SB 3, Senator Larry Taylor’s voucher bill, was voted out of the Senate after several weeks of negotiations. A substitute to the bill was passed on the floor in the first adopted amendment. Sen. Taylor noted the substitute language would:
- Fund the ESA portion out of General Revenue (GR) funds
- Create a tax credit funded by insurance companies
- Change eligible income requirements
- Delete references to home school
- Modify applicability so the bill applies to the seventeen most populous counties in Texas
With these modifications in place, Taylor noted that the bill’s fiscal note becomes $9 million, with expected savings of $55 million by 2022.
A total of nine amendments were adopted during the debate. Among those are clarifications that address attendance zones, transportation costs, and costs for breakfast and lunch.
The voucher bill was voted out of the Senate (18-13) and will now move to the House for consideration.