AUSTIN – Thousands of Texas high school athletes would be randomly tested for steroids every year under bills overwhelmingly approved Tuesday by the House and Senate.

The program, which would be one of the largest student drug testing programs in the nation, would start with the 2007-08 school year, requiring an estimated 22,000 student athletes to submit to steroid testing.

Under the Senate version, approved 27-3, a positive result would lead to a suspension of at least 30 days from competition. A second positive test would sideline the student for one year, and a third would result in a permanent ban from extracurricular sports.

The House version, approved on a voice vote with final approval expected today, would direct the University Interscholastic League to decide the punishment. Once differences in the two bills are resolved – chiefly a disagreement over how to pay for the tests – the legislation would be sent to Gov. Rick Perry for his expected signature.

"It will make high school athletics safer and help many high school athletes avoid the temptation that many come to in their endeavor to get better" in their sport, said Sen. Kyle Janek, R-Houston, author of the bill. "Steroids cause serious health problems, including aggressive behavior, cancer and reproductive problems that can last long beyond an athlete's playing career."

The Dallas Morning News reported two years ago that nine students at Colleyville High School had admitted using banned steroids, one of the largest cases of confirmed steroid use at a U.S. high school. District officials subsequently adopted a random testing program to screen students in all extracurricular sports for steroids and other illegal drugs.

UIL officials have had preliminary talks with the National Center for Drug Free Sport, which operates the NCAA's drug testing program. The center presented the UIL with options for testing student athletes as well as cost estimates for those options.

Athletic directors and coaches in the Dallas area said any amount of testing would be helpful.

"Anything you can do to help students say no to taking any kind of drugs and steroids is very positive," said Cliff Odenwald, Plano school district athletic director.

"Steroids are a problem. I'm not sure how huge it is. Even if it's 1.8 percent – that's 1.8 percent too many. We'd like to make sure that no students use steroids or any kind of enhancing drug – so I think it's good."

Dr. Janek, asked by another senator whether steroid use is widespread in high school sports in Texas, said that anecdotal reports indicate a serious problem, though it has been hard to quantify.

"Until we randomly test students, I don't know that we will truly get our arms around the problem," said Dr. Janek, a medical doctor.

Some surveys have indicated that 1.5 percent to 2 percent of middle and high school students have used steroids in the past.

Under the House and Senate bills, the random tests must include at least 3 percent of the UIL athletes in Texas every year, and tests must be administered at no less than 30 percent of the high schools in the state. There are about 742,000 high school athletes in Texas, about 160,000 of whom play football.

The Senate bill calls for the state to pick up the cost of the program, ranging from $2.8 million to $4 million a year depending on how it is set up and who conducts the tests.

By contrast, the House measure would direct the UIL – which regulates high school sports – to assess a fee on sporting event tickets to pay for the drug testing program.

"If the state is going to require these tests, the state should pay for it," Dr. Janek said. "That's better than saying to the parents and students, 'We don't know if you're innocent or guilty, but you're going to pay for it anyway.' "

One provision in the Senate bill would require that coaches in grades 7 through 12 take a course on the dangers of steroid abuse.

During Senate debate on the bill Tuesday, Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, suggested it might be better to administer the drug tests to students who are suspected of using performance-enhancing drugs.

But Dr. Janek said that would require designating someone to identify students who might be using steroids – a difficult responsibility.

"I believe parents will be satisfied with this approach," he said of the random testing proposal.

Three Republican senators opposed the bill – Sen. Chris Harris of Arlington, Sen. Dan Patrick of Houston and Sen. Tommy Williams of The Woodlands.

Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst, who has been one of the chief proponents of the idea, said young athletes who want to improve their performance by using steroids are putting their lives at risk, and "too often adults and peers are looking the other way."

"We want to make sure Texas is doing everything possible to protect young lives and provide a level playing field for all athletes by getting steroids out of our schools," he said.

About 130 of the state's 1,300 high schools that have UIL sports already test for steroids.

Hal Wasson, head football coach at Southlake Carroll High School, said anything "that can be beneficial and assist in making kids make good decisions is always a good thing in my opinion. It's unfortunate kids feel that pressure to do those things."

Mr. Wasson said that he doesn't believe steroid use is widespread but that testing could "negate any kid from trying to experiment or even considering a poor choice as far as steroids.

John Crawford, athletic director of the Coppell school district, said the best benefit of the program is to give students a good reason to say no to steroids.

"Peer pressure can be a very powerful thing," he noted.

He voiced concern, though, that the small percentage of students in the random tests still give "too many opportunities for kids to do it and not suffer the consequences."

Staff writer Brandon George in Dallas contributed to this report.