SB 701: Higher education; authorizing the approval of functional exceptions; expanding classes and programs offered to the people of Muskogee. Effective date. - Oklahoma

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

MODERATE

The bill was moved from the House to the Senate floor, resulting in a complete rewrite of the legislation. The original House version established a moratorium on various course restrictions across multiple universities to allow for expanded offerings. The new Senate version removes this moratorium entirely and instead focuses solely on establishing a specific branch of Northeastern State University in Broken Arrow, including funding protections and degree designation rules.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from a broad moratorium on restrictions for multiple institutions to a specific authorization for one new campus location.

SCOPE

Removed a five-year moratorium that prevented several universities (including Northern Oklahoma College, Connors State, and others) from offering specific courses or programs outside their traditional roles.

Added specific authorization to establish a Northeastern State University branch in Broken Arrow, allowing the State Regents to determine appropriate course offerings.

FISCAL

Added a mandate that the Broken Arrow branch must be funded at least at the fiscal year 1998 level, with protection against future budget cuts.

DEFINITION

Added a provision stating that degrees earned at the Broken Arrow branch will be designated as awarded by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education acting through Northeastern State University.

REQUIREMENT

Removed specific prohibitions on Oklahoma State University and Langston University from duplicating certain courses or degree programs offered by other institutions.

House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill → Floor (House) · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was converted from a Senate version to a House Floor version, resulting in significant formatting and layout adjustments. The core legislative text regarding the moratorium on higher education course restrictions remains substantively unchanged, though the document now includes specific House committee reporting details and page headers.

Scope change

No substantive change to the bill's scope or applicability; the policy content regarding university restrictions is identical.

TECHNICAL

The document header was updated to reflect the 'House of Representatives - Floor Version' instead of the original Senate committee substitute title page.

The layout of the bill title and sponsor information was reorganized to fit the House floor format, shifting lines and spacing.

New page headers were added to every page indicating 'SB701 HFLR' and noting that bold face text denotes Committee Amendments.

The footer information was updated to include a specific House committee report by the Committee on Education Oversight with a 'DO PASS' recommendation.

Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 → House Committee Substitute for Senate Bill · 3 edits

MINOR

The bill was amended to replace the original text with a revised version that updates the legislative title to include the House sponsors (Hasenbeck and Marti) and adjusts the formatting of the committee substitute. The substantive policy content regarding the moratorium on higher education course restrictions, functional exceptions, and the effective date remains unchanged, with only minor technical adjustments to page numbers and reference codes.

TECHNICAL

The bill title was updated to reflect the addition of House sponsors (Hasenbeck and Marti) to the list of authors, changing the document from a Senate-only substitute to a joint committee substitute.

Formatting and line breaks within the title and introductory sections were adjusted to conform to the House Committee Substitute style.

Page reference numbers and tracking codes (e.g., Req. No.) were updated to reflect the new version of the document.

Enrolled (final version) → Proposed Policy Committee Substitute 1 · 5 edits

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to replace a detailed, institution-specific plan with a broad moratorium on course restrictions. The original version created a specific board and funding structure for a University Center at Ponca City and listed specific restrictions for various colleges. The new version removes all specific institutional provisions and instead imposes a five-year ban on any laws restricting what courses or programs higher education institutions can offer, while adding a new definition for 'functional exceptions' to allow flexibility for workforce needs.

Scope change

The bill's scope shifted from specific, localized mandates for individual universities to a statewide prohibition on course restrictions for all institutions of higher education within the State System.

REQUIREMENT

Removed the creation of a nine-member board of trustees and specific administrative structure for the University Center at Ponca City.

ELIGIBILITY

Removed specific mandates and restrictions for Northern Oklahoma College, Connors State College, Northeastern State University, and Oklahoma State University-Tulsa.

TIMELINE

Added a five-year moratorium (starting July 1, 2025) on any legal restrictions preventing institutions from offering specific courses or degree programs.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'functional exception' to allow institutions to offer courses outside their assigned mission to meet unmet workforce needs.

SCOPE

Changed the bill from a targeted program for specific locations to a broad policy affecting all higher education institutions in the state.

Engrossed → Enrolled (final version) · 6 edits · May 28, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was finalized as an enrolled version, adding a new definition for 'functional exceptions' to allow universities to offer courses outside their standard mission to meet workforce needs. The scope expanded significantly to include multiple university locations (Ponca City, Muskogee, Tulsa, and Broken Arrow) and updated their specific course offerings and funding rules. The emergency clause was removed, and the effective date was set to July 1, 2025, replacing the previous immediate emergency provision.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a single university branch in Broken Arrow to a comprehensive update covering multiple institutions across the state, including the creation of a new board for the University Center at Ponca City and expanded course offerings for universities in Muskogee, Tulsa, and Broken Arrow.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'functional exception' allowing institutions to offer courses outside their assigned mission to address workforce needs.

REQUIREMENT

Created a new nine-member board of trustees to administer the University Center at Ponca City, with specific appointment terms and powers.

Removed the emergency clause that previously allowed the bill to take effect immediately upon passage.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date from an immediate emergency provision to July 1, 2025.

SCOPE

Expanded the bill to amend statutes for multiple universities (Ponca City, Muskogee, Tulsa, Broken Arrow) rather than just Northeastern State University.

ELIGIBILITY

Updated course offering limitations and eligibility for various university branches to allow expanded programs in specific locations.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 4 edits · May 21, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was amended to remove all references to the University Center at Ponca City and its associated governance structure, replacing them with a new focus on establishing a Northeastern State University branch in Broken Arrow. This change shifts the bill's scope from creating a new regional center to expanding course offerings at an existing university location.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from establishing a new University Center at Ponca City to establishing a branch of Northeastern State University in Broken Arrow.

SCOPE

All provisions regarding the creation, funding, and governance of the University Center at Ponca City were removed.

New provisions were added to establish a Northeastern State University branch in Broken Arrow and authorize course offerings there.

TIMELINE

The effective date was updated to July 1, 2025, and the emergency declaration was retained to ensure immediate effect upon passage.

DEFINITION

The definition of 'functional exception' was removed as it was specific to the former Ponca City center.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 6 edits · May 21, 2025

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to expand its scope from a single campus update to a comprehensive higher education reform package. The new version adds a legal definition for 'functional exceptions' allowing schools to offer courses outside their traditional mission, establishes a new University Center at Ponca City with a nine-member board, and significantly expands course offerings for multiple universities including Northeastern State, Oklahoma State, and Langston.

Scope change

The bill's scope expanded from a single institution (Northeastern State University) to a statewide initiative affecting multiple universities and introducing new administrative structures.

DEFINITION

Added a new definition for 'functional exception' that permits institutions to offer courses outside their assigned mission to meet workforce needs.

REQUIREMENT

Created a new University Center at Ponca City with a nine-member board of trustees appointed by the Governor to manage facilities and programs.

Added provisions to amend statutes regarding the University Center at Ponca City, classes for the people of Muskogee, and Rogers University.

SCOPE

Expanded course offerings and removed limitations for Northeastern State University, Oklahoma State University-Tulsa, and Langston University.

FISCAL

Removed specific funding mandates requiring Northeastern State University to be funded at 1998 levels.

TIMELINE

Changed the effective date and removed the emergency declaration provision.

Higher education; authorizing the approval of functional exceptions; expanding classes and programs offered to the people of Muskogee. Effective date.

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