AUSTIN (Talk1370.com) -- State lawmakers gave their final approval Thursday to a $1 billion proposal that would establish education savings accounts, sending the measure to Gov. Greg Abbott for his signature.
The Texas Senate passed the House version of Senate Bill 2 on a 19-12 vote. Once Abbott signs the bill, it would go into effect beginning with the 2026-27 school year.
"This is historic school choice legislation," Abbott said in a statement posted on X. "Thanks to the dedication of our lawmakers, Texas families will soon have education freedom!"
“Today is a day I have worked toward for more than a decade since I was Senate Education Chair in 2013, and it is a great day for Texas students and parents," Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said in a statement.
Under the plan, funds would be capped at $1 billion for up to 90,000 students; estimates indicate that cost could grow to as much as $4.5 billion per year by 2030.
Opponents of the bill say it will weaken the state's public schools, taking away money and resources while lining the pockets of wealthier families who are already sending their children to private schools.
Members of the Senate Democratic Caucus, in a statement, called the bill "a deeply flawed voucher scheme that diverts billions of taxpayer dollars from Texas public schools and channels them into private hands - with no guarantee of better outcomes, no public accountability and no protections for the children who need the most support."