Bill Text: TX HR492 | 2017-2018 | 85th Legislature | Introduced
NOTE: There are more recent revisions of this legislation. Read Latest Draft
Bill Title: Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Smith-Hughes Act.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-02-27 - Reported enrolled [HR492 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HR492-Introduced.html
Bill Title: Commemorating the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Smith-Hughes Act.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Republican 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2017-02-27 - Reported enrolled [HR492 Detail]
Download: Texas-2017-HR492-Introduced.html
85R11481 BK-D | ||
By: VanDeaver | H.R. No. 492 |
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WHEREAS, February 23, 2017, marks the 100th anniversary of | ||
the signing of the Smith-Hughes Act, the first major federal | ||
legislation to support the teaching of agriculture and other | ||
vocational subjects in high school; and | ||
WHEREAS, During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the | ||
need for vocational and technical education to augment academic | ||
study was increasingly recognized by teachers, agriculturists, | ||
home economists, and industry leaders; in 1914, the United States | ||
Congress established the Commission on National Aid to Vocational | ||
Education, which concluded that federal funding was necessary to | ||
ensure the success of such programs; and | ||
WHEREAS, Based on the recommendations of the commission, | ||
Senator Hoke Smith of Georgia introduced Senate Bill 703 on | ||
December 7, 1915, and on February 10, 1916, Representative Dudley | ||
Hughes laid out a companion bill, House Bill 11250; Senator Smith's | ||
bill enjoyed support from both chambers of Congress as well as from | ||
President Woodrow Wilson, who urged Congress to take action on it; | ||
and | ||
WHEREAS, A diverse range of interest groups, including | ||
industrialists, labor unions, and agricultural scientists, were | ||
united in their endorsement of the legislation; support for the | ||
measure was further intensified by the perception that Germany, | ||
then engaged in the Great War, had outstripped America in | ||
developing an advanced workforce to sustain its agricultural and | ||
industrial might; and | ||
WHEREAS, On February 17, 1917, Senate Bill 703--now known as | ||
the Smith-Hughes Act--was approved by Congress in a bipartisan | ||
vote, and on February 23, President Wilson signed the bill into law; | ||
Texas state senator Claude Hudspeth of El Paso subsequently | ||
introduced a bill to accept the benefits of the federal act, which | ||
was approved by the 35th Texas Legislature on May 8, 1917; and | ||
WHEREAS, Today, 15 million young Americans, including some | ||
1.2 million Texans, are enrolled in occupational courses in 16 | ||
cutting-edge career areas; their experiences in those programs are | ||
empowering them to succeed in postsecondary education and in the | ||
free-market economy, both as employees and as entrepreneurs; in | ||
addition, the advent of vocational education has led to the | ||
establishment of a range of youth leadership development | ||
organizations, including FFA, SkillsUSA, HOSA, and the Future | ||
Business Leaders of America, which are preparing their members to | ||
become engaged citizens and effective leaders in the work of | ||
self-government, the foundation of this constitutional republic; | ||
and | ||
WHEREAS, In the century since the passage of the landmark | ||
Smith-Hughes Act, vocational education has opened the doors of | ||
opportunity for countless youth and contributed significantly to | ||
the strength and prosperity of this nation; now, therefore, be it | ||
RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 85th Texas | ||
Legislature hereby commemorate the 100th anniversary of the signing | ||
of the Smith-Hughes Act and encourage Texans to learn more about the | ||
fine work being done by outstanding career and technical teachers | ||
in communities across the state. |