S. 3217: Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act

115th Congress · introduced 2018-07-16 · Education · Latest: By Senator Alexander from Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions filed written report. Report No. 115-434.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2018-07-16 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: By Senator Alexander from Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions filed written report. Report No. 115-434. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act

Plain summary

Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act This bill reauthorizes through FY2023 and increases funding levels for Department of Education (ED) grants to states, national programs, and tribally controlled postsecondary career and technical education (CTE) institutions under the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Act of 2006 to support CTE programs for secondary and postsecondary students. It repeals the authorization for certain occupational and information activities and the separate mandate for tech prep education. Beginning in FY2021, states must receive at least 90% of their previous year's allocation of basic state CTE grants. The bill permits states to: reserve up to 15% (currently 10%) of their grant funds for innovative CTE activities in rural areas or areas with higher numbers of CTE students, and set their own annual targets on the core indicators of performance at both the secondary and postsecondary education levels without ED's approval. The bill modifies grant application processes for states and localities and performance measures for evaluating CTE programs. It prohibits ED from withholding funds from states that do not meet certain performance measures. The bill amends the Wagner-Peyser Act to expand the duties of state agencies with respect to providing workforce and labor market information.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Alexander, Lamar [R-TN] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: S. 3217, Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act (2018-08-02)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115s3217.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/s>

Record fed-us-cong115-s3217 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115