High-quality public education and college opportunities for our kids. Health care for our families. The highways we rely on to get from place to place.
All of these critically important things and more rely on the Texas budget. Since our Legislature meets every other year, lawmakers set 2-year budgets.
We’re currently in the 2018-2019 budget, which stands at $217 billion in state and federal revenue. Lawmakers will soon get to work on the 2020-2021 budget, and will also have to approve supplemental funding for 2019, to cover Hurricane Harvey, health care, and other costs.
So far, here’s where we are in the process:
- February 2018: State agencies, courts, and universities were told by the Legislative Budget Board and Governor’s Budget Office how to develop strategic plans covering 2019 to 2023
- April 2018: more guidance is provided on how the 2018-2019 baseline should be developed – the basis for preparing 2020-2021 budget requests
April 2018: The Texas Health and Human Services Commission requests stakeholder input on what to include in its budget request to the Legislature, including how Texas communities would benefit
Our Health and Wellness team has provided important input into the process with the following items:
- Medicaid recommendation from CPPP
- Recommendations from Texas Women’s Health Coalition
- Recommendation to establish a Kinship Navigator Program from CPPP
- Recommendations from Substance Abuse Disorder Coalition
We’re now waiting on the budget instructions from state leaders, which will tell agencies what the starting point baseline can include for 2019’s legislative deliberations – for example, anticipated caseload growth for services funded by Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program, or foster care.
Follow CPPP for updates and learn how you can stay involved.