; Whereas CTE affords students the opportunity to cultivate the knowledge and skills to earn the credentials needed to secure careers in growing, high-demand fields; Whereas secondary CTE is associated with a lower probability of dropping out of high school and a higher likelihood of graduating on time; Whereas, according to an American Federation of Teachers poll, 94 percent of parents approve of expanding access to CTE and other programs that prepare students for jobs; Whereas students at schools with highly-integrated, rigorous academic and CTE programs are significantly more likely to meet college and career readiness benchmarks than students at schools with less integrated programs; Whereas, in 2018, Congress affirmed the importance of CTE by passing the Strengthening Career and Technical Education for the 21st Century Act ( Public Law 115–224 ; 132 Stat. 1563), which supports investment and program improvement in secondary and postsecondary CTE programs in all 50 States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, the United States Virgin Islands, and outlying areas; and Whereas February 23, 2023, marks the 106th anniversary of the signing of the Act of February 23, 1917 (39 Stat. 929, commonly known as the Smith-Hughes Vocational Education Act of 1917 ), which was the first major Federal investment in secondary CTE and laid the foundation for the bipartisan, bicameral support for CTE that continues as of February 2023: Now, therefore, be it