The Texas House has filed its school voucher bill. The legislation differs in several ways from what the Senate has already passed. The two chambers would have to hash out their differences before sending any legislation to Gov. Greg Abbott for his approval.
The Texas House has filed legislation that would allow parents to use state tax dollars to pay for private school education. The Senate passed its version of a voucher plan earlier this session. The Texas House filed a bill last week that sets out a plan to allow parents to use state funds to pay for private school tuition.
It differs from what the Senate passed earlier this month. Both Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows have said they want to pass the legislation, which is a priority for Gov. Greg Abbott, but it’s unclear which plan will prevail. “House Bill 3 delivers what Texans have been asking for — a true universal school choice program,” Burrows said Friday when he announced the filing of the bill at the Texas Policy Summit. “We have the votes to get it done.” The plans both would cost the state $1 billion, but deviate on how much each voucher will be worth and how students with disabilities will be prioritized.The version the Senate passed sets aside $10,000 for each eligible student, and $11,500 for students with disabilities. Critics say an extra $1,500 isn’t enough to provide services to a student with disabilities. They say it’d be harder for families who can’t afford private school to take advantage of the program if they have a child with disabilities. The House version includes up to $30,000 for children with disabilities, depending on a child’s needs. Other eligible students would get 85% of the estimated statewide average amount of state and local funding per student. Using theWhile there’s a higher cap for kids with disabilities, University of Texas Professor David DeMatthews said he believes it still falls short of what it costs to serve some students. “Thirty thousand dollars still isn’t a lot of money,” said DeMatthews, whose research focuses on equitable and inclusive school improvement. “Certain special education services cost $80 or $90 per hour, and a full-time, self-contained program for a student with autism can cost districts $50,000 to $60,000 per year,” he said.The Senate’s plan is for 80% of the spots to be filled by a lottery among students who previously attended public school and are either low-income or have a disability. The remaining 20% would be filled by an open lottery among all eligible applicants. The House proposal instead creates a four-tiered system. Students would be prioritized in the following order:Low-income families who earn up to 200% of the poverty level .Families earning above 500% of the poverty level. James Dickey is the executive director of Liberty For The Kids, an organization that advocates for school choice. He sees the House bill as a response to critics of the Senate measure. “One of the criticisms leveled against SB 2 had been from people who wished it prioritized more kids who come from families who earn less,” Dickey said. “This absolutely does that.” Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, criticized the new plan during a news conference, saying he’d like to see an income cap, “to prevent millionaires and billionaires” from having access to the program.No student should be TRAPPED in a school that doesn’t fit their unique needs. School choice will change that.The House bill has yet to be considered in committee. Voucher-like proposals died in the chamber in 2023, but the makeup of the House has since changed. If the House does pass its plan, members would have to go into a conference committee to hash out differences with the Senate. At this point it’s unclear which plan could pass. Abbott met with the House author, Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, last week, although he hasn’t endorsed either plan. Instead, the governor has broadly emphasized that school choice is necessary in the state.House Speaker Dustin Burrows reappointed state Rep. Brad Buckley to lead the committee. Buckley tried to get school voucher legislation approved in 2023 but rural Republicans and Democrats blocked the effort.After seven hours of debate over Senate Bill 2 on the Senate floor Wednesday, the chamber suspended rules so lawmakers could expedite the process and send it to the Texas House for consideration.The governor touted Texas’ strong economy in his State of the State address Sunday, where he also laid out priorities he wants lawmakers to focus on in the months ahead. These include creating a school voucher-like program and lowering property taxes.
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