Where is the bill in the process?

HB 4702 was passed out of the House on May 6. It has been referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, where it awaits a public hearing.

The bill received a public hearing before the House Human Services Committee on April 18. You can watch the discussion on it here, beginning at the 2:10:35 mark.

Who supports the bill and why?

The following comments were provided at an April 18 hearing on HB 4702:

• CTD: Dennis Borel, executive director of the Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD), testified in support of the bill. He explained how peer-support services are well established across the nation and utilized in 39 states. He noted that Medicaid does not cover Texas peer-support services for individuals with DD, something this bill would fix. Borel also highlighted the workforce issue that generally exists in all disability services, and how this bill would help “fill that gap in the workforce with fairly modestly paid positions by people who bring exceptional credentials to this field.”
• Texas Council of Community Centers: Isabel Casas, the government relations director for IDD Services for the Texas Council, provided testimony in favor of the bill. She explained how peer-support specialists are not only trained to assist individuals with DD but pull from their own lived experiences. This helps specialists navigate the stress and frustration that can come from social challenges, abuse, bullying, and other trauma. She pointed out that peers offer various types of assistance such as emotional support, knowledge, skills, honoring self-determination, and providing resources. Casas also noted that “increasing access to this service will provide individuals with IDD more resources to develop social skills while learning how to advocate for their own needs.”
• Peer-Support Specialist: Jordan Smelley, a certified mental health peer specialist and a person with DD, testified in support of the bill. Smelley shared that not every peer specialist in Texas has the personal lived experiences of DD, which can include delayed social skill development, navigating Medicaid home and community-based service waivers and Texas Workforce Vocational Rehabilitation programs, and challenges with the ability to recognize red flags, read nonverbal language, or understand the appropriateness of topics for different settings. He stated, “These are all things that not everyone with mental health or substance use [issues] have to navigate, but many people with IDD do.” Smelley suggested that peer specialists without these lived experiences can struggle to support someone with DD based on a lack of fully understanding their situation and that HB 4702 would address this problem.

The following groups also registered their support for HB 4702 but provided no testimony: The Arc of Texas, City of Uvalde, Clarity Child Guidance Center, Disability Rights Texas, Methodist Healthcare Ministries, NAMI Texas, National Association of Social Workers Texas, Texans Care for Children, Texas Parent to Parent, and United Ways of Texas.

Who opposes the bill and why?

Two individuals registered their opposition to HB 4702 but provided no testimony.

Additional Testimony

The following comments were offered at the April 18 hearing.

• TCDD: Lauren Gerken, a public policy analyst for TCDD, testified on the bill. Gerken explained how peer-support specialists are trained and certified to share lived experiences and offer guidance and support to help people meet their basic needs and find the best pathway to recovery. She noted that TCDD has funded projects to pilot DD peer support training models, which have been successful in improving communication, self-advocacy, and person-directed planning among individuals. In her written remarks, she pointed out that “peer support is not a novel concept … these practices are already available through home and community-based services for those with mental health needs, and those services can be replicated and adjusted for the IDD community.”

How much will the bill cost?

The Legislative Budget Board found that HB 4702 would not impact the state budget in a significant way.

Is there a Senate companion to the bill?

Senate Bill (SB) 2191 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini is identical to HB 4702. It was referred to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee but has not received a hearing.

Stay Informed

For the latest information about where HB 4702 is in the process, follow the bill on the Texas Legislature Online. To receive future legislative updates from TCDD follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Bill of the Week Updates

Here is an update on previous TCDD Bills of the Week for the 88th legislative session.

SB 477, which would improve accessibility for voters with disabilities, has passed out of the House Elections Committee. It awaits scheduling for consideration by the full Texas House.

HB 54 was voted out of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee and awaits consideration by the full Texas Senate. The bill would increase the personal needs allowance for residents of long-term care facilities.

HB 381 was passed out of the House and awaits referral to a Senate committee. The bill would prohibit the death penalty from being applied to a person with an intellectual disability.

HB 446, which would update the terminology used in law to refer to intellectual disabilities, has passed out of both the House and the Senate. It awaits the governor’s signature into law.

Lastly, HB 773, which would prohibit the practice of school-initiated undocumented early pickups, was placed on the House calendar for consideration but was not brought up by the May 11 deadline for the chamber to hear house bills. The bill is effectively dead for the session, though there is always a chance that the measure could appear as an amendment to another piece of legislation.