[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H. Res. 1063 Introduced in House (IH)]
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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. RES. 1063
Supporting the goals and ideals of ``Career and Technical Education
Month''.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 12, 2026
Mr. Thompson of Pennsylvania (for himself, Ms. Bonamici, Mr. Bean of
Florida, Ms. DelBene, Mr. Steil, Mr. Morelle, Mr. Graves, Mr. Mrvan,
Mr. Mann, Mr. Bishop, Mr. Bacon, Ms. Perez, Mr. Moylan, Mr. Harder of
California, Mr. Mackenzie, Ms. Chu, Mr. Smucker, Ms. Craig, Mr. Bost,
Mr. Johnson of Georgia, Mr. Carter of Texas, Mr. Krishnamoorthi, Mr.
Yakym, Mr. Thompson of California, Mr. Langworthy, Ms. Salinas, Mr.
Crawford, Ms. McDonald Rivet, Mr. Smith of Nebraska, Mr. Tonko, Mr.
Finstad, Ms. Davids of Kansas, and Mr. Loudermilk) submitted the
following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Education
and Workforce
_______________________________________________________________________
RESOLUTION
Supporting the goals and ideals of ``Career and Technical Education
Month''.
Whereas American competitiveness within the global economy requires workers who
are prepared with the requisite academic knowledge as well as technical
and employability skills needed for career success;
Whereas advancements in technology have fundamentally changed critical economic
sectors of the United States and the global economy, creating
significant, new demand for high-wage, high-quality, and efficient
education and training opportunities;
Whereas career and technical education (referred to in this preamble as ``CTE'')
ensures that a competitive and skilled workforce is ready, willing, and
capable of holding jobs in high-wage, high-skill, and in-demand career
fields;
Whereas CTE helps the United States meet the very real and immediate challenges
of economic development, student academic achievement, and global
competitiveness;
Whereas in the United States, it is forecast that by 2031 nearly \1/3\ of all
jobs will require some level of postsecondary education but less than a
bachelor's degree;
Whereas approximately 12,000,000 students are enrolled in CTE programs across
the United States at the secondary and postsecondary levels, with CTE
programs in thousands of comprehensive high schools, technical high
schools, area technical centers, career academies, and over 1,000 two-
year colleges;
Whereas CTE aligns with labor market demand and provides employability skills
and relevant academic and technical coursework leading to credentials of
value for secondary and postsecondary education students and adult
learners;
Whereas CTE affords students the opportunity to cultivate the knowledge and
skills to earn the credentials needed to secure careers in growing,
high-demand fields;
Whereas secondary CTE has statistically significant positive impacts on the
academic achievement, high school completion, employability skills, and
college readiness of students;
Whereas according to a recent national survey conducted by the Hunt Institute
and Lake Research Partners, 91 percent of parents and voters favor
increased opportunities for students to access workforce training and
related opportunities to cultivate skills needed for a career;
Whereas 93 percent of United States employers recruiting from CTE programs find
those programs beneficial to their bottom line;
Whereas in 2018, Congress affirmed on a wide bipartisan basis the importance of
CTE by passing the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the
21st Century Act (Public Law 115-224; 132 Stat. 1563), which supports
investment and improvement in secondary and postsecondary CTE programs
in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto
Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and outlying areas; and
Whereas February 23, 2026, marks the 108th anniversary of the signing of the Act
of February 23, 1917 (39 Stat. 929, chapter 114, commonly known as the
``Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act of 1917''), which was the first
major Federal investment in secondary CTE and laid the foundation for
the bipartisan, bicameral support for CTE that continues as of February
2026: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives--
(1) supports the designation of ``Career and Technical
Education Month'' to celebrate career and technical education
across the United States;
(2) supports the goals and ideals of Career and Technical
Education Month;
(3) recognizes the importance of career and technical
education in preparing a well-educated and skilled workforce in
the United States; and
(4) encourages educators, school counselors, guidance and
career development professionals, administrators, and parents
to promote career and technical education as a respected
educational pathway for students.
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