Our Legislative Wrap-Up
The 89th Texas Legislature brought child and family wellbeing interests to the forefront with bills on kinship, mental health, CBC, and so much more! TACFS members have the benefit of a dedicated policy team advocating directly for our network’s priorities.
Get the headlines or the full scoop on this session online at tacfs.org/89th-recap. You’ll find:
The synopsis of everything we followed during the session together in one slide deck.
All the child and family wellbeing issues from the budget bill (SB 1/HB 1) in a one-pager format.
Each of the bills we followed and their final status (passed or failed) in a convenient and sortable table.
Our Network's Priorities
Family Preservation
- TACFS strongly supported a comprehensive investment in services to keep families safely together, including $22.9 million to sustain the Texas Family First Pilots and expand eligible populations and $12 million to sustain the Heart Galleries of Texas.
Liability Insurance and Regulatory Streamlining
- We supported sustainability of foster homes and community organizations through the successful passage of HB 2789, which removes requirements like CPA licensure for SSCCs, tuberculosis testing, minimum liability insurance chances, trespass posting and more. We also worked to ensure liability insurance access through the passage of SB 1558, which sets a national standard for improved access to liability insurance for Texas providers through clarified protection under CILA and “good standing” framework for non-profit providers.
Mental Health
- The budget includes a directive to HHSC to analyze and implement improvements to the Medicaid credentialing system (the process by which providers become verified to bill). The budget also includes $40 million in additional funds to HHSC for youth mobile crisis outreach teams and $92.6 million for rate increases and expanded capacity at community mental health hospitals.
Statewide Rollout of CBC & T3C
- The legislature continued the rollout of CBC through sustained funding for implementation and additional funds to expand into regions 7A, 7B, 11A, and 11B. T3C rates are also sustained and $12 million in provider grants continue for FY 2026-27.
- SB 513 also approved and funded $5 million for a West Texas CBC Pilot (Regions 9 and 10). TACFS strongly supported a comprehensive investment in services to keep families safely together, including $22.9 million to sustain
