Texas Senate Bill SB 1535

Texas 2025 - 89th Regular

• Filed: 2/21/25
• Out of Senate Committee: 3/26/25
• Voted on by Senate: 4/1/25
• Out of House Committee: 5/13/25
• Voted on by House: 5/21/25
• Governor Action: 6/20/25

Caption

Relating to the establishment by the Texas Workforce Commission of an advanced nuclear energy workforce development program.

Summary

SB 1535 creates an advanced nuclear energy workforce development program within the Texas Workforce Commission. The program is to be developed in collaboration with the Texas Education Agency, the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and representatives designated by the Public Utility Commission of Texas to coordinate nuclear energy strategies. Its stated purpose is to address urgent skilled labor needs in Texas’s advanced nuclear energy industry. Under the bill, the commission must create a strategic plan to close labor supply gaps and improve talent retention, while also supporting partnerships that expand awareness of nuclear science careers, build pathways from secondary school into higher education, and encourage colleges and universities to develop nuclear-related education and training programs. The bill also directs the commission to develop customized curriculum requirements for degree and certificate programs that prepare students for high-wage jobs in areas such as nuclear-grade welding, radiological control, reactor operations, instrumentation and control, and related engineering fields, subject to approval by the Higher Education Coordinating Board.

Impact

The bill adds Section 302.0081 to the Labor Code and gives the Texas Workforce Commission a new statutory role in coordinating workforce development for advanced nuclear energy. It also creates reporting obligations to legislative committees with jurisdiction over workforce development, higher education, and energy matters, requiring annual updates on program activities and possible recommendations. The measure is intended to influence education and training pipelines across public schools, junior colleges, technical institutes, and universities, but it does not itself create direct licensing or regulatory changes for nuclear facilities.

Sentiment

The bill appears to have broad bipartisan support and little visible opposition. It passed the Senate unanimously and the House by a very large margin, with only a handful of dissenting votes, and the Senate later concurred in the House amendment with another strong vote. The voting pattern suggests general agreement that Texas should prepare a specialized workforce for a growing advanced nuclear energy sector.

Contention

There is little evidence of major controversy in the available record. The main policy questions implied by the bill are how the workforce program will be funded, how curriculum standards will be developed and approved, and how closely public education institutions should align with industry needs. Any concern would likely come from those wary of state involvement in shaping specialized energy-sector training or from stakeholders seeking more detail on implementation, but the recorded votes indicate these issues did not generate significant opposition.