Advocacy
5.5 minute read
Legislative advocacy is CTD’s primary focus. During and outside of the Texas’ biennial legislative session, we work with key decision makers, state agencies, and other advocacy organizations to promote statewide policies that will protect or benefit Texans with disabilities. As a coalition, collaboration is key to the success our policy work. We partner on a number of policy issues with other disability organizations, belong to dozens of workgroups and coalitions, and engage in partnerships across movements.
The 89th Texas Legislature convened on January 14, 2025 and is currently in session. We're working on 65 priority bills and tracking almost 150 more. A lot of these bills fall into our top ten priorities below, but we're involved in many other issues and doing what we can to support our partners and self-advocates on their priorities. Visit Today at CTD for a daily update of how we're working on each of these areas.
Our Top 2025 Priorities
Attendant Wages
Last session, CTD led efforts to increase the base hourly wage of community attendants from $8.11 to $10.60. This was a big step for the Legislature, but there is still a lot more to be done to adequately support Texas' attendant workforce, which is crucial for keeping Texans with disabilities and older adults healthy and independent in the settings of their choice. This year, we are working closely with the Attendant Care Coalition and lawmakers who understand this issue to push for a greater increase. Right now, both the House and Senate budget bills include a base wage increase from $10.60 to $12. We would love to see more and will explore all options available to get more to ensure that community attendants earn a competitive wage.
School Vouchers
CTD is strongly opposed to a voucher or education saving account (ESA) system. Such a system takes funding away from public education, where special education is already underfunded. In addition, federal rights and protections for students with disabilities don't apply in private settings, private schools don't have to enroll students with disabilities, and we are very wary of other barriers related to the cost and availability of private schools. We knew a voucher bill would be back in 2025, after a voucher fight played out over most of 2023 (4 special sessions!). The Senate has already passed their version of a voucher bill and the House has one in progress.
Special Education
Texas has a long history of delaying or denying special education services to kids with disabilities, shortchanging eligible students, and underfunding public education in general. CTD supports formula-based and non-formula-based revisions to special education funding. In 2025, CTD and our partners continue to focus our attention on transitioning to a service intensity funding formula to support students to learn in their least restrictive environments.
Early Childhood
We're back for another go at an inclusive child care bill. HB 174 (González) would update child care licensing minimum standards to align with federal law and provide information to parents. We are also supporting measures to ensure that young Texans with disabilities are eligible for and have access to full-day pre-k. Finally, as usual, we'll be pushing hard for full funding of Early Childhood Intervention (ECI) in the state budget.
School Safety
All students should be and feel safe from physical, emotional, and mental harm at school. We'll be working to support bills that address mental and behavioral health supports in schools, increase access to behavior supports, and protect students with disabilities from harmful, potentially long-term effects of being flagged in threat assessments. We'll also be looking at the mental health allotment (how those services are funded per student).
School Discipline
An early pickup bill, HB 2292 (Allen), has been filed, and we are here for it. Early pickups are a practice of "shadow discipline" or "informal discipline," and are essentially undocumented suspensions. Students, typically students with disabilities or students of color, are sent home early for actions that do not violate the code of conduct. This practice can adversely impact the student’s academic and social development, as well as reinforce negative behavior patterns. Because these suspensions are not documented, parents get truancy notices, and they are unable to defend their child. The practice also circumvents requirements under federal law that apply when there has been a removal that constitutes a change in placement for a student with a disability.
Healthcare Costs
Access to the right medication at the right time is best decided between a consumer and their doctor. This is the main guiding principle for CTD when working on pharmaceutical policy issues, including access to medication, drug regulation and enforcement, and pharmaceutical research and development. This session, we're focusing on consumer protections in private insurance, like banning the practice of medication switching and copay maximizers in Texas.
Voting
We are playing a big defensive game this time around, pushing back against any measures that would create barriers to voters with disabilities. Right now, these measures include a ban on countywide voting; such a ban would force voters to cast ballots only at their assigned precinct polling locations, and those aren’t always the most accessible options for Texans with disabilities. In addition, we're working to educate legislators that removing personal IDs (aka state IDs) from the list of acceptable forms of identification to vote would disproportionately affect voters who don't drive (and don't have a driver's license), including many Texans with disabilities and older Texans. Finally, on the offensive side, we are excited to support HB 2082 (Bucy) and HB 3162 (Leach), which would both greatly increase voter accessibility.
Oral and Dental Care
A dental benefit for adults with disabilities in Medicaid will not only improve their oral and overall health outcomes, but also make better use of public funds. CTD has been a leading advocate on legislation relating to Medicaid reimbursement for dental services provided to adults with disabilities, and we helped add language about a preventative benefit to state statute in 2021. However, the Texas Health & Human Services Commission (HHSC) has not yet implemented the program. We'll be working with the Legislature in 2025 to find a way to fund this benefit so the intended beneficiaries can access the care they're entitled to.
Criminal Justice
It is well documented that people with disabilities are over represented in the criminal justice system, as well as more likely to be victimized while in the system and receive less access to supportive services. CTD’s work in this area this session will revolve around: ensuring that both kids and adults with mental health concerns and/or an intellectual or developmental disability have the support they need in both county and state facilities, improving medical care, increasing the use of medically recommended parole, and improving the accessibility and equity of educational and reentry programming.
Get Involved
Through May 19, 2025, join our advocacy team every Monday on Zoom for Raise Your Voice to hear about what we're working on and how to get involved.
Join the Advocacy Corps (A-Corps)! Work closely with our advocacy team in this program of training, workshops, and advocacy events. Participants will get hands-on training during the 89th Texas Legislature. Learn more and apply today!
¡Únase el Advocacy Corps (A-Corps)! Colaborar con el personal del CTD con un programa de capacitación, talleres y eventos de defensa. Los participantes recibirán capacitación durante la 89.a Legislatura de Texas. ¡Aprenda más y envíe su solicitud hoy mismo!
