SB 1546: Education; modifying eligibility under the Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act. - Oklahoma

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

MODERATE

This bill amends the Oklahoma 'Inspired to Teach' scholarship program, significantly increasing financial aid amounts and renaming the program to 'NEXT-ED'. The changes aim to attract more teachers by offering higher tuition coverage and larger post-graduation employment incentives.

Scope change

The bill expands the scope of financial support by increasing the maximum scholarship value from $5,500 to $11,000 and raising the employment incentive cap from $20,000 to $25,000.

FISCAL

Increased scholarship amounts from $1,000 to $2,000 for the first two years and from $2,500 to $5,000 for the final year, with a new maximum total of $11,000.

Raised the maximum employment incentive payment for graduates from $20,000 to $25,000 over five years.

DEFINITION

Renamed the program from 'Inspired to Teach' to 'NEXT-ED' (New Educators for Excellence in Teaching and Education).

REQUIREMENT

Added a requirement for scholarship participants to sign a contract with the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

ENFORCEMENT

Established that participants failing to comply with section requirements or provide current contact information will be ineligible for employment incentive payments.

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

MODERATE

The bill text was updated to reflect its progression from the Senate Committee Substitute to the House Floor version, incorporating specific formatting changes required for the House record. The substantive policy content regarding scholarship amounts, eligibility criteria, and program requirements remains unchanged in this specific diff.

TECHNICAL

The header was updated to identify the document as the 'House of Representatives - Floor Version' instead of the 'Committee Substitute'.

The title page footer was changed from 'Req. No. 17457' to 'SB1546 HFLR' to match the House Floor Legislative Record format.

A note stating 'BOLD FACE denotes Committee Amendments' was inserted into the header of the House version pages.

The text 'FOR ENGROSSED' was removed from the title page, as this version represents the final floor version of the bill.

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

MINOR

The bill was reclassified from a 'Proposed Subcommittee Substitute' to a 'Committee Substitute,' indicating it has advanced in the legislative process. The text was also updated to reflect a new request number (17457) and includes specific funding details for the Inspire to Teach Program, setting a maximum annual payment of $4,000 for up to five years.

Scope change

The bill's procedural status changed from a subcommittee draft to a committee substitute, reflecting its progression through the House of Representatives.

TECHNICAL

The bill title and header were changed from 'Proposed Subcommittee Substitute' to 'Committee Substitute,' indicating the bill has moved to a later stage of review.

The document's internal request number was updated from 17307 to 17457.

FISCAL

Specific funding limits were added, capping annual employment incentive payments at $4,000 for a maximum of five years, with a total cap of $20,000 per participant.

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

MINOR

The bill text was completely replaced with a proposed committee substitute version, which includes minor formatting adjustments and a specific change to the scholarship award structure. The most significant substantive change is the removal of a tiered scholarship system based on credit hours; the new version awards a single flat rate of $1,000 per year for up to three years, regardless of whether a student has earned fewer than 90 or 90 or more credits. This simplifies the funding distribution but reduces the maximum potential scholarship amount for students nearing graduation.

Scope change

The scope of the bill remains focused on the 'Inspired to Teach Program New Educators for Excellence in Teaching and Education (NEXT-ED)' for public school teachers in Oklahoma, with no changes to the program's name, purpose, or target audience.

FISCAL

The scholarship award structure was simplified from a two-tier system to a single flat rate. Previously, students with fewer than 90 credits received $1,000/year, while those with 90+ credits received $2,500 for their final year. The new version awards $1,000/year for all qualified students for up to three years.

The maximum total scholarship amount per student was reduced. Under the original text, the maximum was $5,500. The new text caps the maximum at $3,000 ($1,000 x 3 years).

TECHNICAL

The document was converted from an 'Engrossed' version to a 'Proposed Committee Substitute,' indicating it is a draft version intended for further review and potential amendment by the legislature.

Amended And Engrossed → Engrossed · 6 edits · Mar 11, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was renumbered from a House amendment to the original Senate bill and completely rewritten to replace the existing scholarship program with a new 'Inspired to Teach Program' (NEXT-ED). This change shifts the focus from tax credits for donors to direct scholarships and employment incentives for future teachers, significantly altering how the program is funded and administered.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from a donor-based tax credit system to a direct student scholarship and teacher employment incentive program administered by the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education.

SCOPE

Replaced the 'Oklahoma Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act' with a new 'Inspired to Teach Program' (NEXT-ED) focused on direct student aid and teacher recruitment.

FISCAL

Changed the funding mechanism from taxpayer tax credits to direct scholarship grants and employment incentive payments paid by the State Regents.

ELIGIBILITY

Updated scholarship amounts from a maximum of $1,000-$2,000 to higher tiers of $1,000, $2,500, and $5,000 based on credit hours earned, with a new maximum total of $5,500.

REQUIREMENT

Added a new employment incentive program offering up to $4,000 per year for five years to teachers who work in public schools after graduation.

DEFINITION

Redefined 'full-time student' specifically for teacher education majors and added specific criteria for students with disabilities regarding credit hour requirements.

ENFORCEMENT

Established a new committee to provide recommendations on program effectiveness and added stricter disqualification rules for students who fail to maintain a 2.5 GPA or meet academic progress standards.

Introduced → Amended And Engrossed · 4 edits · Mar 11, 2026

MODERATE

The bill was completely rewritten to change its subject matter entirely. The original version focused on increasing scholarship amounts for the 'Inspired to Teach Program' for future teachers, but the new version shifts focus to tax credits for contributions to scholarship-granting organizations and educational improvement grants.

Scope change

The bill's scope changed from regulating teacher scholarships and employment incentives to regulating tax credits for donations to scholarship organizations and educational improvement grant organizations.

SCOPE

Removed all provisions related to the 'Inspired to Teach Program' (NEXT-ED), including scholarship amounts, eligibility criteria for students, and teacher service requirements.

Added provisions establishing tax credits for taxpayers who contribute to eligible scholarship-granting organizations and educational improvement grant organizations.

FISCAL

Defined specific tax credit limits for individuals and business entities contributing to these organizations, replacing the previous scholarship funding structure.

DEFINITION

Changed the primary statutory reference from 70 O.S. 2021 (Higher Education) to 68 O.S. 2021 (Taxation), reflecting the shift from education administration to tax policy.

Education; modifying eligibility under the Equal Opportunity Education Scholarship Act.

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