A Texas Senate bill filed on Tuesday would provide long-term pay raises to teachers based on years of experience, expand a state program that offers raises to instructors based on student performance and allow educators to enroll their children in pre-K free of charge.

A Texas Senate committee gave unanimous approval Thursday to a bill giving across-the-board pay raises for public school teachers, the first step forward for a top goal of lawmakers in both political parties.

Among a litany of education-related bills filed this year, elected officials in the state have made raising teacher pay a priority for the legislative session.