Efforts from Texas legislators to implement a school voucherlike program entered a new phase Friday when the Senate introduced a bill that would create education savings accounts and provide public funds for families to use on private school tuition.
A hearing Tuesday will launch the long-awaited, Republican-led push to turn a “school choice” bill into law after similar legislation failed to pass during the 2023 session.
State Sen. Brandon Creighton, R-Conroe, the chair of the Senate Education Committee, introduced Senate Bill 2 on Friday, one day after both state chambers released budget proposals that earmarked $1 billion for education savings accounts.
Senate Bill 2 would offer a taxpayer-funded $10,000 a year per-student for families to use on tuition at accredited private schools. That total funding jumps to $11,500 per-student with disabilities, and home-schooling families would have access to $2,000 a year per-student. A Texas student is eligible for the program whether they’re entering school for the first time or are already attending public, private or homeschool.
In 2023, a similar bill failed to pass despite a hearty push from Gov. Greg Abbott and his supporters. Democrats and some rural Republicans pushed back, arguing that voucher-like programs could damage public schools.
After the latest election cycle, Abbott declared he had enough votes to pass voucherlike legislation, and public school advocates who oppose the plan also braced for such a bill to pass.
So what happens next to SB 2? Here’s a rundown of the process ahead:
- The Senate Education Committee is scheduled to hold a public hearing Tuesday to discuss the bill that will invite public testimony. After the hearing, the committee will decide whether to advance the bill to the rest of the Texas Senate.
- If the committee does advance the bill, senators will have the chance to debate it on the floor. A majority of the Senate needs to vote to approve the bill twice in order for it to pass.
- If the Senate passes SB 2, the bill will move to the Texas House and need to undergo the same process: A majority of lawmakers in the chamber would need to approve the bill twice to keep the legislative process alive.
- After a bill passes through both chambers, the Senate and the House would need to agree on potential adjustments before it’s sent to the governor, who can sign a bill into law. Abbott is eager to enact a universal education savings account program.
Lawmakers do have tools to oppose bills, such as drawing out debates or proposing amendments that would make it a challenge for legislators to meet required deadlines for bills to pass.
“I want to thank Lt. Governor Patrick for his leadership and steadfast commitment to school choice in Texas,” Creighton said Friday in a news release. “I look forward to working with members of the committee and the full Senate to finally get this bill to Governor Abbott’s desk.”
