Bill
SB 22
85(R) - 2017
Senate Education
Senate Education
Vote Recommendation
Neutral
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Neutral
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Neutral
Author(s)
Larry Taylor
Co-Author(s)
Brandon Creighton
Robert Nichols
Kirk Watson
Sponsor(s)
Eddie Lucio III
Bill Caption
Relating to the establishment of a Pathways in Technology Early
College High School (P-TECH) program and to the repeal of the
tech-prep program.
Fiscal Notes
Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB22, Committee
Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($4,965,806) through the biennium ending
August 31, 2019.
The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of
funds to implement the provisions of the bill.
Bill Analysis
Under current law, the state established a technological program (TECH-Prep Education) that works alongside secondary education to train students in the technological field and is funded through grants and allotments. This bill would abolish the current TECH-Prep Education program and establish another system in its place called the Pathways in Technology Early College
High School program or P-TECH. It would be designed to work with High schools to give students marketable skills in the field of technology. This bill tasks the Texas Higher Education Board with creating rules for this program.
Those who complete this program will receive a high school diploma and an associate degree, a two-year post degree certification, or an industry certification.
Vote Recommendation Notes
This bill is just replacing one technological program with another. Though we do appreciate and support programs that are geared more toward job readiness in education, more so than teaching to tests, because this is a bill that replaces one program with another, this has no direct connection to our liberty principles. Therefore, we remain neutral on this bill.