Bill Text: TX HB20 | 2025-2026 | 89th Legislature | Introduced
Bill Title: Relating to establishing the Applied Sciences Pathway program.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Introduced) 2024-12-23 - Filed [HB20 Detail]
Download: Texas-2025-HB20-Introduced.html
| 89R3424 CMO-F | ||
| By: Gates | H.B. No. 20 | |
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| relating to establishing the Applied Sciences Pathway program. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 29, Education Code, is | ||
| amended by adding Section 29.914 to read as follows: | ||
| Sec. 29.914. APPLIED SCIENCES PATHWAY PROGRAM. (a) In this | ||
| section: | ||
| (1) "Certificate program" and "institution of higher | ||
| education" have the meanings assigned by Section 61.003. | ||
| (2) "Program" means the Applied Sciences Pathway | ||
| program established under this section. | ||
| (b) The commissioner shall establish and administer the | ||
| Applied Sciences Pathway program to provide opportunities for | ||
| students to concurrently earn high school diplomas and certificates | ||
| from institutions of higher education. | ||
| (c) The commissioner shall approve for participation in the | ||
| program partnerships between school districts or open-enrollment | ||
| charter schools and institutions of higher education to provide | ||
| courses in a non-duplicative sequence of progressive achievement | ||
| that lead to: | ||
| (1) a high school diploma; and | ||
| (2) completion of a certificate program with a | ||
| successful job placement rate in high-wage, high-growth jobs in one | ||
| of the following industries: | ||
| (A) plumbing and pipe fitting; | ||
| (B) electrical; | ||
| (C) welding; | ||
| (D) sheet metal; | ||
| (E) carpentry; | ||
| (F) masonry; | ||
| (G) diesel and heavy equipment; | ||
| (H) aviation maintenance; | ||
| (I) heating, ventilation, and air conditioning; | ||
| or | ||
| (J) construction management and inspection. | ||
| (d) A partnership participating in the program must: | ||
| (1) enable the school district or open-enrollment | ||
| charter school to provide at least one course of study described by | ||
| Subsection (c) through a partnership with an institution of higher | ||
| education under the program; | ||
| (2) provide for a course of study described by | ||
| Subsection (c) that enables a participating student in grade level | ||
| 11 or 12 to concurrently: | ||
| (A) enroll in a certificate program described by | ||
| Subsection (c)(2) at the partnering institution of higher education | ||
| under which the student may receive instruction from an instructor | ||
| employed by the institution and any appropriate work-based learning | ||
| opportunities from the institution and earn: | ||
| (i) a level one or level two certificate, as | ||
| defined by the commissioner; or | ||
| (ii) another certificate approved by | ||
| commissioner rule; and | ||
| (B) satisfy high school graduation requirements | ||
| and receive a high school diploma; | ||
| (3) require the partnering school district or | ||
| open-enrollment charter school to permit all district or school | ||
| students in grade level 11 or 12 to enroll in a course of study | ||
| provided under Subdivision (2); | ||
| (4) be governed by an articulation agreement between | ||
| the partnering school district or open-enrollment charter school | ||
| and institution of higher education; and | ||
| (5) meet any other requirements established by | ||
| commissioner rule. | ||
| (e) A course of study provided under the program must be | ||
| provided at no cost to the student. | ||
| (f) The commissioner may approve the substitution of one | ||
| credit in a subject area required for high school graduation under | ||
| Section 28.025 with one credit in a career and technology education | ||
| course provided by an institution of higher education under the | ||
| program that substantially covers the essential knowledge and | ||
| skills of the course for which it is substituted. | ||
| (g) A career and technology education course authorized as a | ||
| substitute credit under Subsection (f) may not count: | ||
| (1) for more than one credit toward the student's high | ||
| school graduation requirements; or | ||
| (2) as a credit for more than one subject area. | ||
| (h) Time that a student spends participating in the program | ||
| is counted as part of the minimum number of instructional hours | ||
| required for a student to be considered a full-time student in | ||
| average daily attendance for purposes of Section 48.005. | ||
| (i) Nothing in this section may be construed to prevent a | ||
| student's participation in career and technology education courses | ||
| before the student begins participating in the program. | ||
| (j) The commissioner shall adopt rules as necessary to | ||
| administer the program. | ||
| SECTION 2. This Act applies beginning with the 2025-2026 | ||
| school year. | ||
| SECTION 3. 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. | ||
