee Substitute' to 'House of Representatives - Floor Version' with updated page numbering and layout.

Minor text adjustments in the bill title and act description to align with floor version formatting standards.

Page number and formatting markers were updated to reflect the floor version of the bill.

Proposed Committee Substitute (sub committee) 1 → House Committee Substitute · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was rewritten from a proposed subcommittee substitute to a committee substitute, updating the title and page numbers. The substantive policy content regarding eligibility, funding, and requirements remains unchanged, though some formatting and numbering adjustments were made throughout the document.

TECHNICAL

Title changed from 'Proposed Subcommittee Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute' to reflect the legislative process stage.

Page numbers and reference numbers were updated (e.g., Req. No. 12297 changed to 13003).

Line numbering and spacing were adjusted throughout the document to align with committee formatting standards.

Engrossed → Proposed Committee Substitute (sub committee) 1 · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended from its Engrossed version to a Proposed Subcommittee Substitute version, which appears to be a committee revision. The substantive policy language of the bill remains largely unchanged, though the document format and page numbering were updated to reflect the committee's version. The core provisions regarding the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Program, eligibility requirements, and funding mechanisms were preserved.

TECHNICAL

Document header and formatting changed from 'ENGROSSED HOUSE' to 'PROPOSED SUBCOMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE' with updated committee amendment information and page numbering.

Page references and line numbers were renumbered to reflect the committee's version of the bill, though the actual legislative text remains substantially the same.

POLICY

The substantive provisions regarding the Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Program, including eligibility criteria, assistance amounts, repayment requirements, and program administration, remain identical to the Engrossed version.

Introduced → Engrossed · 8 edits · Mar 11, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was substantially rewritten from an education reform act to a new National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act. The original version focused on general education reform, while the new version creates a specific tuition assistance program for Oklahoma National Guard members attending technology center schools. This change shifts the bill's purpose from broad education reform to targeted military education support.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from general education reform to a specific program providing tuition assistance to eligible Oklahoma National Guard members attending technology center schools.

SCOPE

Changed from 'Education Reform Act of 2025' to 'Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act' with a completely different legislative purpose.

DEFINITION

Added specific definitions for 'Eligible Guard member', 'Program', and 'Technology center school' to clarify who can receive assistance.

FISCAL

Created a new Oklahoma National Guard CareerTech Assistance Revolving Fund to finance tuition assistance for eligible members.

ELIGIBILITY

Established eligibility requirements including having at least one year remaining on enlistment contract and agreeing to serve 24 months after completing the program.

REQUIREMENT

Added retention requirements including maintaining 2.0 GPA, good academic standing, and possessing a Military Occupational Specialty after first semester.

ENFORCEMENT

Created repayment requirements for members who fail to maintain satisfactory participation in the National Guard, with calculated repayment amounts based on months of non-compliance.

TIMELINE

Changed effective date from November 1, 2025 to unspecified date (removed specific effective date provision).

TECHNICAL

Changed codification status from 'not to be codified' to 'to be codified in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 14-140 of Title 70'.

Career and technology education; creating the National Guard CareerTech Assistance Act; tuition assistance; repayment amount; hardship waiver; creating fund; effective date; emergency.

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