House Committee on Human Services

Committee Leadership

Chair

Lacey Hull (R)

House District 138

Houston

Vice Chair

Christian Manuel (D)

House District 22

Port Arthur

Committee Composition

Committee Membership

Hull, Lacey (R) House District 138 Houston Manuel, Christian (D) House District 22 Port Arthur Davis, Aicha (D) House District 109 DeSoto Dorazio, Mark (R) House District 122 San Antonio Morales, Christina (D) House District 145 Houston Noble, Candy (R) House District 89 Lucas Richardson, Keresa (R) House District 61 McKinney Rose, Toni (D) House District 110 Dallas Schatzline, Nate (R) House District 93 Fort Worth Slawson, Shelby (R) House District 59 Stephenville Swanson, Valoree (R) House District 108 Spring

Most Recent Session Activity

Metrics reflect activity during the most recent legislative session.

Interim Charges

• Monitoring: Monitor the implementation and associated rulemaking of all legislation passed by the Committee and enacted by the 89th Legislature, including the following:
  • HB 26, relating to authorizing Medicaid managed care organizations to offer nutrition support services in lieu of other state Medicaid plan services;
  • HB 109, relating to the construction, expansion, and operation of certain inpatient mental health facilities and the designation of residential treatment facilities for certain juveniles;
  • HB 136, relating to Medicaid coverage and reimbursement for lactation consultation services;
  • SB 379, relating to prohibiting the purchase of sweetened drinks and candy under the supplemental nutrition assistance program; and
  • SB 513, relating to a rural community-based care pilot program.
• Provision of Services for Texans With Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities: Evaluate the availability of services for Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities, including service coordination, Home and Community-Based Services, and the functionality of the waiver interest list. Ensure vulnerable Texans are protected by the current regulatory landscape and make recommendations for improvements.
• Targeted and Meaningful Child Welfare Services for Families: Ensure that families involved with the Department of Family and Protective Services receive services that promote family stabilization and reunification, as appropriate. Study the availability of services across the state and make recommendations to improve service delivery and outcomes for families, including services to ensure the stability of kinship placements.
• Preventing Fraud, Waste, and Abuse: Ensure government services provided by agencies under the committee’s jurisdiction, including Medicaid and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, efficiently serve eligible Texans. Evaluate barriers to efficient service provision for both clients and providers, particularly the enrollment and credentialing of Medicaid providers. Review current efforts to identify and prevent fraud, waste, and abuse, and consider additional measures to reduce costs to taxpayers.
• Ensuring Transparency in the Adoption Process and Providing Post-Adoptive Supports for Former Foster Youth: Evaluate legal requirements and policies for private adoptions to increase transparency and protect the rights of both adoptive families and biological parents. Review the provision and availability of services available to adoptive families of former foster youth to ensure successful adoptions and make recommendations to address unmet needs.
• Protecting Due Process and Civil Rights in Child Protective Services Investigations: Monitor the consistency of practices in child protective services investigations and make improvements related to determinations of abuse and neglect, notification of rights, and access to information and records regarding investigations and case progression. Evaluate the use of the Central Abuse Registry and develop proposals to improve due process reviews.
• Agency Oversight: Monitor the agencies under the Committee’s jurisdiction, including for fraud, waste, and abuse, where applicable. The jurisdiction of the Human Services Committee includes the following agencies:
  • The Health and Human Services Commission and the Texas Behavioral Health Executive Council as it relates to the subject matter jurisdiction of the Committee;
  • The Department of Family and Protective Services;
  • The Texas State Board of Social Worker Examiners; and
  • The Texas State Board of Examiners of Professional Counselors.