Texas Legislative News: April 11, 2023

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This past week, three bills of note were considered by the full Texas House. On Monday, April 3, the body discussed House Bill (HB) 140 by Rep. Mary González. This previous TCDD Bill of the Week would establish a co-navigator services program for individuals who are deaf-blind. HB 140 passed on a vote of 124-21 and now awaits referral to a Senate committee.

On Tuesday, April 4, members took up HB 729 by Rep. Toni Rose. This bill would create a statewide intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) coordinating council, which would develop a five-year strategic plan for IDD services across the state and oversee the plan’s implementation. The coordinating council would include self-advocates and representatives of state agencies and organizations providing services to people with IDD. The bill passed the House on a vote of 108-38 and waits to be referred in the Senate.

The week’s main event came on Thursday, April 6, when the House debated HB 1, the general appropriations bill that would fund the Texas state government for the next two years. The bill would spend $302.6 billion in state and federal funds over the course of the biennium, investing significant amounts into property tax relief and border security, both of which are top priorities for state leaders.

Nearly 400 amendments were pre-filed for the debate, and the House considered about 60 of them over a 10-hour discussion. Many of the remaining amendments were placed in Article XI of the budget, which acts as a wish list for proposals — they may be added to the budget later, but the amendments in this list are not typically included in the final budget.

Among the amendments considered for HB 1, the House adopted a proposal by Rep. Mihaela Plesa that provides over $6 million in additional funding for early childhood intervention services. The House also passed an amendment by Rep. Abel Herrero that would prohibit state money for school vouchers or other similar programs. This was highly notable in light of the governor and lieutenant governor’s support for using public funding on private school vouchers. If Herrero’s amendment stays in HB 1, those programs would not be allowed.

HB 1 passed the House on a vote of 136-10. The Senate will take up its version of the budget within the next couple of weeks. The proposals then head to what is known as a “conference committee,” where a smaller group of lawmakers work out the differences between the two versions before sending an agreed-upon bill back to each chamber for simple up-or-down votes.

TCDD Public Testimony

Last week, TCDD staff provided public testimony on a number of bills at the Capitol, covering a wide range of topics. The following list includes some of the bills that received comments from TCDD:

• HB 185 by Rep. Mary González, relating to chronic absenteeism
• HB 211 by Rep. Mary González, relating to inclusive child care
• HB 772 by Rep. Alma Allen, relating to a ban on corporal punishment
• HB 773 by Rep. Alma Allen, relating to early pickups
• HB 1113 by Rep. Terry Meza, relating to entrepreneurs with disabilities
• HB 1927 by Rep. Lacey Hull, relating to parental rights to intervene in emergency detention
• HB 2126 by Rep. Vikki Goodwin relating to reporting of school disciplinary measures
• HB 3642 by Rep. James Talarico relating to positive behavior interventions and supports and the school safety allotment
• Senate Bill (SB) 55 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to a study on higher education students with autism
• Senate Joint Resolution (SJR) 57 by Sen. Tan Parker, relating to the legislative review of agency rule-making

If you’d like to give remarks at an upcoming hearing but aren’t sure how to craft your comments, we’ve created a My Testimony Blueprint (PDF) that can be used as a framework. For more information and support, check out Legislative Advocacy Resources.

Hearings To Watch

The following section includes a sample of the hearings that we are monitoring this week. During these hearings, legislative committees may consider important disability-related bills. You can find live and archived broadcasts of committee hearings on the House and Senate websites.

The House Higher Education Committee held a hearing (PDF) on Monday morning, April 10. The committee discussed the following notable bill:

• HB 906 by Rep. Joe Moody, relating to the provision of information regarding mental health and suicide prevention services to students entering public institutions of higher education

The House Select Committee on Youth Health and Safety held a hearing (PDF) on Monday afternoon, April 10. The committee discussed the following notable bill:

• HB 3867 by Rep. John Bucy III, relating to notification and documentation requirements regarding behavior management for students enrolled in special education programs at public schools

The House Human Services Committee held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 11. The committee discussed the following notable bills:

• HB 3265 by Rep. Christian Manuel, relating to the submission of certain reports by the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
• HB 4220 by Rep. Travis Clardy, relating to the state Office of the Long-Term Care Ombudsman
• HB 4627 by Rep. Stephanie Klick, relating to the alternative electronic visit verification system under Medicaid
• HB 4629 by Rep. Stephanie Klick, relating to the terms and qualifications of members of the IDD System Redesign Advisory Committee
• HB 4694 by Rep. Candy Noble, relating to certain conferences, training, and continuing education provided by HHSC or required of commission staff, commission surveyors, or staff of certain facilities regulated by the commission
• HB 4696 by Rep. Candy Noble, relating to transferring certain investigations of abuse, neglect, and exploitation to HHS the on-site investigation and survey of certain providers by HHSC

The House Insurance Committee held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 11. The committee discussed the following notable bill:

• HB 134 by Rep. Diego Bernal, relating to coverage for childhood cranial remolding orthosis under certain health benefit plans

The House International Relations and Economic Development Committee held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 11. The committee discussed the following notable bill:

• HB 2598 by Rep. Erin Gámez, relating to the Texas Workforce Commission creating a workplace soft-skills training pilot program

The House Public Education Committee held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 11. The committee discussed the following notable bills:

• HB 619 by Rep. Matt Shaheen, relating to an insurance-premium tax credit for contributions made to certain educational assistance organizations
• HB 3781 by Rep. Jacey Jetton, relating to special education in public schools, including the special education allotment under the Foundation School Program, an education savings account program for certain children with disabilities, and a grant program to reimburse public schools for the cost of certain employer contributions for retirees of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas who taught special education
• HB 4340 by Rep. James Frank, relating to the establishment of an education savings account program to allow certain children to use public money to pursue educational alternatives to public schools and an insurance-premium tax credit for contributions made to the program
• HB 4807 by Rep. Brian Harrison, relating to the establishment of the Texas Parental Empowerment Program and an insurance-premium tax credit for contributions made to the program
• HB 4969 by Rep. Matt Schaefer, relating to a parent-directed supplemental services and instructional materials program for public school students  establishing an allotment under the Foundation School Program; and authorizing a fee
• House Joint Resolution (HJR) 182 by Rep. Cody Harris, relating to a constitutional amendment regarding public tuition-free schools and banning certain state regulations regarding private educational settings

The Senate State Affairs Committee held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 11. The committee discussed the following notable bills:

• SB 1606 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to evidence and orders regarding intellectual disability or mental condition in certain guardianship proceedings
• SB 1624 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to guardianships, alternatives to guardianship, and supports and services for incapacitated people

The House Criminal Jurisprudence Committee held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 11. The committee discussed the following notable bills:

• HB 4164 by Rep. Philip Cortez, relating to the improper use and treatment of an assistance animal or service animal and increasing a criminal penalty
• HB 5206 by Rep. Vikki Goodwin, relating to falsely representing that an animal is a service animal

The Senate Criminal Justice Committee held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday afternoon, April 11. The committee discussed the following notable bill:

• SB 1585 by Sen. Kevin Sparks, relating to certain proceedings in juvenile court for children with mental health conditions and intellectual disabilities

The House Homeland Security and Public Safety Committee held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday afternoon, April 11. The committee discussed the following notable bill:

• HB 3132 by Rep. Bobby Guerra, relating to an optional designation on a driver’s license or personal identification certificate indicating that a person has a hearing-related disability

The House Judiciary and Civil Jurisprudence Committee will hold a hearing (PDF) on Wednesday morning, April 12. The committee will discuss the following notable bills:

• HB 1042 by Rep. Gina Hinojosa, relating to certain notice and filing requirements in court proceedings involving people with mental health conditions
• HB 4611 by Rep. Four Price, relating to a revision of the health and human services laws governing HHSC, Medicaid, and other social services

The Senate Education Committee will hold a hearing on Wednesday morning, April 12. The committee will discuss the following notable bill:

• SB 1474 by Sen. Paul Bettencourt, relating to special education in public schools, including the special education allotment under the Foundation School Program, an education savings account program for certain children with disabilities, and a grant program to reimburse public schools for the cost of certain employer contributions for retirees of the Teacher Retirement System of Texas who taught special education

The House Juvenile Justice and Family Issues Committee will hold a hearing (PDF) on Wednesday morning, April 12. The committee will discuss the following notable bill:

• HB 3446 by Rep. Harold Dutton, relating to court-ordered financial support by parents of adults with medically determinable disabilities

The House Culture, Recreation, and Tourism Committee will hold a hearing (PDF) on Thursday morning, April 13. The committee will discuss the following notable bills:

• HB 2548 by Rep. Abel Herrero, relating to designating Dec. 8 as Special Hearts Day
• HB 2943 by Rep. Janie Lopez, relating to designating Oct. 17 as Entrepreneurs with Disabilities Day

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