More than 3,000 bills have been introduced in the 88th Legislature thus far. Given the legislature’s limited time and resources, only a select few legislators will determine which bills are worthy of pursuing. For any given piece of legislation,
these select few are the members of a relevant committee.
There are 15 permanent standing committees in the Senate and 34 in the House. A typical senator will serve on five or six senate committees and a typical house member will
serve on two or more house committees. The select few chosen by the chamber’s presiding officer will serve as chair of a committee.
The members of a given committee will determine whether a particular piece of legislation pertaining
to their committee’s subject matter jurisdiction dies or advances. Committee chairs have essentially unilateral authority over which bills are considered in their committee and which bills receive a vote in their committee.
Of
interest to The Arc of Texas, while tracking IDD bills, are the following committees in the House and Senate:
House
Human Services
The House Committee on Human Services has jurisdiction over matters relating to the Health and Human Services Commission, IDD programs, Medicaid, and most healthcare matters. Bills pertaining to Home and Community Based
Services Medicaid Waivers are likely to pass through this committee. The committee is chaired by Representative James Frank, a Republican from Wichita Falls.
Public Health
The House committee on Public Health has jurisdiction over matters relating to the practice of medicine and nursing and mental health programs. Some bills pertaining to
IDD treatment may pass through this committee. The committee is chaired by Representative Stephanie Klick, a Republican from Tarrant County.
Public Education
The House committee on Public Education has jurisdiction over all public primary and secondary schools in the state, school districts, and the Texas Education Agency. Bills
pertaining to special education are likely to pass through this committee. The Committee is chaired by Representative Brad Buckley, a Republican from Bell County. This will be Representative Buckley’s first session chairing this committee. Previously, the committee was chaired by Harold Dutton, a Democrat from Houston’s 5th Ward.
Appropriations
The powerful House Committee on Appropriations is the House’s budget writing
committee. Every dollar of public money that the state spends in the next two years has to be approved by this committee. This committee has the authority to add more HCBS waiver slots, set a wage floor for direct care workers, and give a boost to the program that benefits you and your family. The House Committee on Appropriations has vast influence over state agencies, given that it controls their funding and gives them direction. This committee will shortly be broken up into subcommittees to
deliberate over certain sections of the budget. Each of those subcommittees will have its own chair. The committee is chaired by by Representative Dr. Greg Bonnen, a Republican from Friendswood.
Senate
Health and Human Services
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee can be compared to the House Committee on Human Services. However, the jurisdiction of the Senate committee is noticeably
more broad. Any bills relating to healthcare, the practice of medicine, and human services-based state agencies must pass through this committee. The committee is chaired by Senator Lois Kolkhorst, a Republican from Brenham.
Education
The Senate committee on Education can be understood as the House Committees on Public Education and and Higher
Education rolled into one. If a bill pertains to an agency that regulates or administers education, a school, a school district, a university, a university system, schoolteachers, or school administrators, it must pass through this committee. The committee is chaired by Senator Brandon Creighton, a Republican from Conroe. This will be Senator Creighton’s first session chairing this committee. Previously, the committee was chaired by Senator Larry Taylor, a Republican from Galveston.
Finance
The powerful Senate Committee on finance can be most closely compared to the House Appropriations Committee. It is the Senate’s budget writing committee. It has jurisdiction over all bills concerning taxation and spending. It is widely considered to be the most powerful committee in the legislature.
The committee is chaired by Joan Huffman, a Republican from Houston. This will be Senator
Huffman’s first session chairing this committee. Previously, the committee was chaired by longtime Senate budget writer Jane Nelson, a Republican from Flower Mound.