Houston Daily

Governor Greg Abbott has signed two new laws aimed at increasing career and technical education opportunities for students in Texas. House Bill 20 and House Bill 120 are intended to give students more pathways to workforce training and better prepare them for jobs after graduation.

"Career training is a game-changer for our students, for our state, and for our employers," said Governor Abbott. "A four-year college degree is not the right pathway for every student. It may be a smarter pathway for a student to get career training. In just the past two years, the State of Texas has invested more than $7 billion in career training programs across Texas. Career training and technical education is bigger and better than it has ever been with the signing of these two laws."

At the bill signing ceremony, Governor Abbott pointed out that Texas continues to focus on developing its workforce through various programs such as the Rural Pathway Excellence Partnership Program, Jobs & Education for Texans Grant Program, and adult high school charter initiatives. He said there is an ongoing need to update skills among young workers by supporting career-focused education options.

The Governor also referenced his 2025 State of the State Address, where he made expanding career training an emergency priority during the 89th Regular Legislative Session. This move was designed to ensure that Texas remains prepared for future job demands.

Several state officials attended the ceremony, including Senator Bob Hall, Representative Gary Gates, Representative Keith Bell, Forney Independent School District (ISD) School Board President Greg Pharris, Forney ISD Electrical Technology graduate Tyler Rivas, and other local leaders.

House Bill 20 creates the Applied Sciences Pathway Program so that high school juniors and seniors can work toward their diplomas while completing certificate programs in partnership with institutions of higher education. The law allows some graduation requirements to be replaced with credits from career and technical education courses.

House Bill 120 aims to improve readiness among Texas public school students by broadening access to high-quality CTE programs. It also enhances advising services by requiring counselors to use current workforce data when guiding students about college or careers and allocates funding for military training programs.