Sonney, Committee Members to Unveil Career and Technical Education Package

WHAT: Rep. Curt Sonney (R-Erie), chairman of the House Education Committee, will host a press conference to unveil a bipartisan package of eight bills designed to improve career and technical education (CTE) in Pennsylvania. The bills are the result of a report issued by the former Select Subcommittee on Technical Education and Career Readiness.

Bills in the package include:

• House Bill 265 (Staats), which would expand the online database of articulation agreements.
• House Bill 297 (Mako), which would deal with career information and recruitment.
• House Bill 334 (Grove), which would deal with the commission for agricultural education excellence, the use of course credits, and the classification of program codes.
• House Bill 522 (Tobash), which would create a CTE investment incentive program; including tax credits for contributions to support CTE programs and enrollment expansion programs.

Bills in the package that have not yet been introduced:

• House Bill 393 (Harkins), which would create an online career resource center.
• House Bill 394 (Mullery), which would require the Pennsylvania Department of Education to inventory workforce development programs offered at secondary and postsecondary institutions.
• House Bill 395 (Roebuck), which would require CTE programs to establish occupational advisory committees.
• House Bill 396 (Roebuck), which would add at least one member to each Workforce Development Board.

WHO: Chairman Rep. Curt Sonney; Minority Chairman Rep. James Roebuck (D-Philadelphia); sponsors of the bills, which include Reps. Seth Grove (R-York), Mike Tobash (R-Schuylkill/Dauphin), Zach Mako (R-Lehigh/Northampton), Craig Staats (R-Bucks), Patrick Harkins (D-Erie) and Gerald Mullery (D-Luzerne); and members of the House Education Committee.

WHEN: Tuesday, Feb. 19, at 11:30 a.m.

WHERE: Capitol Media Center, 8 East Wing, Capitol Building, Harrisburg.

LIVE WEBSTREAMING: Will be available, barring technical difficulties, at PAHouseGOP.com and RepSonney.com.

Media contact: Tricia Lehman, 717.772.9840, tlehman@pahousegop.com.