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Bill > SB1647
OK SB1647
OK SB1647Students; creating the Oklahoma Empowerment Act; providing eligibility for Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts. Effective date. Emergency.
summary
Introduced
02/07/2022
02/07/2022
In Committee
03/02/2022
03/02/2022
Crossed Over
Passed
Dead
05/27/2022
05/27/2022
Introduced Session
Potential new amendment
2022 Regular Session
Bill Summary
An Act relating to students; creating the Oklahoma Empowerment Act; providing short title; providing legislative intent; providing definitions; creating the Oklahoma Empowerment Account Program; providing for administration; providing method of application; directing publication of application; requiring procedures to approve applications within certain time period; providing for contents of parent agreement; providing certain construction; requiring renewal of Oklahoma Empowerment Accounts on annual basis; allowing closure of accounts under certain circumstances; requiring notification within certain time period of certain student re-enrolling in certain school; providing for suspension of deposits into account; providing for remittance of unused funds; providing for calculation of State Aid amount; requiring transfer of certain calculated amount on a monthly basis; prohibiting certain provider from sharing, refunding, or rebating an amount with a parent or certain student; prohibiting personal deposits into certain account; prohibiting certain funds from being considered income; providing for accrual of account funds; requiring certain agency to maintain list of certain providers; requiring certain agency to provide certain information to certain parents; requiring notice to be provided to parents of certain children; allowing certain agency to contract with certain firm or organization; allowing withholding of certain percentage of funds to administer program; requiring the establishment of certain payment system; requiring implementation of certain system to share information about education service providers; providing for partial payment to an education service provider; authorizing certain auditing; providing for the removal of certain parent or student from eligibility under certain circumstances; providing for appeal; allowing referral for certain investigation; allowing for payments to cease to certain providers under certain circumstances; providing for appeal; allowing acceptance of gifts and grants for certain purposes; providing for promulgation of rules; providing process for approving education service providers; directing provision of certain student records in accordance with certain act; providing certain construction; creating the Oklahoma Empowerment Account Revolving Fund; specifying sources of fund; providing for expenditures; providing purpose of fund; providing for establishment of burden in certain legal proceeding; providing immunity from liability for certain actions; allowing certain parents to intervene in certain legal proceeding; providing for severability; providing for codification; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
AI Summary
This bill creates the Oklahoma Empowerment Act, which establishes the Oklahoma Empowerment Account Program. The program allows eligible students, defined as residents of Oklahoma from households with incomes up to 300% of the free or reduced-price school lunch threshold, to use state education funding to pay for approved educational expenses at private schools, online programs, tutoring, public school services, curriculum materials, technology, and other qualified expenses. The bill outlines the administration of the program by the Office of the State Treasurer, including application procedures, renewing accounts annually, calculating and transferring state funding, and auditing accounts. The bill also specifies provisions around education service providers, restrictions on account usage, and legal protections. The bill has an effective date of July 1, 2022 and declares an emergency.
Committee Categories
Budget and Finance, Education
Sponsors (6)
Chad Caldwell (R)*,
Greg Treat (R)*,
Julie Daniels (R),
Shane Jett (R),
Joe Newhouse (R),
Frank Simpson (R),
Last Action
Coauthored by Representative Caldwell (Chad) (principal House author) (on 03/23/2022)
Official Document
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