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Welcome to the latest edition of Texas Legislative News for the 89th Texas Legislature. In this regular feature, we provide information on disability-related issues and bills under consideration at the State Capitol. We also explain how lawmakers conduct business, and we share details on upcoming TCDD events.
TCDD & Partners in Policymaking Visit the Capitol
During their recent quarterly meetings, TCDD Council Members traveled to the Capitol on Feb. 6 to meet with their state lawmakers. Council members had productive conversations with their representatives and legislative staff, discussing disability-related bills as well as the Council’s public policy priorities and TCDD legislative resources. While at the Capitol, Council members also held a well-attended “meet and greet” event, which gave policymakers an introduction to TCDD and our work.
In addition to the Council visits, graduates and current participants of the Texas Partners in Policymaking program traveled to the Capitol on Feb. 11 for legislative visits. The Partners program, coordinated by TCDD, provides advanced leadership training to support people with developmental disabilities (DD) and their family members in becoming effective advocates for policy change. The legislative visits gave Partners alumni opportunities to engage with policymakers, provide input on important disability policy priorities, and offer themselves as resources to lawmakers on disability-related issues.
Raise Your Voice! Series
The Coalition of Texans with Disabilities (CTD) has resumed its Raise Your Voice! call series, which features discussions of policy developments and ways to take action during the 89th Texas Legislature. The calls take place on Zoom on Mondays at 2 p.m. Central time. The series continues until May 19.
Raise Your Voice! calls provide a functional understanding of the state’s legislative process while connecting emerging and experienced advocates. The calls also give CTD insight into the needs and concerns of Texans with disabilities outside of the organization’s usual circles.
During each call, you can expect:
- brief updates on the CTD advocacy team’s recent work;
- steps you can take to advance priorities for Texans with disabilities; and
- interaction with CTD staff and other participants.
You can register online to receive notifications and information about upcoming calls as well as weekly follow-up emails. Participation is free. CTD provides Communication Access Real-Time Translation (CART) service, and you can request additional accommodations when registering. If you have any questions, please email info@txdisabilities.org.
Bill Filing Continues
Now 36 days into the legislative session, lawmakers have filed over 4,200 bills to consider in the coming months. Recently filed proposals related to disability issues include:
- House Bill (HB) 2807 by Rep. Toni Rose, relating to the statewide intellectual and developmental disability coordinating council.
- HB 2875 by Rep. Suleman Lalani, relating to school districts developing policies to address instances where students with autism or other intellectual or developmental disabilities leave supervised locations without permission, also referred to in the bill caption as “eloping behavior.”
- HB 2917 by Rep. Mary González, relating to establishing the Building Better Futures Program to support educational and occupational skills training opportunities and support services for students with DD at institutions of higher education.
- HB 2919 by Rep. Yvonne Davis, relating to the suspension of public-school students for engaging in certain conduct against school district employees or volunteers.
- HB 2929 by Rep. Mano DeAyala, relating to training for peace officers on interacting with people with autism.
- HB 2938 by Rep. Mary González, relating to attendant-care services under Medicaid and other programs administered by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission, including establishing a minimum base wage for certain personal attendants providing those services and allowing family members to provide those services.
Stay Informed
Throughout the 89th Texas legislative session, you can stay up to date on how lawmakers address disability issues by following us on Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn. You can also check out our Policy section to learn more about our legislative engagement and find resources to support your own advocacy.
