House approves tax credit and certificate to bring industry professionals into career‑tech classrooms

Representative Lommax presented House Bill 517, which creates a two‑pronged approach to place experienced industry professionals in career‑tech classrooms.

"It does this in two ways," Lommax said on the floor. "First off, it establishes a tax credit that will encourage employers to loan their employees that are otherwise being productive within their companies to teach these classes and make sure the next generation has this proper career tech." He said the other prong is a workforce teaching certificate that sets training, certification and background check requirements.

Members adopted a committee substitute to align degree processes and make technical changes, and then passed a floor amendment clarifying liability protections: a holder of the workforce teaching certificate "shall not be personally liable for acts or omissions undertaken in performance of assigned instruction or supervisory duties." The amendment passed unanimously and final passage was recorded 104 yeas, 0 nays.

Supporters described the measure as a way to expand access to vocational instruction while maintaining teacher standards; a floor question clarified the state will not pay the individuals directly—employers will continue salary obligations and receive the tax credit in return.

The bill now moves to implementation steps: the Department of Education will need to specify certification criteria for the workforce teaching certificate and the Department of Revenue will need to publish guidance on administering the tax credit.