[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6229619,"mediaKeyId","3446461-06eda17441102acfc04eae3f535bcac2","parentId",3446461,"title","Senate adopts committee substitute for teacher job‑satisfaction commission after debate over diversity language","audioSeconds",446,"startMs",1912000,"endMs",2358000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3446461-06eda17441102acfc04eae3f535bcac2&start=1912&end=2358","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3446461-06eda17441102acfc04eae3f535bcac2/thumbnail_1912000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6229619/Texas/Senate-adopts-committee-substitute-for-teacher-jobsatisfaction-commission-after-debate-over-diversity-language","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229619-ad81ad9207201c4ac04dcb3d8d3dd643/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140334&Signature=BIZLqW6-BgZpv~zFvwx75Qt6aZeFWG5QC5EgcFutyuqIBHVvkN53blku3WfLpzN-EsgEHqah3aggscC9Cj1Cd29GA4IMw6Y-8NRlWabEV79YtVCMkcpZjwc6ryJmOSIKDsU9pBf51WpgL3f2RW3NDwOQlQsIekWMmZxyjqn87JWnsJBDserlbJhP4O4JgItKJm3BiHRGtD-3yXNkTJkkB4XxKeJOJosLzToIojI107Jkj3vmZeF6XbOs3D-RSjbI4UWygjKC71hPTiTFwbq~vaovslZjZWmh6XQOjQ7KJ9OalfqsFq71EYbQXTOt8q8PvH5sIB3FdW6p6MASJcNjJQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas Legislature","date","2025-05-22T00:00:00Z","article","Sen. Creighton explained a committee substitute to House Bill 22 43 that would create a Texas Commission on Teacher Job Satisfaction and Retention to review the education code and recommend ways to reduce overlapping mandates and outdated regulations affecting educators.

The committee substitute removed a phrase referencing ethnic diversity and replaced it with language calling for membership that is “reflective of all geographic areas of Texas.” Sen. Creighton described that change as a cleanup to ensure geographic representation.

Sen. Menendez and Sen. West questioned the removal of ethnic diversity language. Sen. Menendez urged that including ethnic diversity would better ensure the commission reflected the lived experiences of Texas educators. Sen. West said the original House bill included ethnic diversity and asked why the committee substitute removed it; Creighton replied that many legislative appointment statutes do not include the specific word \"ethnic\" and that nothing in the substitute prevents diverse appointments.

A roll call on adoption of the committee substitute recorded five ayes and two nays; the clerk read individual votes (Aye: Creighton, Kimball, Bettencourt, King, Middleton; No: West; Menendez recorded “yeah” on the roll). Following adoption, public testimony was opened and then closed with no witnesses; the bill was left pending subject to the call of the chair.

Why it matters: The commission would perform a systemwide review of rules and mandates that lawmakers and educators say affect teacher workload and retention; debate on the substitute centered on how membership should be defined to ensure representative perspectives.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Education K-16 (Part I) May 22, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","A committee substitute for House Bill 22 43 would create a 13‑member commission to study teacher job satisfaction and retention; the substitute removed a requirement that membership reflect ethnic diversity and replaced it with language requiring geographic diversity. The substitute was adopted on a roll call and the bill was left pending.","taxTitle","Committee on Education, Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16848,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6229624,"Bill would codify governmental immunity for two charter school categories; lawyer says it mirrors existing law",413,2227000,2640000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3446461-06eda17441102acfc04eae3f535bcac2&start=2227&end=2640","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3446461-06eda17441102acfc04eae3f535bcac2/thumbnail_2227000.jpg","/articles/6229624/Texas/Bill-would-codify-governmental-immunity-for-two-charter-school-categories-lawyer-says-it-mirrors-existing-law","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229624-073e07657f595cdcf0024384abfc44a1/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140334&Signature=CjCQQaZOqGGCM5dsQ3SqFoyIaBkhhie~H5x-Uw1rq39vO1ldbWSFyTeukFxiiXuIhA25nhCeBqZP5cIgI~UiTQ3ih1tG1O9v3ixF7JDtf8at3vyoeK1XkJQOG~mhUwlN0zDUAGtUnpkKn9qgPtISVzj2ZAjJmfOqGHNKOGubR1Vf~cqmoWlmqoNzA-wDWHRzPtZEyLGifYKwwo2r592CsNLT1booBsZJrE4PQ5P4gkIqn2H-rOGBknpjci7meeG-Lm2u-gf2zbku~B6~puWyBdfd3tWTipaZQWnbn04OuKhjRJZyqvOK1i8HM7LZyiPhBeG7r2mlNAUeJ9AUCHTn8Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. King laid out House Bill 46 87, saying the bill would ensure certain categories of charter schools receive the same statutory governmental immunity as traditional school districts and open‑enrollment charter schools.

Justin Wood, a lawyer with Shulman Lopez Hoffer & Adelstein, testified in support and said the bill “simply codif[ies] governmental immunity for these two charter classes” by mirroring language already in statute for school districts and subchapter D charters. Wood told the committee this change reflects how courts have treated immunity and does not expand rights beyond existing case law.

Committee members asked whether the bill conflicted with other pending legislation that would limit immunity for traditional public schools and questioned typical insurance coverage levels for charters. Wood said the provisions can coexist and that charter schools’ exposure and coverage are similar to school districts, but said he could provide more details on typical insurance levels.

Public testimony closed and House Bill 46 87 was left pending subject to the call of the chair.","House Bill 46 87 would extend statutory governmental immunity to campus‑program charters and adult charter high schools, aligning those subchapters with existing immunity codified for open‑enrollment charters and school districts, an attorney said in invited testimony. The committee took public testimony and left the bill pending.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6229629,"Committee hears support and cautions on applied sciences pathway bill for high schools",642,1563000,2205000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3446461-06eda17441102acfc04eae3f535bcac2&start=1563&end=2205","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3446461-06eda17441102acfc04eae3f535bcac2/thumbnail_1563000.jpg","/articles/6229629/Texas/Committee-hears-support-and-cautions-on-applied-sciences-pathway-bill-for-high-schools","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229629-7f315fc5bab594f95835d84a504be368/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140334&Signature=EDpuM3Hhit8a5JG8agp9o4pnbo5lYnlAdDtntlNW~K3zZgexXfuYxwMj8iUZIH8Dy8XkM4H67bkaJCicMCsGXtL41kjTa5-bIeycfwM4RpW1QngQ-GDHe996BPhLnQDbByBVw0XkKGCNjeKPA2zOgjQBXWUcX-nLS8ISnY9T6pDRj2XzZ2G8W~rBHxw6G89~YBs4pUhoh8d47SFveZVufXwvfHxbjGJMJfoGM4TUmoVOt3MQstqeKoSESlGUWOnCSy9KeRgllyGI7fnn-zVPuHqg35KFFrsY17D8DFxNAZCp2Z1FbkFomlMnPm~alwGLP75D1KODaeEExwQAPcmY4w__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. King laid out House Bill 20, which creates an applied sciences pathway to let high school juniors and seniors earn postsecondary certificates in targeted industries while still in high school.

Supporters included Mark Boeshear of the Career and Technical Education Association of Texas, JD Hill of the Texas Association of Builders, and Mike Maroney of the Texas Association of Manufacturers. Maroney said the state faces large numbers of open manufacturing jobs and described the bill as “dual credit on steroids” that could help address labor shortages; Maroney told the committee there are an estimated 60,000 open manufacturing positions in Texas.

Mary Lynn Pineda, director of education and workforce policy at Texas 2036, praised the bill’s goals but cautioned about language that would allow technical institutions to substitute applied versions of the four core subjects—English, math, science and history. She argued that core instruction should remain with K–12 educators because many high‑school students still need remediation and that core academic quality should be protected.

Committee members asked whether a CTE course could currently replace a TEKS‑aligned core course; witnesses said any substitution would require creating a new course and state approval, and that there were no existing applied core courses that meet TEKS at this time.

The bill lists 20 targeted industries including welding, plumbing, electrical, manufacturing technology, and oil and gas exploration and production. Public testimony closed and the committee left House Bill 20 pending.

Why it matters: The bill aims to expand career and technical pathways to address workforce shortages but drew questions about preserving academic rigor and who should teach required core subjects.","House Bill 20 would create an applied sciences pathway allowing high school students to earn higher‑education certificates in targeted industries; industry and education groups largely supported the bill but some education advocates warned against substituting core academic courses with applied CTE instruction.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6229634,"Senate panel hears support for bill to remove age cap on foster‑care college tuition waiver",738,660000,1398000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3446461-06eda17441102acfc04eae3f535bcac2&start=660&end=1398","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3446461-06eda17441102acfc04eae3f535bcac2/thumbnail_660000.jpg","/articles/6229634/Texas/Senate-panel-hears-support-for-bill-to-remove-age-cap-on-fostercare-college-tuition-waiver","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6229634-d480f6b554609052e8af962cb8a40522/orig.mp4?Expires=1771140334&Signature=cRmdvUXe2uzrA1xsx61BkIBMDjsm0~axc1VCqa2dsv293gRDygp36MbveU71u0XNwJRnHKC5aGFLKSZJ-gfb1AabcBNm80V6WDCCUtbOi-3MUJxvmP~iAe5AHaMHRs8JNbh7Wc2OazzQY58aT09WbbutBRhyGRsjgpE~PZWeJ44JLKBEjpHdkPHbCH1gTnFr46D20kJk4F9alKpepZT-Ev4VoOm2lVXPxfaGBXyguqkm7Y4TzdA7gPOyOA2z2bHZqYsvfJqrZSPTiUMSsuNoobrSSmXnKaJ63qljfEDqmLMqHgyXPbBfWA5ONNLbzLKvIHz6ZjOgdeDcDm4RIeg7uA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Sen. Menendez laid out House Bill 12 11 and said the measure would remove an age deadline that currently limits when former foster youth can use a state tuition and fee waiver to attend public colleges and universities.

The bill drew supportive testimony from advocates and people who used the waiver. Sarah Crockett, director of public policy for Texas CASA, told the committee the change was a joint recommendation of the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Department of Family and Protective Services and “this bill is gonna change people’s lives.”

Timothy Belseth, testifying in support as a beneficiary of the waiver, described the waiver as a “life changing opportunity” that helped him graduate college, gain employment and later serve on the Family and Protective Services Council. He and other witnesses said many former foster youth do not immediately use the waiver because of housing, transportation or missing documents, and therefore miss the current deadline.

Sierra Lynn Astran, who said she recently graduated from the University of Texas at Austin and plans to apply to medical school, testified that the waiver made her education possible and urged lawmakers to extend eligibility so other former foster youth have the same chance.

Committee members questioned the bill’s likely fiscal impact. Senator King and others noted the Legislative Budget Board’s fiscal note said a fiscal effect could not be determined for lack of data on how many additional people would use the waiver if the age limit were removed. Senator Menendez and witnesses said roughly 3,000 former foster youth use the waiver annually and that only about one‑third of eligible former foster youth activate the waiver within seven years of emancipation.

Public testimony closed and the committee left House Bill 12 11 pending subject to the call of the chair.

Why it matters: Supporters said the bill would align treatment of youth adopted from foster care (who have no age limit) with those who age out, and give vulnerable young adults more time to pursue postsecondary credentials once they are ready.","Lawmakers and witnesses told the Senate Committee on Education that House Bill 12 11 would remove an age limit that prevents some former foster youth from using a state tuition and fee waiver; witnesses described how the waiver changed lives and urged the committee to move the bill forward. Public testimony closed and the bill was left pending.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate adopts committee substitute for teacher job‑satisfaction commission after debate over diversity language

Bill would codify governmental immunity for two charter school categories; lawyer says it mirrors existing law

Committee hears support and cautions on applied sciences pathway bill for high schools

Senate panel hears support for bill to remove age cap on foster‑care college tuition waiver