Brannon seeks to exempt military ‘danger pay’ from OHLAP income limits

The extra pay received by veterans and active duty military service members as a result of serving under dangerous conditions will be exempt from the income limitations of the Oklahoma Higher Learning Access Program under a bill proposed by State Rep. Neil Brannon last week.

“I believe that the brave men and women who put their lives in serious jeopardy to defend our nation should be rewarded, rather than penalized for their effort, and exempting hazard pay from the OHLAP income calculations is one way we can show our appreciation,” said Rep. Brannon, D-Arkoma.

Under HB2966, any extra pay for “hostile fire, combat, hazardous duty or imminent danger” would be exempt from consideration when calculating the OHLAP income eligibility of any parent or parents who are or were members of the armed services.

The OHLAP program provides financial assistance for college to families with an annual household income of not more than $50,000 at the time a child applies for the program, or $100,000 at the time the student begins postsecondary education.

The bill has been referred to the Education Subcommittee of the House Appropriations Committee for consideration.