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Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Key details on SB 1961 presented by Paul Bettencourt in Texas Senate

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Paul Bettencourt, Texas State Senator from 7th District (R) | https://x.com/TeamBettencourt

Paul Bettencourt, Texas State Senator from 7th District (R) | https://x.com/TeamBettencourt

Sen. Paul Bettencourt introduced SB 1961, a bill on Education and Labor, to the Texas Senate on Thursday, April 10 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.

More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’Relating to the reporting of data relating to postsecondary education and workforce trends by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission, to performance tier funding under the public junior college finance program, and to a biennial regional labor demand assessment by the coordinating board’’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

This bill mandates the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board and the Texas Workforce Commission to report data on postsecondary education and workforce trends, targeting better alignment with labor market needs. It requires de-identified, institution-specific data, including program completion and employment status of graduates and non-graduates, to be posted online while ensuring compliance with privacy regulations. Every two years, the board, alongside the Workforce Commission, will assess regional labor demands to help align educational programs with workforce requirements. It also revises the public junior college finance program to include performance funding based on credentials of value, which must align with labor demand, provide a return on investment, and achieve certain earnings thresholds. The bill stipulates enhanced reporting of employment and earnings data from employers. The act takes effect Sept. 1, 2025.

Paul Bettencourt, chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government and member of the Senate Committee on Transportation, proposed another 65 bills during the 89(R) legislative session.

Bettencourt graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS.

Paul Bettencourt is currently serving in the Texas State Senate, representing the state's 7th Senate district. He replaced previous state senator Dan Patrick in 2015.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.

Other Recent Bills Introduced by Sen. Paul Bettencourt in Texas Senate During 89(R) Legislative Session

Bill NumberDate IntroducedShort Description
SB 57104/08/2025Relating to the eligibility of certain contract employees to provide services to a public school and access to the registry of persons who are not eligible for employment at public schools
SB 304104/08/2025Relating to increasing the criminal penalties for insider trading and other misuse of official information
SB 302604/07/2025Relating to the calculation of certain ad valorem tax rates of a taxing unit and the manner in which a proposed ad valorem tax rate that exceeds the voter-approval tax rate is approved; making conforming changes
SB 297504/07/2025Relating to certain election practices and procedures; increasing a criminal penalty; providing an administrative penalty
SB 297404/07/2025Relating to the enforcement of laws relating to elections
SB 297304/07/2025Relating to the exemption from ad valorem taxation of property owned by certain nonprofit corporations and used to promote agriculture, support youth, and provide educational support in the community
SB 296304/07/2025Relating to the authority of the attorney general to investigate violations of law by certain local governments and to take action against those local governments to enforce the law
SB 295104/07/2025Relating to the authority of sheriffs and constables to enter into contracts to provide law enforcement services in certain counties and county financial authority in relation to sheriffs and constables in certain counties
SB 285904/07/2025Relating to a prohibition on the receipt of bond proceeds by persons who make a contribution to certain political committees
SB 282304/07/2025Relating to the limitation of liability for certain highway, road, and street contractors and the presumption of sole causation by legally impaired drivers in certain civil actions
SB 282204/07/2025Relating to the election of the board of trustees of certain school districts and the powers and duties of the board of trustees of school districts
SB 282104/07/2025Relating to contracts with and the acceptance of money from certain foreign sources by public schools and public institutions of higher education; providing civil penalties
SB 282004/07/2025Relating to the number of polling places in certain counties
SB 281904/07/2025Relating to the restrictions on political activities of a county elections administrator
SB 281804/07/2025Relating to training for peace officers on interacting with persons with autism spectrum disorder
SB 281704/07/2025Relating to the designation of the portion of State Highway 249 in Montgomery County as the Paul P. Mendes Memorial Parkway
SB 281604/07/2025Relating to the partial count of electronic voting system ballots
SB 145404/07/2025Relating to the area of operation of a municipal housing authority
SB 98604/03/2025Relating to procedures under the public information law, including expedited responses and charges for bad faith requests
SB 268004/03/2025Relating to the public information law
SB 267904/03/2025Relating to the funding of, contracting with, and employment for law enforcement agencies in certain counties
SB 263904/03/2025Relating to the designation of a property as a historic landmark and the inclusion of a property in a historic district or similar preservation district by certain municipalities
SB 253904/03/2025Relating to the adoption of an ordinance issuing a tax increment bond by certain municipalities that have designated a tax increment reinvestment zone
SB 253704/03/2025Relating to the limitation on the maximum compressed tax rate of a school district
SB 252804/03/2025Relating to the calculation of the petition election tax rate for certain taxing units and the ability of the voters to petition for an election to determine whether to reduce the ad valorem tax rate adopted by those taxing units to the petition election tax rate
SB 252304/03/2025Relating to the release of an area from the extraterritorial jurisdiction of a municipality by petition
SB 252204/03/2025Relating to municipal and county regulation of platting and subdivisions of land
SB 252104/03/2025Relating to notification of the chief appraiser of an appraisal district of the death of a resident of the county in which the district is located and the determination by the chief appraiser of the effect of the decedent's death on the continued eligibility of any property in the county previously owned by the decedent for any exemption allowed for the property
SB 251904/03/2025Relating to restrictions on the levy and use of certain ad valorem taxes and on the issuance of certain bonds supported by ad valorem taxes
SB 251804/03/2025Relating to the authority of certain special districts and corporations created by certain special districts to exercise certain rights and powers outside district boundaries
SB 251604/03/2025Relating to the court orders eligible for an interlocutory appeal
SB 249304/03/2025Relating to the text of ballot propositions for bond elections
SB 248504/03/2025Relating to the entities covered by the open meetings law and the live broadcast and archived recording of an open meeting of a governmental body
SB 247804/03/2025Relating to the vote required by the governing body of a political subdivision to adopt an ad valorem tax rate that exceeds the no-new-revenue tax rate or to authorize the issuance of tax bonds
SB 247704/03/2025Relating to certain municipal and county regulation of conversion of certain office buildings to mixed-use and multifamily residential occupancy
SB 223803/31/2025Relating to the authority of a county or municipality to prohibit or restrict the use of a certain mode of transportation on a roadway
SB 223603/25/2025Relating to prohibiting certain preferences in a political subdivision contractor selection process
SB 223503/25/2025Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to impose a fee to fund a climate or environmental project
SB 215303/24/2025Relating to the membership of and qualifications for the Texas Lottery Commission
SB 215203/24/2025Relating to third-party software providers' ability to manage certain users' social media accounts
SB 215103/24/2025Relating to countywide polling places
SB 215003/24/2025Relating to coordination between teaching hospitals and medical schools regarding student field-based experience placements and to preference in those placements
SB 214903/24/2025Relating to the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by providers of electric service
SB 211003/24/2025Relating to electric grid resiliency measures, including a study by the Public Utility Commission of Texas of the cost of burying overhead power lines
SB 207903/24/2025Relating to certain actions for personal injury that arise out of a sexual offense against a child or disabled individual and are brought against a non-perpetrator of the offense
SB 206703/24/2025Relating to an exemption from required disclosure of information related to the next of kin of deceased persons
SB 145203/24/2025Relating to continuation elections for municipal management districts
SB 148903/20/2025Relating to the governance of public institutions of higher education, including the establishment of a faculty council or senate and the decision-making authority of public institutions of higher education
SB 204803/17/2025Relating to the assumption of the powers and duties relating to driver's licenses, personal identification certificates, and other related programs, powers, and duties by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
SB 204703/17/2025Relating to liability of judges and magistrates for the improper release on personal bond of defendants accused of committing certain felony offenses