House Bill 3 Clears Key Hurdle, Paving Way For Abbott’s School Voucher Agenda

Gov. Greg Abbott is celebrating a major victory in his long-standing push for school vouchers, as a slim majority of Texas House members have signaled support for House Bill 3, a key component of his education agenda.

On Wednesday, Abbott announced that 75 Republican representatives signed on as co-authors to HB3, a bill that would create education savings accounts (ESAs)—a type of voucher program that would allow families to use public dollars to pay for private school tuition and other education-related expenses. With the co-authors joining bill author Rep. Brad Buckley, R-Salado, the legislation now holds majority support in the 150-member Texas House—a historic milestone for school choice advocates.

“For the first time in our great state’s history, the Texas House has the votes to pass a universal school choice program,” Abbott said in a statement.

HB3’s advancement marks a potential turning point in the ongoing battle over school vouchers in Texas, where a coalition of Democrats and rural Republicans have historically blocked such measures out of concern they would siphon funds away from public schools. Abbott invested heavily in last year’s primaries to defeat several Republicans who opposed vouchers, helping pave the way for this shift in support.

While Abbott hailed the bill as a breakthrough, significant differences between the House and Senate versions of the proposal remain unresolved. The House plan would prioritize low-income families and students with disabilities, offering ESAs valued at 85% of the average amount public schools receive per student. The Senate’s version, Senate Bill 2, would offer a flat $10,000 per student, with additional funds for special education students.

Buckley emphasized that the House’s funding model is designed to address concerns about diverting money from public schools. “It was important to have that connection—we never wanted ESAs to receive more funding than public schools,” Buckley told The Texas Tribune.

Critics like Rep. James Talarico, D-Austin, have pushed for an income cap to prevent wealthy families from benefiting from the program. “We’re ready to fight these measures in committee and on the floor, exposing this scam for what it is,” Talarico said at a news conference.

As lawmakers continue negotiating the final bill, House Speaker Dustin Burrows expressed confidence that both chambers could reconcile their differences. “Families deserve options, schools deserve resources,” Burrows said. “One without the other leaves Texas short.”

More recently, in an interview with The Dallas Morning News, Burrows said he believed both chambers’ bills are largely philosophically aligned.“We want to continue to make the bill better and improve it,” he said. “If there’s room for improvement or to make the bill better, that’s part of the process.”

If the legislation reaches Abbott’s desk, Texas would not only align with several other states in implementing ESAs, but it would also establish the largest school choice program in the nation.