Senator Paul Bettencourt has announced his support for Senate Bill 2, the Texas Education Freedom Act, joining Chairman Brandon Creighton and other Republican members of the Senate Education Committee. The announcement was made in a press release on January 28, 2025.

According to the press release, Senate Bill 2 aims to provide universal access for all Texas students to apply, including those in public, private, or homeschool settings. If applications exceed the 100,000-student limit, 80% of spots will be allocated to low-income and disabled students. Each participating student will receive at least $2,000 annually in an Educational Savings Account (ESA), with higher amounts available for those attending accredited private schools and students with disabilities.

"An old saying is iron sharpens iron, so shall school choice sharpen the entire Texas education system," said Bettencourt. He added that "Senate Bill 2 empowers parents and prioritizes students success with providing comprehensive educational savings accounts (ESAs) to allow Texas families the freedom to choose the educational environment that best suits their children."

On November 8, 2024, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick issued a statement regarding Senate Bill 2, describing it as a "top priority." Patrick noted that similar legislation has already been implemented in 32 other states. He emphasized that school choice would not undermine public education and said it is "not a threat" to public education.

Bettencourt represents Senate District 7 in West Harris County and serves as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government. He is also a member of the Senate Finance, Education, and Criminal Justice committees. Additionally, he was appointed to the Redistricting Committee by Lt. Governor Patrick and served as Chair of the Senate Republican Caucus from 2016 to 2021. A graduate of Texas A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Industrial Distribution, Bettencourt is also President and CEO of a Houston-based tax consulting company.