Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

Texas House Bill HB20 Compare Versions

Version 1 (Old)

Version 2 (New)

Old	New		Differences
1	1		89R17767 CMO-D
2		-	By: Gates, Buckley, Bell of Kaufman, H.B. No. 20
3		-	Longoria, Martinez Fischer, et al.
4		-
5		-
	2	+	By: Gates H.B. No. 20
	3	+	Substitute the following for H.B. No. 20:
	4	+	By: Buckley C.S.H.B. No. 20
6	5
7	6
8	7		A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
9	8		AN ACT
10	9		relating to establishing the Applied Sciences Pathway program.
11	10		BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
12	11		SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is
13	12		amended by adding Section 29.914 to read as follows:
14	13		Sec. 29.914. APPLIED SCIENCES PATHWAY PROGRAM. (a) In this
15	14		section:
16	15		(1) "Certificate program" and "institution of higher
17	16		education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003.
18	17		(2) "Program" means the Applied Sciences Pathway
19	18		program established under this section.
20	19		(b) The commissioner shall establish and administer the
21	20		Applied Sciences Pathway program to provide opportunities for
22	21		students to concurrently earn high school diplomas and certificates
23	22		from institutions of higher education.
24	23		(c) The commissioner shall approve for participation in the
25	24		program partnerships between school districts or open-enrollment
26	25		charter schools and institutions of higher education to provide
27	26		courses in a non-duplicative sequence of progressive achievement
28	27		that lead to:
29	28		(1) a high school diploma; and
30	29		(2) completion of a certificate program with a
31	30		successful job placement rate in high-wage, high-growth jobs in one
32	31		of the following industries:
33	32		(A) plumbing and pipe fitting;
34	33		(B) electrical;
35	34		(C) welding;
36	35		(D) sheet metal;
37	36		(E) carpentry;
38	37		(F) masonry;
39	38		(G) diesel and heavy equipment;
40	39		(H) aviation maintenance;
41	40		(I) heating, ventilation, and air conditioning;
42	41		(J) construction management and inspection;
43	42		(K) mechanical and aerospace engineering;
44	43		(L) industrial maintenance and processes;
45	44		(M) robotics and automation;
46	45		(N) information technology and cybersecurity;
47	46		(O) oil and gas exploration and production;
48	47		(P) refining and chemical processes;
49	48		(Q) transportation distribution and logistics;
50	49		(R) manufacturing and industrial technology;
51	50		(S) electronics technology; or
52	51		(T) automotive technology.
53	52		(c-1) Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, the
54	53		commissioner may revise the industries approved for purposes of
55	54		Subsection (c)(2) once every five years to reflect current labor
56	55		market trends.
57	56		(d) A partnership participating in the program must:
58	57		(1) enable the school district or open-enrollment
59	58		charter school to provide at least one course of study described by
60	59		Subsection (c) through a partnership with an institution of higher
61	60		education under the program;
62	61		(2) provide for a course of study described by
63	62		Subsection (c) that enables a participating student in grade level
64	63		11 or 12 to concurrently:
65	64		(A) enroll in a certificate program described by
66	65		Subsection (c)(2) at the partnering institution of higher education
67	66		under which the student may receive instruction from an instructor
68	67		employed by the institution and any appropriate work-based learning
69	68		opportunities from the institution and earn:
70	69		(i) a level one or level two certificate, as
71	70		defined by the commissioner; or
72	71		(ii) another certificate approved by
73	72		commissioner rule; and
74	73		(B) satisfy high school graduation requirements
75	74		and receive a high school diploma;
76	75		(3) require the partnering school district or
77	76		open-enrollment charter school to permit all district or school
78	77		students in grade level 11 or 12 to enroll in a course of study
79	78		provided under Subdivision (2);
80	79		(4) be governed by an articulation agreement between
81	80		the partnering school district or open-enrollment charter school
82	81		and institution of higher education; and
83	82		(5) meet any other requirements established by
84	83		commissioner rule.
85	84		(e) The commissioner may approve the substitution of a
86	85		credit in a subject area required for high school graduation under
87	86		Section 28.025 with a credit in a career and technology education
88	87		course provided by an institution of higher education under the
89	88		program that substantially covers the essential knowledge and
90	89		skills of the course for which it is substituted. This subsection
91	90		may not be construed to limit the number of substituted credits a
92	91		student may earn while participating in the program.
93	92		(f) A career and technology education course authorized as a
94	93		substitute credit under Subsection (e) may not count:
95	94		(1) for more than one credit toward the student's high
96	95		school graduation requirements; or
97	96		(2) as a credit for more than one subject area.
98	97		(g) Time that a student spends participating in the program
99	98		is counted as part of the minimum number of instructional hours
100	99		required for a student to be considered a full-time student in
101	100		average daily attendance for purposes of Section 48.005.
102	101		(h) This section may not be construed to:
103	102		(1) prevent a student's participation in career and
104	103		technology education or dual credit courses before the student
105	104		begins participating in the program; or
106	105		(2) authorize the commissioner to require approval by
107	106		the commissioner for partnerships between school districts or
108	107		open-enrollment charter schools and institutions of higher
109	108		education for purposes other than the program, including
110	109		partnerships to provide dual credit courses.
111	110		(i) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to
112	111		administer the program.
113	112		SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026
114	113		school year.
115	114		SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives
116	115		a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as
117	116		provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this
118	117		Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this
119	118		Act takes effect September 1, 2025.