AUSTIN, Texas — Today the Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed House Bill 3 -- legislation co-authored by Representative Keith Bell -- that invests $9 billion in Texas classrooms to boost student achievement, support teacher quality, reduce recapture and provide property tax relief. Following a full day of productive discussion on the House Floor, Keith Bell voted in support of House Bill 3, which passed the House with 149 votes.
AUSTIN, Texas — Today the Texas House of Representatives overwhelmingly passed House Bill 3 -- legislation co-authored by Representative Keith Bell -- that invests $9 billion in Texas classrooms to boost student achievement, support teacher quality, reduce recapture and provide property tax relief. Following a full day of productive discussion on the House Floor, Keith Bell voted in support of House Bill 3, which passed the House with 149 votes.
"I am proud to have co authored a bill that will positively impact students, educators, and taxpayers around Texas as much as HB 3 will. The Texas House made a decision to invest in future generations of students, and I could not be happier with this bills passage from the house."
School finance reform is the top priority for the Texas House this session and was declared an "emergency item" by Governor Greg Abbott in his biennial State of the State address. House Bill 3 is the first major rewrite of school finance laws undertaken without the threat of a court order, and it puts a stop to decades of patchwork fixes by creating a more equitable public education system.
Following the passage of House Bill 3, Representative Bell joined Speaker Dennis Bonnen and dozens of fellow State Representatives at a news conference in the State Capitol. Speaker Bonnen thanked Representative Bell for coauthoring this monumental legislation and for being at the forefront of championing Texas students and teachers.
“I am so proud of Representative Bell for authoring this legislation and for getting the House one step closer to our goal of transforming the public education system for generations to come," said Speaker of the House Dennis Bonnen. “House Bill 3 is one of the most historic and important pieces of legislation this state has seen in decades because it invests in our children, our teachers and our future workforce. This legislation devotes an unprecedented $9 billion to public education and property tax reduction, and we have Representative Bell to thank for driving it toward the finish line.”
