Senator Hassan Votes to Approve Bipartisan Legislation to Strengthen Career and Technical Education Programs for Granite Staters

WASHINGTON – Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, voted yesterday for bipartisan legislation updating the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act and authorizing funding for states to implement high-quality career and technical education programs.

The bipartisan Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21^st Century Act will help strengthen the workforce pipeline and prepare hard-working Granite Staters for jobs in the 21^st century innovation economy by requiring states and local programs to collaborate with the business community and workforce development organizations so that education programs will better meet the needs of innovative businesses.

The bill also makes improvements to current law to help ensure that traditionally underserved students, including students who experience disabilities, receive the supports they need to succeed by requiring data collection to identify achievement gaps and encouraging states and localities to use funds to close these gaps through increased teacher training and other supports.

“I have seen firsthand the critical importance of career and technical education programs to New Hampshire’s workforce and our economy, and this bipartisan bill makes important improvements to ensure that no hard-working Granite Stater is left behind,” Senator Hassan said. “By calling for more alignment between education programs and the needs of innovative businesses, and ensuring that CTE programs meet the needs of historically underserved students such as those who experience disabilities, this bipartisan bill is an important step for our state. I applaud Chairman Lamar Alexander and Ranking Member Patty Murray for moving this bill forward, and look forward to seeing it become law as quickly as possible.”

Senator Hassan fought for important New Hampshire priorities to be included in the bill, including emphasizing the importance of ensuring that students who face additional barriers to completion have access to direct support services through career guidance and academic counseling. The bill also incorporates a number of provisions from the CTE Excellence and Equity Act, which Senator Hassan joined colleagues in introducing, including strengthening career pathways by providing students with a range of work-based learning opportunities, incorporating rigorous academics into Career and Technical Education Courses, and making it easier for students to obtain a postsecondary-recognized credential.

Senator Hassan also voted yesterday in the HELP Committee to approve the bipartisan Maternal Health Accountability Act, which she cosponsored. The bill helps states establish and sustain maternal mortality review committees to better understand the causes of maternal deaths in order to inform prevention efforts.

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