HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES — NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
COMMITTEE: Public Health
TIME & DATE: 9:00 AM, Thursday, June 4, 2026
PLACE: E2.030
CHAIR: Rep. Gary VanDeaver
The committee will meet to hear invited and public testimony regarding the following interim charges, with length of public testimony subject to the discretion of the chair:
Monitoring and Implementation: Monitor the implementation and associated rulemaking of all legislation passed by the Committee and enacted by the 89th Legislature to ensure that legislative purposes are properly implemented, including the following:
· HB 18, relating to the establishment and administration of certain programs and services providing health care services to rural counties;
· HB 37, relating to perinatal bereavement care provided by certain hospitals, a perinatal bereavement care initiative, and a perinatal bereavement care hospital recognition program;
· HB 3000, relating to a grant program to provide financial assistance to qualified ambulance service providers in certain rural counties;
· SB 25, relating to health and nutrition standards to promote healthy living, including requirements for food labeling, primary and secondary education, higher education, and continuing education for certain health care professionals; authorizing a civil penalty.
Texas Rural Health Transformation Program: Study the implementation and impact of federal funding awarded to Texas under the Rural Health Transformation Program. Review the Texas Health and Human Services Commission’s program applications, processes, and use of funds. Assess how the program may affect access to care, rural health care delivery,
behavioral health and telehealth services, workforce stability, and provider sustainability. Identify opportunities to improve program oversight and maximize its long-term effectiveness.
Telehealth: Evaluate the use of telehealth and virtual care models in Texas, including their impact on access, cost, quality, and patient outcomes, and recommend opportunities to modernize health care technology.
Texas Health Care Workforce: Review the current and projected health care workforce shortage in Texas and make recommendations to reduce its impact on access to care and service delivery.
Agency Oversight: Pursuant to the broad oversight responsibilities granted to the Committee under Section 301.014, Government Code, and the House Rules of Procedure, monitor the agencies under the Committee's jurisdiction, including for fraud, waste, and abuse where applicable, including by receiving testimony from Texas Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General.
Electronic public comment will be available for:
Implementation of HB 18
Implementation of HB 37
Implementation of HB 3000
Implementation of SB 25
Texas Rural Health Transformation Program
Telehealth
Texas Health Care Workforce
Agency Oversight
Scheduled System Maintenance Notice: Please be aware that the online public comment portal and this posting will be unavailable beginning May 21st at 8:00 p.m. through May 26th at 7:00 a.m. due to scheduled system maintenance. The portal will resume normal availability on May 26th at 7:00 a.m.
Texas residents who wish to electronically submit comments related to
agenda items on this notice without testifying in person can do so until
the hearing is adjourned by visiting:
https://comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c410
For those persons who will be testifying, information for in-person witness registration, can be found here: https://mytxlegis.capitol.texas.gov/HWRSPublic/About.aspx
A live video broadcast of this hearing will be available here: https://house.texas.gov/video-audio/
Instructions related to public access to the meeting location are available here: https://house.texas.gov/committees/public-access-house-committee-meetings/
NOTICE OF ASSISTANCE AT PUBLIC MEETINGS
Persons with disabilities who plan to attend this meeting and who may need assistance, such as a sign language interpreter, are requested to contact Stacey Nicchio at (512) 463-0850, 72 hours prior to the meeting so that appropriate arrangements can be made.