ENGROSSED HOUSE
BILL NO. 1301	By:	Jordan, Cannaday, Shumate, Luttrell, Hickman, Martin (Scott), Roan, Morrissette, Sherrer, Inman, Sears, Murphey, Terrill, Walker, Dorman, Tibbs and Proctor of the House

				and

		Newberry of the Senate

( higher education - eligibility requirements – codification - effective date – 		emergency )

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 2283 of Title 70, unless there is created a duplication in numbering, reads as follows:
A.  A student shall be eligible for a one-hundred-percent refund of tuition and fees, provided:
1.  The student is:
a.	a member of the Oklahoma Army National Guard,
b.	a member of the Oklahoma Air National Guard,
c.	a member of the reserve element of one of the five branches of the Armed Forces of the United States of America, or
d.	an active-duty service member stationed in Oklahoma; and
2.  The student is required to leave school as a result of involuntary orders for deployment or mobilization in the United States Armed Forces.
B.  A student meeting any of the requirements set forth in subsection A of this section shall be awarded a full refund of tuition and fees associated with attending an institution within The Oklahoma State System of Higher Education, provided the student notifies the institution in writing of the deployment with a copy of the deployment orders no less than one (1) week prior to deployment.
C.  Upon receiving a copy of the deployment orders, the institution shall allow the student to receive a grade of incomplete.  The institution shall refund one hundred percent (100%) of the tuition and fees associated with the coursework and any unearned credit for the semester or quarter in which the student is activated for duty.
D.  Upon return from duty, the institution shall allow the student to reenter the institution with the identical educational and academic status held by the student prior to deployment.
SECTION 2.  This act shall become effective July 1, 2009.
SECTION 3.  It being immediately necessary for the preservation of the public peace, health and safety, an emergency is hereby declared to exist, by reason whereof this act shall take effect and be in full force from and after its passage and approval.
Passed the House of Representatives the 5th day of March, 2009.

	
Presiding Officer of the House of
	Representatives

Passed the Senate the ____ day of __________, 2009.

	
Presiding Officer of the Senate