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CV NEWS FEED // The Texas House voted 85-63 just after 2 a.m. Thursday morning to pass a landmark $1 billion school choice bill, advancing Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott’s top legislative priority and paving the way for the largest program of its kind in the nation.
The vote came “after lawmakers debated Senate Bill 2 to near exhaustion. It fell largely on party lines,” Dallas News reported. “The bill will require one last vote before it is passed in the House, though the margins rarely change on final approval. …Once that is complete, it has a clear path to the governor’s desk.”
The legislation creates a statewide school choice program offering education savings accounts (ESAs) that will make public education funds directly available to families, who may choose to use the money for private school tuition, homeschooling, and other approved education expenses. Annual awards would range from $2,000 for homeschoolers to $11,500 for private school.
CatholicVote endorsed this legislation.
“For the first time in Texas history,” Abbott stated after the vote, “our state has passed a universal school choice bill. This is an extraordinary victory for the thousands of parents who have advocated for more choices when it comes to the education of their children.”
“When it reaches my desk, I will swiftly sign this bill into law, creating the largest day-one school choice program in the nation,” he added.
The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops backed SB 2 earlier this year, citing its strong protections for religious freedom and private school autonomy.
“HB 2 strengthens public schools while SB 2 increases access to educational alternatives; this is a win-win for Texas education,” Executive Director Jennifer Allmon said Monday.
The bill’s passage follows months of campaigning by Abbott, who made school choice a top priority after past efforts were blocked in the House.
President Donald Trump, a longtime proponent of school choice, had personally called Texas House leadership Wednesday morning to offer his support.
“We just heard from President Trump — actually called in to our own meeting and encouraged us and told us about his plans for education at the federal level, and how what we’re doing today fits in with his agenda, and is an important piece of his agenda,” said House Republican Caucus Chair Tom Oliverson.
The vote comes amid growing momentum for school choice nationwide, with 16 states enacting similar programs in recent years.
Texas Democratic lawmakers fought the legislation to “the bitter end,” as one Democrat put it, claiming the measure would divert resources from public schools. Multiple Democratic amendments were tabled, including a proposal to put the issue to a public vote. Polling has shown wide bipartisan support for school choice among voters.
Lawmakers also approved a separate $7.7 billion public school funding package, House Bill 2 (HB 2), in a bipartisan 144-4 vote. The bill raises teacher salaries, boosts rural school support, increases special education funding, and adds nearly $400 to the per-student basic allotment for local districts.
“The Texas House took a monumental step to increase education funding and teacher pay raises that puts Texas on the path to education excellence for students,” Abbott said Wednesday. “Since I have been Governor, public education funding and average teacher pay have reached all-time highs and, now. House Bill 2 will add $7.7 billion more to fund a high-quality education for the next generation of Texas leaders.”
Both bills now return to the Senate for final approval. Once signed into law, the ESA program will make Texas the national leader in school choice.