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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 Resources
This week, the full Texas House will discuss two education issues that impact the disability community: school discipline and private school vouchers. In anticipation of those debates, we’ve created resources on these topics. Please share this information with your lawmakers and your network:
- School Discipline and Students with Disabilities (PDF), for consideration of House Bill (HB) 6 on April 15.
- Private School Vouchers and Students with Disabilities (PDF), for consideration of Senate Bill (SB) 2 on April 16.
TCDD Public Testimony
Last week, TCDD staff provided public comment on a variety of bills at the Capitol.
LIDDA Referrals for Students with IDD
TCDD Public Policy Analyst Marisa Iannaccone provided testimony on April 8 to the House Committee on Public Education regarding HB 1188. This bill would require school districts to refer students with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) who receive special education services to a local intellectual and developmental disability authority (LIDDA) for additional services. HB 1188 was featured as a TCDD Bill of the Week.
“Early connection to a LIDDA allows families to begin long-term planning and secure vital support that can significantly improve outcomes for students with IDD,” Iannaccone said.
Strategic Plan for Early Learning
TCDD Senior Public Policy Analyst Lauren Gerken also provided testimony on April 8 to the House Public Education Committee. She spoke on HB 2310, which would require the development of a strategic plan for the improvement and expansion of early learning and educational opportunities for young children with disabilities. Gerken shared details of TCDD’s engagement with community partners on this topic and listed some of the barriers faced by children with disabilities and their families.
“The development and success of children with disabilities are heavily dependent on the quality of services they receive from birth to age five,” Gerken said. “We believe that promoting collaboration and strategic planning is essential to achieving that shared goal.”
Death Penalty Ban for Offenders with Severe Mental Illness
TCDD Senior Public Policy Analyst Linda Logan provided written testimony on April 8 to the House Committee on Criminal Jurisprudence regarding HB 2777. The bill would ban the state from applying the death penalty to people with severe mental illness convicted of capital crimes. Logan provided background information, including details from the American Bar Association Task Force on Mental Disability and the Death Penalty, whose findings supported such a ban.
“HB 2777 addresses severe mental illness as a form of mental disability, one that deserves special consideration when determining the punishment for capital crimes,” Logan wrote.
Reentry and Reintegration for Offenders with Intellectual Disabilities
TCDD Public Policy Director Scott Daigle provided written testimony on April 9 to the House Corrections Committee regarding HB 3834, which would require the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to develop and identify community resources to help offenders with intellectual disabilities in successfully reintegrating into the community. Daigle shared details of a 2020 report by the Arc of Texas and the Texas Criminal Justice Coalition, titled “Misunderstood and Mistreated” (PDF, 19 pages, 6.2 MB), which detailed the challenges that people with IDD experience in the state’s criminal justice system. Daigle said the provisions in HB 3834 could address some of the issues that too often lead to this population reoffending.
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 support, check out our Legislative Advocacy Resources.
From left, Lauren Gerken, TCDD senior public policy analyst; Michael Clarke, deputy director of public policy and advocacy at the Arc of Texas; Rep. Claudia Ordaz; and David Feigen, director of early learning policy at Texans Care for Children, at an April 8 hearing of the House Committee on Public Education.
TCDD Listens
What do Texans with DD need to achieve their future goals for independence, productivity, and community living? TCDD is developing its next strategic plan, and your ideas and experiences are vital to the process. We want input from people with DD, family members of people with DD, service providers, and anyone else involved in the disability community and interested in disability issues.
You can connect with TCDD in several ways to share your ideas, including through an online survey and by participating in a Community Conversation through Zoom. During Community Conversations, you can speak directly with TCDD staff and share your ideas for our future priorities. You’ll also get to connect with and hear from other disability advocates from across the state.
Our next Community Conversation takes place from Noon to 1 p.m. Central Time (CT) tomorrow (Wednesday, April 16). Please register online to attend tomorrow’s event.
We’re also hosting a Community Conversation in Spanish next week. That event will take place from 7-8 p.m. CT on Tuesday, April 22. You can register online to attend.
Five Hearings To Watch
The following section includes a sample of legislative hearings we’re monitoring this week. During these hearings, legislative committees may consider important disability-related issues. You can find live and archived broadcasts of committee hearings on the House and Senate websites. A full list of upcoming hearings can be found on the Capitol website.
The House Committee on Public Health held a hearing (PDF) on Monday morning, April 14. The committee discussed a variety of bills, including:
- HB 46 by Rep. Ken King, relating to the medical use of low-THC cannabis under the administration of the Texas Compassionate-Use Program.
The House Committee on Higher Education held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 15. The committee heard testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- HB 2081 by Rep. John Bucy III, relating to the establishment of the Building Better Futures Program to support educational and occupational skills training opportunities and support services for students with IDD at public and private institutions of higher education. This bill was previously featured as a TCDD Bill of the Week.
The House Committee on Human Services held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 15. The committee heard testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- HB 2510 by Rep. Chris Turner, relating to assisted-living facility operations and certain services provided without a license to assisted living-facility residents.
- HB 3589 by Rep. Liz Campos, relating to the licensure and regulation of certain group home facilities.
- HB 4665 by Rep. Christian Manuel, relating to training requirements for child care employees and directors.
- HB 4666 by Rep. Christian Manuel, relating to streamlining the deadlines for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to submit certain required reports to the Legislature.
The House Committee on Public Education held a hearing (PDF) on Tuesday morning, April 15. The committee heard testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- HB 1813 by Rep. John Bucy III, relating to parent’s rights to information concerning a public school special education program and certain requirements for people serving as special education representatives and hearing officers at impartial due process hearings.
The Senate Committee on Jurisprudence will hold a hearing (PDF) on Wednesday morning, April 16. The committee will hear testimony on a variety of bills, including:
- SB 66 by Sen. Judith Zaffirini, relating to the authority of a supporter regarding legal proceedings granted under a supported decision-making agreement.
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.
