Monitoring the Session

HB 3920

bill recognizing career and technology programs for licensed trades

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Keith BellRHouse 4

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the recognition of career and technology education programs by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The commission writes rules recognizing the programs.

The bill orders the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation to write rules recognizing career and technology education programs for the trades and occupations the licensing department regulates. It touches high school career and technology programs, colleges and private schools that offer similar programs, and students working toward a state license. On the ground, finishing an approved program would count toward a license, with set rules on classroom hours, hands-on work, credit for on-the-job training and who can teach.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 3 Republicans, 2 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Licensing & Administrative Procedures committee 12-0 on Apr 22, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 14, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3920 · 2025-03-06

SOLD BY

Rep. Keith BellRHouse 4 Rep. Sam HarlessRHouse 126 Rep. Mary Ann PerezDHouse 144

+ 2 more authors

ITEM

relating to the recognition of career and technology education programs by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

WHAT IT DOES

The commission writes rules recognizing the programs.

The bill orders the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation to write rules recognizing career and technology education programs for the trades and occupations the licensing department regulates. It touches high school career and technology programs, colleges and private schools that offer similar programs, and students working toward a state license. On the ground, finishing an approved program would count toward a license, with set rules on classroom hours, hands-on work, credit for on-the-job training and who can teach.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 14, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Licensing & Administrative Procedures
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in public hearing
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  10. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  11. Committee report distributed
  12. Committee report sent to Calendars
  13. Considered in Calendars
  14. Placed on General State Calendar
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Keith Bell

Donors

Josh Stevens$50,000Carla Enna$50,000Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$35K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Josh Stevens$50,000.00
Carla Enna$50,000.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$35,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 30, 2025 to Sep 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101007782, 101027129, 101068150.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 30, 2025 to Sep 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101007782, 101027129, 101068150.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses3
For
2
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • Independent Electrical Contractors of Texas1 registration
  • Texas Association of Manufacturers1 registration

On

  • TDLR1 registration
Sources

3 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 14, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 6, 2025

05/14/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Licensing & Administrative Procedures · Committee vote 12 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 2059 by Parker (identical)

Subjects

Education--Higher--Institutions & Programs

Education--Nonpublic Schools--Vocational/Avocational

Labor--Workforce Development

Occupational Regulation--Other Trades & Professions

Science & Technology

TECHNICAL EDUCATION

EDUCATION, STATE BOARD OF

LICENSING & REGULATION, TEXAS COMMISSION OF

LICENSING & REGULATION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 431 words

89R6304 RAL-D

By: Bell of Kaufman
H.B. No. 3920

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the recognition of career and technology education

programs by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 51, Occupations Code, is amended by

adding Subchapter K to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER K. CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAMS

Sec. 51.551. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(1) "Career and technology education program" means:

(A) a career and technology education program

under Subchapter F, Chapter 29, Education Code; or

(B) a program determined by the department to be

similar to that described by Paragraph (A) and offered by:

(i) an institution of higher education; or

(ii) a private school, as defined by

Section 5.001, Education Code.

(2) "Institution of higher education" means an

institution of higher education or a private or independent

institution of higher education, as those terms are defined by

Section 61.003, Education Code.

Sec. 51.552. CAREER AND TECHNOLOGY EDUCATION PROGRAM

RECOGNITION. The commission shall adopt rules providing for the

recognition of career and technology education programs for

programs regulated by the department. The rules must:

(1) specify how completion of a career and technology

education program will be credited toward licensing for the

applicable program;

(2) establish who is eligible to provide instruction

in a career and technology education program for purposes of this

section; and

(3) establish standards for the essential knowledge

and skills of a career and technology education program, subject to

the approval of the State Board of Education if the courses are to

be offered in a high school, that include:

(A) requiring the program to consist of an

appropriate number of hours of classroom instruction and a

practical component;

(B) providing for crediting appropriate

on-the-job training toward meeting the requirements of the

practical component; and

(C) prohibiting a career and technology

education program offered by an institution of higher education

from being more stringent than a program offered by a public high

school.

SECTION 2. In developing the initial standards for a career

and technology education program under Section 51.552, Occupations

Code, as added by this Act, the Texas Commission of Licensing and

Regulation shall consult with the Texas State Technical College and

relevant interest groups.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.