HB 38 seeks to modernize and expand the scope of the Texas Information and Referral Network (TIRN), a state-run system designed to connect Texans with health and human services. The bill amends Section 526.0004 of the Government Code (effective April 1, 2025) to significantly enhance the network's capabilities. Under the bill, TIRN must now integrate transportation service information, support statewide disaster preparedness and emergency response efforts, and enable communication with clients via one-way and two-way text messaging to improve access, reduce wait times, and enhance service delivery.
The bill also mandates the inclusion of a real-time, publicly accessible, internet-based platform that reports de-identified client demographic information — such as gender, race, veteran status, and other social indicators — provided that clients give informed consent. In addition, TIRN must adopt a standardized screening tool to assess clients’ nonmedical needs like housing, food security, and transportation access. The legislation requires TIRN to offer enhanced navigation services for complex cases and to track service referrals and outcomes, while fostering data-sharing partnerships with healthcare systems and managed care organizations to improve service coordination.
The Committee Substitute further directs the Health and Human Services Commission to coordinate TIRN's disaster functions with the Homeland Security Council and the Texas Division of Emergency Management. Finally, the commission must produce a biennial report to top state officials outlining TIRN’s operational effectiveness, identifying service gaps, and recommending improvements.
The Committee Substitute significantly broadens the scope and operational detail of the originally filed bill. While the original version focused mainly on improving the Texas Information and Referral Network’s (TIRN) technology, data collection, and disaster response capacity, the substitute adds new dimensions, particularly regarding statewide disaster planning and interagency coordination. Specifically, HB 38 requires the network to be formally integrated into Texas’s homeland security strategic plan and emergency management plans, whereas the filed bill only referenced using interstate call center agreements for emergency responsiveness.
Additionally, the substitute expands the collection of de-identified demographic data to include more client attributes, such as whether individuals are enrolled in higher education, are caregivers to seniors, or are aged 65 and older—enhancing the network's ability to understand and serve complex community needs. The substitute also strengthens the network’s privacy requirements by mandating compliance with all applicable federal and state privacy laws, beyond just HIPAA, and introduces specific authority for data exchange agreements with external partners to support closed-loop referrals and reduce redundancies in health and human services delivery.
Finally, the committee substitute introduces more robust reporting requirements. It directs the commission to produce biennial public reports detailing the effectiveness of the network, identifying service gaps, and providing recommendations for improvement, including specific attention to data privacy and client experience—elements not as detailed in the original filing. Overall, the substitute reflects a deeper integration of TIRN into Texas’s broader disaster and health infrastructure, along with clearer operational, privacy, and accountability provisions. Texas Policy Research recommends that lawmakers vote NO on HB 38.
- Although the bill includes a consent process for collecting personal information, it still encourages broader gathering and sharing of sensitive client data (such as criminal justice involvement, veteran status, pregnancy status, and caregiver roles) between government agencies and private partners. Even de-identified data can sometimes be re-identified when combined with other information. This represents an increased risk to personal privacy and autonomy, eroding the principle that individuals should control their personal information and interactions with government.
- The bill's design shifts more responsibility for connecting individuals to services from families, communities, and nonprofits onto the government. Instead of empowering Texans to navigate assistance on their own or through local voluntary organizations, the state takes on a larger "care coordinator" role. This move could discourage self-reliance and deepen dependence on state-managed social service systems over time.
- The expansion of TIRN into complex service navigation and client support could crowd out private-sector solutions or nonprofit innovations. Private call centers, social service navigators, and nonprofit agencies that currently operate independently might find it harder to compete or maintain autonomy if state-coordinated 2-1-1 services become the "one-stop shop" for clients statewide. Government-run or government-directed models often unintentionally suppress free-market alternatives, even if participation is technically voluntary.
- The bill does not directly affect ownership of private property. There are no takings, land-use changes, or property seizures involved. However, if government databases become heavily intertwined with private sector actors (like healthcare providers), questions could arise in the future about control and use of private institutional data — though that is not immediately triggered by this bill.
- HB 38 represents a substantial increase in the size, scope, and operational footprint of government. By expanding TIRN’s authority into full disaster planning integration, mandating 24/7 operation, building statewide referral management systems, and creating new formal partnerships with healthcare and community organizations, the bill moves Texas farther away from a limited-government model. It creates permanent staffing and technology expenditures and opens the door for additional government oversight into traditionally local or private services.
