Relating to college, career, and military readiness in public schools, including career and technology education programs, the Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program, and the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership, the official text

H.B. No. 120

AN ACT

relating to college, career, and military readiness in public

schools, including career and technology education programs, the

Financial Aid for Swift Transfer (FAST) program, and the Rural

Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program, funding for those

programs under the Foundation School Program, and workforce

reporting to support those programs, to the public school

accountability system, and to the new instructional facility

allotment and the permissible uses of funding under the Foundation

School Program.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Section 4.002, Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 4.002. PUBLIC EDUCATION ACADEMIC GOALS. To serve as a

foundation for a well-balanced and appropriate education:

GOAL 1: The students in the public education system

will demonstrate exemplary performance in the reading and writing

of the English language.

GOAL 2: The students in the public education system

will demonstrate exemplary performance in the understanding of

mathematics.

GOAL 3: The students in the public education system

will demonstrate exemplary performance in the understanding of

science.

GOAL 4: The students in the public education system

will demonstrate exemplary performance in the understanding of

social studies.

GOAL 5: The students who graduate high school in the

public education system will have the skills and credentials

necessary to immediately enter this state's workforce.

GOAL 6: The students who graduate high school in the

public education system and who elect to pursue postsecondary

education will be ready for postsecondary coursework without the

need for remediation.

SECTION 2. Subchapter B, Chapter 7, Education Code, is

amended by adding Sections 7.0405 and 7.043 to read as follows:

Sec. 7.0405. POSTING OF POSTSECONDARY OUTCOMES. (a)

Subject to Subsection (b), the agency shall post on the agency's

Internet website the following de-identified data, disaggregated

by school district or open-enrollment charter school, high school

campus, and annual cohort for the 10 most recent annual cohorts:

(1) for students who graduate from high school:

(A) the number and percentage of students who

enroll in, enroll in remedial postsecondary coursework as part of,

persist for at least one year in, or complete a postsecondary

degree, certificate, or other credentialing program, disaggregated

by program and postsecondary educational institution; and

(B) employment status, occupation, industry,

wage, and county of employment and residence, as reported under

Section 204.0025, Labor Code; and

(2) for students who did not graduate from high

school:

(A) the highest grade level completed;

(B) for each cohort for which data is available,

employment status, occupation, industry, wage, and county of

employment and residence, as reported under Section 204.0025, Labor

Code; and

(C) whether the student has earned a high school

equivalency certificate.

(a-1) The agency is required to provide data regarding

students who graduate from high school and enroll in remedial

postsecondary coursework as part of a postsecondary degree,

certificate, or other credentialing program under Subsection

(a)(1)(A) only to the extent that data is available.

(b) The agency shall post the data required under Subsection

(a) in a manner that complies with the Family Educational Rights and

Privacy Act of 1974 (20 U.S.C. Section 1232g) and may, if necessary

to comply with that act, create a private portal for school district

board of trustees or open-enrollment charter school governing body

members, school administrators, and school counselors at a high

school to access data for the member's, administrator's, or

counselor's school district or open-enrollment charter school.

(c) The agency shall ensure the data posted under Subsection

(a) is made available to:

(1) school district board of trustees and

open-enrollment charter school governing body members and

superintendents to assist in adopting college, career, and military

readiness plans under Section 11.186; and

(2) school counselors at a high school to assist the

counselors in performing the duties under Section 33.007.

Sec. 7.043. STATEWIDE GOAL FOR CAREER READINESS. (a) Using

the data posted under Section 7.0405(a), the agency shall create a

quantifiable statewide goal for public school students to achieve

career readiness, including by attaining a workforce-aligned

credential while in high school.

(b) The agency shall update the goal created under

Subsection (a) at least once every five years.

SECTION 3. Section 11.186, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsections (b) and (c) and adding Subsections (d), (e),

and (f) to read as follows:

(b) Each plan adopted under Subsection (a) must:

(1) identify annual goals for students in each group

evaluated under the closing the gaps domain under Section

39.053(c)(3);

(2) include an annual goal [goals] for aggregate

student growth on each college, career, and military readiness

indicator [indicators] evaluated under the student achievement

domain under Section 39.053(c)(1);

(3) include specific annual goals for student

completion while enrolled in high school of postsecondary

credentials, including industry-based credentials, level one or

level two certificates, and associate degrees, prioritizing

credentials identified in the long-range master plan for higher

education established under Section 61.051 and the performance tier

funding for public junior colleges for credentials of value under

Section 130A.101;

(4) include annual goals for the outcomes of the

district's annual graduates at one, three, and five years after

graduation from high school, including goals for:

(A) the rate of enrollment at a postsecondary

educational institution;

(B) the percentage of graduates who enroll at a

postsecondary educational institution and do not require remedial

postsecondary coursework;

(C) the rate of persistence at a postsecondary

educational institution in each of the first two years of

enrollment;

(D) the rate of completion of a postsecondary

degree, certificate, or other credentialing program; and

(E) wages earned;

(5) assign at least one district-level administrator

or employee of the regional education service center for the

district's region to:

(A) coordinate implementation of the plan; and

(B) submit an annual report to the board of

trustees, the agency, and the Legislative Budget Board on the

district's performance and progress toward the goals set under the

plan; and

(6) [(4)] be reviewed and approved by majority vote

annually by the board of trustees at a public meeting.

(c) In identifying and including goals in each plan adopted

under Subsection (a) as provided by Subsection (b), the board of

trustees shall use longitudinal student outcomes data posted under

Section 7.0405(a) and any other resources available to the board.

(d) A school district shall post the annual report described

by Subsection (b)(5)(B) [(b)(3)(B)] on the district's Internet

website and on the Internet website, if any, of each campus in the

district not later than two weeks before the date of the public

meeting at which the report is reviewed and approved as required by

Subsection (b)(6). The district shall update the annual report on

each Internet website if any modifications are made to the report by

the board of trustees.

(e) The commissioner by rule shall establish a deadline for

the submission of the annual reports described by Subsection

(b)(5)(B). The agency shall compile and make publicly accessible on

the agency's Internet website the annual reports.

(f) The agency may evaluate the goals identified or included

in an annual report described by Subsection (b)(5)(B) to determine

whether those goals align with state secondary, postsecondary, and

workforce goals.

SECTION 4. Section 28.0095, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:

(c-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (c)(1)(A), a student

otherwise described by Subsection (c) is eligible to enroll at no

cost in a dual credit course under the program if the student has

graduated from high school but is:

(1) enrolled in a school district or open-enrollment

charter school at a campus designated as a P-TECH school under

Section 29.556 or in a school district participating in a

partnership under Section 29.912; and

(2) completing a course of study offered through an

articulation agreement or memorandum of understanding with an

institution of higher education and the district or school

described by Subdivision (1), as applicable, under the Pathways in

Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program under

Subchapter N, Chapter 29, or the Rural Pathway Excellence

Partnership (R-PEP) program under Section 29.912.

SECTION 5. Section 29.182(b), Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b) The state plan must include procedures designed to

ensure that:

(1) all secondary and postsecondary students have the

opportunity to participate in career and technology education

programs;

(2) the state complies with requirements for

supplemental federal career and technology education funding;

(3) career and technology education is established as

a part of the total education system of this state and constitutes

an option for student learning that provides a rigorous course of

study consistent with the required curriculum under Section 28.002

and under which a student may receive specific education in a career

and technology program that:

(A) incorporates competencies leading to

academic and technical skill attainment;

(B) leads to:

(i) an industry-recognized license,

credential, or certificate; or

(ii) at the postsecondary level, an

associate or baccalaureate degree;

(C) includes opportunities for students to earn

college credit for coursework; and

(D) includes, as an integral part of the program,

participation by students and teachers in activities of career and

technical student organizations supported by the agency and the

State Board of Education; [and]

(4) a school district provides, to the greatest extent

possible, to a student participating in a career and technology

education program opportunities to enroll in dual credit courses

designed to lead to a degree, license, or certification as part of

the program; and

(5) a course of study offered under a Junior Reserve

Officers' Training Corps program established under 10 U.S.C.

Section 2031 is considered a career and technology education

program.

SECTION 6. Sections 29.190(a-1), (b), and (c), Education

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a-1) A student may not receive more than two subsidies [one

subsidy] under this section.

(b) A teacher is entitled to a subsidy under this section if

the teacher passes a certification examination related to career

and technology education [cybersecurity].

(c) On approval by the commissioner, the agency shall pay

each school district an amount equal to the cost paid by the

district for a certification examination under this section,

including any costs paid for associated fingerprinting or criminal

history record information review. To obtain reimbursement for a

subsidy paid under this section, a district must:

(1) pay the costs described by this subsection [fee

for the examination]; and

(2) submit to the commissioner a written application

on a form prescribed by the commissioner stating the amount of the

costs [fee] paid under Subdivision (1) [for the certification

examination].

SECTION 7. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 29.9017 to read as follows:

Sec. 29.9017. NOTICE REGARDING MILITARY-RELATED TRAINING

PROGRAMS. (a) As part of the high school registration process and

annually, a school district or open-enrollment charter school shall

notify the parent or guardian of each student enrolled in a Junior

Reserve Officers' Training Corps program established under 10

U.S.C. Section 2031 regarding any early registration or scholarship

program available to students in military-related training

programs.

(b) The notice required under Subsection (a) must provide

the student's parent or guardian with the option to share the

student's data with one or more public institutions of higher

education for the purpose of learning about any opportunity to

participate in an early registration or scholarship program

described by Subsection (a), including:

(1) the student's directory contact information;

(2) the student's education records; or

(3) any other information prescribed by the agency, in

coordination with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board,

that would allow the student to learn about an opportunity to

participate in military-related training programs at public

institutions of higher education, including financial aid or

scholarship programs.

SECTION 8. Section 29.912, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (c-1) and amending Subsection (j) to read as

follows:

(c-1) A school district that has participated in the program

may continue to participate in the program regardless of the number

of students in average daily attendance in the district for the

current school year.

(j) The commissioner shall make grants available for use by

a coordinating entity for a two-year period to assist with costs

associated with the planning, development, establishment, or

expansion, as applicable, of partnerships under the program using

[a portion of state funds allocated under Section 48.118 as well as]

money appropriated for that purpose, federal funds, and any other

funds available. The commissioner may award a grant only to a

coordinating entity that has entered into a performance agreement

approved under Subsection (i) or, if in the planning stage, has

entered into a memorandum of understanding to enter into a

performance agreement, unless the source of funds does not permit a

grant to the coordinating entity, in which case the grant shall be

made to a participating school district acting as fiscal agent.

Eligible use of grant funds shall include planning, development,

establishment, or expansion of partnerships under the program. The

commissioner may use not more than 15 percent of the money allocated

for the grants to cover the cost of administering grants awarded

under the program and to provide technical assistance and support

to partnerships under the program. The total amount of grants

awarded under this subsection for a school year may not exceed $5

million.

SECTION 9. Section 33.007, Education Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to read as

follows:

(b) During the first school year a student is enrolled in a

high school or at the high school level in an open-enrollment

charter school, and again during each year of a student's

enrollment in high school or at the high school level, a school

counselor shall provide information about postsecondary education

to the student and the student's parent or guardian. The

information must include information regarding:

(1) the importance of postsecondary education,

including:

(A) career readiness and workforce training

opportunities; and

(B) a link to the My Texas Future Internet

website and information regarding how to create a profile on that

website;

(2) the advantages of earning an endorsement and a

performance acknowledgment and completing the distinguished level

of achievement under the foundation high school program under

Section 28.025;

(3) the disadvantages of taking courses to prepare for

a high school equivalency examination relative to the benefits of

taking courses leading to a high school diploma;

(4) financial aid eligibility;

(5) instruction on how to apply for federal financial

aid;

(6) the center for financial aid information

established under Section 61.0776;

(7) the automatic admission of certain students to

general academic teaching institutions as provided by Section

51.803;

(8) the eligibility and academic performance

requirements for the TEXAS Grant as provided by Subchapter M,

Chapter 56;

(9) the availability of programs in the district under

which a student may earn college credit, including advanced

placement programs, dual credit programs, joint high school and

college credit programs, and international baccalaureate programs;

(10) the availability of education and training

vouchers and tuition and fee waivers to attend an institution of

higher education as provided by Section 54.366 for a student who is

or was previously in the conservatorship of the Department of

Family and Protective Services; [and]

(11) the availability of college credit awarded by

institutions of higher education to veterans and military

servicemembers for military experience, education, and training

obtained during military service as described by the informational

materials developed under Section 302.0031(h), Labor Code;

(12) opportunities to complete career training and

obtain a postsecondary credential while enrolled in high school,

whether at the student's campus, another campus in the school

district or open-enrollment charter school, or an educational

institution that partners with the district or school, including:

(A) information regarding program costs, program

completion rates, and the average wages of students who complete

the program; and

(B) the availability of information regarding

those opportunities on the My Texas Future Internet website; and

(13) the outcomes of graduates from the campus and

school district or open-enrollment charter school in which the

student is enrolled, including completion rates and average wages

based on postsecondary pathways available to those graduates at the

campus, district, or school using data posted under Section

7.0405(a) or available on the My Texas Future Internet website.

(d) The agency shall make available to school counselors an

annual online training regarding statewide trends identified in the

data posted under Section 7.0405(a) or available on the My Texas

Future Internet website. The training must include information to

assist school counselors in identifying the postsecondary outcomes

for students at the counselor's campus and school district or

open-enrollment charter school for purposes of performing the

counselor's duties under this section. The agency may make the

training or other resources provided by the Texas Higher Education

Coordinating Board available through the Texas OnCourse Internet

website.

SECTION 10. The heading to Section 39.0261, Education Code,

is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 39.0261. COLLEGE PREPARATION AND CAREER READINESS

ASSESSMENTS.

SECTION 11. Section 39.0261(a), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) In addition to the assessment instruments otherwise

authorized or required by this subchapter:

(1) each school year and at state cost, a school

district may administer to students in the spring of the eighth

grade an established, valid, reliable, and nationally

norm-referenced preliminary college preparation assessment

instrument for the purpose of diagnosing the academic strengths and

deficiencies of students before entrance into high school;

(2) each school year and at state cost, a school

district may administer to students in the 10th grade an

established, valid, reliable, and nationally norm-referenced

preliminary college preparation assessment instrument for the

purpose of measuring a student's progress toward readiness for

college and the workplace; and

(3) high school students in the spring of the 11th

grade or during the 12th grade may select and take once, at state

cost:

(A) one of the valid, reliable, and nationally

norm-referenced assessment instruments used by colleges and

universities as part of their undergraduate admissions processes;

[or]

(B) the assessment instrument designated by the

Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board under Section 51.334; or

(C) a nationally recognized career readiness

assessment instrument that measures foundational workforce skills

approved by commissioner rule.

SECTION 12. Section 45.105(c), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(c) Local school funds from district taxes, tuition fees of

students not entitled to a free education, other local sources, and

state funds not designated for a specific purpose may be used for

the purposes listed for state and county available funds and for

purchasing appliances and supplies, paying insurance premiums,

paying janitors and other employees, buying school sites, buying,

building, repairing, and renting school buildings, including

acquiring school buildings and sites by leasing through annual

payments with an ultimate option to purchase, providing advising

support as described by Section 48.0035(1), and educating students

as described by Section 48.0035(2), and, except as provided by

Subsection (c-1), for other purposes necessary in the conduct of

the public schools determined by the board of trustees. The

accounts and vouchers for county districts must be approved by the

county superintendent. If the state available school fund in any

municipality or district is sufficient to maintain the schools in

any year for at least eight months and leave a surplus, the surplus

may be spent for the purposes listed in this subsection.

SECTION 13. Section 48.003(a), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) A student is entitled to the benefits of the Foundation

School Program if, on September 1 of the school year, the student:

(1) is 5 years of age or older and under 21 years of age

and:

(A) has not graduated from high school; or

(B) has graduated from high school but is:

(i) enrolled in a school district at a

campus designated as a P-TECH school under Section 29.556 or in a

school district participating in a partnership under Section

29.912; and

(ii) completing a course of study offered

through an articulation agreement or memorandum of understanding

with an institution of higher education, as defined by Section

61.003, and the district described by Subparagraph (i), as

applicable, under the Pathways in Technology Early College High

School (P-TECH) program under Subchapter N, Chapter 29, and the

Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership (R-PEP) program under Section

29.912, regardless of whether the student is enrolled in the

district providing the course of study;

(2) [, or] is at least 21 years of age and under 26

years of age and has been admitted by a school district to complete

the requirements for a high school diploma; or

(3) [(2)] is at least 18 years of age and under 50

years of age and is enrolled in an adult education program provided

under the adult high school charter school program under Subchapter

G, Chapter 12.

SECTION 14. Subchapter A, Chapter 48, Education Code, is

amended by adding Section 48.0035 to read as follows:

Sec. 48.0035. USE OF FUNDING FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES. A school

district may use funding to which the district is entitled under

this chapter to:

(1) provide district graduates, during the first two

years after high school graduation, advising support toward the

successful completion of a certificate or degree program at a

public institution of higher education or a postsecondary

vocational training program; and

(2) educate a student who has graduated from high

school but is enrolled in the district in a program through which

the student may earn dual credit, including the Pathways in

Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program under

Subchapter N, Chapter 29, and the Rural Pathway Excellence

Partnership (R-PEP) program under Section 29.912.

SECTION 15. Section 48.106(a-1), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a-1) In addition to the amounts under Subsection (a), [for

each student in average daily attendance,] a district is entitled

to $150 [$50] for each [of the following in which the] student in

average daily attendance who [is enrolled]:

(1) is enrolled in a campus designated as a P-TECH

school under Section 29.556; or

(2) completes a course of study offered under the

Pathways in Technology Early College High School (P-TECH) program

under Subchapter N, Chapter 29, or the Rural Pathway Excellence

Partnership (R-PEP) program under Section 29.912, regardless of

whether the student is enrolled in the district that provides the

course of study [a campus that is a member of the New Tech Network

and that focuses on project-based learning and work-based

education].

SECTION 16. Sections 48.106(b)(1) and (1-a), Education

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(1) "Approved career and technology education

program":

(A) means:

(i) a sequence of career and technology

education courses, including technology applications courses,

authorized by the State Board of Education; and

(ii) courses offered under a Junior Reserve

Officers' Training Corps program established under 10 U.S.C.

Section 2031; and

(B) includes only courses that qualify for high

school credit.

(1-a) "Approved program of study" means a course

sequence that:

(A) provides students with the knowledge and

skills necessary for success in the students' chosen careers,

including the military; and

(B) is approved by the agency for purposes of the

Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century

Act (Pub. L. No. 115-224).

SECTION 17. Section 48.118, Education Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (a-3) and amending Subsection (f) to read as

follows:

(a-3) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), a school district

described by Section 29.912(c-1) may receive funding under this

section for up to 110 percent of the number of students who

qualified under Subsection (a) for the school year immediately

preceding the school year in which the district's enrollment first

reached 1,600 or more.

(f) The total amount of state funding for allotments and

outcomes bonuses under this section may not exceed $20 [$5] million

per year. If the total amount of allotments and outcomes bonuses to

which school districts are entitled under this section exceeds the

amount permitted under this subsection, the agency shall allocate

state funding to districts under this section in the following

order:

(1) [allotments under Subsection (a) for which school

districts participating in partnerships prioritized under Section

29.912(h) are eligible;

[(2)] allotments under Subsection (a) for which school

districts that entered into a memorandum of understanding or letter

of commitment regarding a multidistrict pathway partnership, as

defined by commissioner rule, before May 1, 2023, are eligible;

(2) [(3)] allotments under Subsection (a) for which

school districts that have entered into a performance agreement

under Section 29.912 with a coordinating entity that is an

institution of higher education, as defined by Section 61.003, are

eligible;

(3) [(4)] allotments under Subsection (a) for which

school districts with the highest percentage of students who are

educationally disadvantaged, in descending order, are eligible;

and

(4) [(5)] outcomes bonuses under Subsection (c) for

which school districts with the highest percentage of students who

are educationally disadvantaged, in descending order, are

eligible.

SECTION 18. Section 48.152(a)(2), Education Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(2) "New instructional facility" includes:

(A) a newly constructed instructional facility;

(B) a repurposed instructional facility; [and]

(C) a leased facility operating for the first

time as an instructional facility with a minimum lease term of not

less than 10 years; and

(D) a renovated portion of an instructional

facility to be used for the first time to provide high-cost and

undersubscribed career and technology education programs, as

determined by the commissioner.

SECTION 19. Section 48.152(f), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(f) The amount appropriated for allotments under this

section may not exceed $150 [$100] million in a school year. If the

total amount of allotments to which districts are entitled under

this section for a school year exceeds the amount appropriated

under this subsection, the commissioner:

(1) shall reduce each district's allotment under this

section in the manner provided by Section 48.266(f); and

(2) for new instructional facilities described by

Subsection (a)(2)(D), may remove a career and technology education

program from the list of programs that qualify under that

subsection.

SECTION 20. The heading to Section 48.155, Education Code,

is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 48.155. COLLEGE PREPARATION AND CAREER READINESS

ASSESSMENT REIMBURSEMENT.

SECTION 21. Section 48.156, Education Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 48.156. CERTIFICATION EXAMINATION REIMBURSEMENT. (a)

A school district is entitled to reimbursement for the amount of a

subsidy paid by the district for not more than two [a student's]

certification examinations per student [examination] under Section

29.190(a), including costs paid for associated fingerprinting or

criminal history record information review, as provided by Section

29.190(c).

(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the total amount that

may be used for reimbursement under that subsection for a school

year may not exceed $20 million, of which not more than $500,000 may

be used to reimburse the costs of fingerprinting or criminal

history record information review. If the total amount to which

school districts are entitled under Subsection (a) exceeds the

amount permitted under this subsection, the commissioner shall

proportionately reduce each school district's entitlement under

this section.

SECTION 22. (a) This section takes effect only if S.B.

1786, 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, becomes law.

(b) Section 204.0025, Labor Code, is amended to read as

follows:

Sec. 204.0025. ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE DATA REPORTING. The

commission shall [It is the intent of the legislature that the

commission, subject to the availability of federal funding or other

resources for the purpose,] work with employers to enhance the

reporting of employment and earnings data by employers to the

commission as part of an employer's routine wage filings under this

subtitle or commission rule and consistent with federal law and

regulations. The enhanced wage filings must include information

related to wage, industry, occupational field, full-time and

part-time status, county of primary employment, remote work status,

[occupation] and other important employment information necessary

to conduct the assessment required under Section 302.0205 [that

would improve the state's labor market information].

SECTION 23. (a) This section takes effect only if S.B.

1786, 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025, does not become law.

(b) Section 204.0025, Labor Code, is amended to read as

follows:

Sec. 204.0025. ADDITIONAL WORKFORCE DATA REPORTING. The

commission shall [It is the intent of the legislature that the

commission, subject to the availability of federal funding or other

resources for the purpose,] work with employers to enhance the

reporting of employment and earnings data by employers to the

commission as part of an employer's routine wage filings under this

subtitle or commission rule and consistent with federal law and

regulations. The enhanced wage filings must include information

related to wage, industry, occupational field, full-time and

part-time status, county of primary employment, remote work status,

[occupation] and other important employment information that would

improve the state's labor market information.

SECTION 24. The heading to Section 312.003, Labor Code, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 312.003. INVENTORY OF CERTIFICATIONS [CREDENTIALS AND

CERTIFICATES].

SECTION 25. Sections 312.003(a), (b), (c), and (d), Labor

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) The advisory council shall develop an inventory of

industry-recognized certifications [credentials and certificates]

that may be earned by a public high school student through a career

and technology education program and that:

(1) are aligned to state and regional workforce needs;

and

(2) serve as an entry point to middle- and high-wage

jobs.

(b) The inventory must include for each certification

[credential or certificate]:

(1) the associated career cluster;

(2) the awarding entity;

(3) the level of education required and any additional

requirements for the certification [credential or certificate];

(4) any fees for obtaining the certification

[credential or certificate]; and

(5) the average wage or salary for jobs that require or

prefer the certification [credential or certificate].

(c) In developing the inventory, the advisory council may

consult with local workforce boards, the Texas Workforce Investment

Council, the Texas Economic Development and Tourism Office, the

Texas Education Agency, and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating

Board.

(d) The advisory council shall establish a process for

developing the inventory, including the criteria for the inclusion

of a certification [credential or certificate] in the inventory.

SECTION 26. Section 29.912(h), Education Code, is repealed.

SECTION 27. The Texas Education Agency shall first update

the statewide goal for career readiness created under Section

7.043(a), Education Code, as added by this Act, in accordance with

Subsection (b) of that section not later than the 2028-2029 school

year.

SECTION 28. Section 28.0095(c-1), Education Code, as added

by this Act, and Sections 29.190, 29.912, 33.007(b), and

39.0261(a), Education Code, as amended by this Act, apply beginning

with the 2025-2026 school year.

SECTION 29. To the extent of any conflict, this Act prevails

over another Act of the 89th Legislature, Regular Session, 2025.

SECTION 30. (a) Except as provided by Subsection (b) of

this section and as otherwise provided by this Act, this Act takes

effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the

members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article

III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote

necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1,

2025.

(b) The amendments by this Act to Chapter 48, Education

Code, take effect September 1, 2025.

______________________________
______________________________

President of the Senate
Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 120 was passed by the House on April

16, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 1, 1 present, not

voting; and that the House concurred in Senate amendments to H.B.

No. 120 on May 28, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 116, Nays 6, 1

present, not voting.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 120 was passed by the Senate, with

amendments, on May 25, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays

0.

______________________________

Secretary of the Senate

APPROVED: __________________

Date

__________________

Governor