In 2015, the Texas legislature created an alternative path for students to graduate. With the passage of Senate Bill 149 by state Sen. Kel Seliger, R-Amarillo, students who failed to satisfy the traditional state graduation requirements could appeal for a different way forward. These students could appeal to individual graduation committees to be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. These committees are comprised of parents, teachers and administrators. This solution was temporary, however. The initial legislation only extended the lives of these committees to Sept. 1 of this year. On Tuesday, the Texas House passed a bill that would continue this option for high school students until September 1, 2021. The bill passed the House in a 141-2 vote and will next go to the Senate. Members of the upper chamber will decide if they want to concur with changes made by the House—changing the expiration date from 2019 to 2021—and send the bill directly to the governor or work out differences in a conference committee. State Rep. Dan Huberty, R-Houston, who carried the bill in the House, said the matter was personal to him. Students who have learning disabilities or who are English language learners often struggle with required end of course exams, he said, resulting in the failure to pass necessary graduation requirements. Since this system has been implemented, thousands of students have used the committees. "It has worked very well," Huberty said. "It is not a free pass." Data from the Texas Education Agency indicates between 2 and 3 percent of graduating high school students in the past two years have received diplomas through these committees, while roughly 70 percent of those being considered were approved for graduation. Thirty percent were not approved. Opponents of the bill say it allows social promotion of students who are not truly prepared for their future. Representatives with the Greater Austin Chamber of Commerce and Texas Association of Business have registered opposition to the bill.