On March 23, 2026, the Oklahoma House of Representatives voted unanimously to back a new education break for the families of fallen service members, clearing the way for free tuition and other costs at public colleges and career‑tech schools. House Bill 2961, renamed the TSgt Marshal Dakota Roberts Gold Star Survivor Act in honor of an Oklahoma Air National Guard airman killed in action in March 2020, now heads to the state Senate for its turn in the spotlight.
Who sponsored the bill
Rep. Derrick Hildebrant, R‑Catoosa, authored the measure after learning that Gold Star families were not clearly listed among survivors eligible for state education benefits, according to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. Hildebrant, who chairs the House Veterans and Public Safety Caucus and has served in the 138th Fighter Wing, presented the bill as a way to keep a promise to a fallen comrade and that airman’s family.
What the bill would do
As detailed by the Oklahoma Legislature, HB 2961 would waive tuition, mandatory fees, and room and board at Oklahoma public universities and career‑technology centers for the spouse and children of a Gold Star recipient. To qualify, dependents would have to maintain Oklahoma residency while enrolled, and the fallen service member would have had to be an Oklahoma resident at the time of death.
House fiscal staff estimate the impact on schools at roughly $312,000 to $520,000 per year and project that about 10 to 15 students annually could receive the benefit.
Named for a fallen airman
Tech. Sgt. Marshal D. Roberts, 28, of the Owasso/Claremore area, was killed March 11, 2020, in a rocket attack while deployed to Camp Taji, Iraq. He served with the 219th Engineering Installation Squadron, 138th Fighter Wing, according to DVIDS. His death was widely mourned in northeast Oklahoma, and he was later honored with local memorials, including a stretch of Highway 20, as documented by News 9. Naming the bill for Roberts gave the measure a personal weight for lawmakers who had served alongside him.
Next steps in the Capitol
The bill now moves across the rotunda to the Oklahoma Senate, where Sen. Tom Woods is listed as the Senate author and will guide it through that chamber, according to the Oklahoma House of Representatives. If the Senate signs off on HB 2961 and the governor approves it, eligible spouses and children could begin using the waivers under the enrollment and residency rules spelled out in the legislation.
Why lawmakers backed it
Supporters described HB 2961 as a targeted benefit that formally recognizes sacrifice while limiting the state’s exposure through strict residency and eligibility rules. That balancing act is reflected in the bill summary and fiscal analysis from the Oklahoma Legislature. Backers say the measure fills a gap in statute by explicitly naming Gold Star families among those eligible for state education help, tying the policy to the service of Oklahomans like Marshal Roberts while giving their families a clearer path to college or career‑tech training.
