[{"_1":2,"_124":-5,"_125":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100,112],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6246794,"mediaKeyId","3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6","parentId",3215348,"title","Senate substitute for bill would limit DFPS use of foster youths’ federal benefits and require alternate payees when possible","audioSeconds",512,"startMs",3953000,"endMs",4465000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6&start=3953&end=4465","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6/thumbnail_3953000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6246794/Texas/Senate-substitute-for-bill-would-limit-DFPS-use-of-foster-youths-federal-benefits-and-require-alternate-payees-when-possible","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246794-8ecae2cd025bd5a1f7cf52e899f5e65d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770566153&Signature=nEjkGBG~NtsZIEn~z-hazjWRIhzh2~YEKu3MGT8h7EEXTaTwLAQkgYk-WYJIPg~oLWUJBLaWtj2o~2rbw5UeccoxtLtuhM4VlOzTSuvLM4pe9LDTmDnsY4N85YBBBSUZYNkVGt-iJyhnCe1J4akGmxZ~8Ny6Mo55kn2mYwXPzagfTN1OwqbfCnwf8jk0j3Xvk~yFHk8NJQABPVMNYdvJId8h~jp56VVNmat5b8NtvfgoD9NbvZnH0kuPyCWLuKQtm6VgoGmVsQ~TT6IKiaZSWyL0ma7IQsWNwawEzLiJ6BBRDNqc1YlHtwkHOw~Y6n7jQMg~S3Tss0uapNIg~ukDcw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Texas Legislature","date","2025-05-07T00:00:00Z","article","Senate Bill 577, discussed by Senator West with a committee substitute, would change how federal benefits payable to children in foster care (for example Supplemental Security Income, survivor or disability benefits) are handled. Under the committee substitute the Department of Family and Protective Services must consult with the child or the child’s legal representative to identify another suitable representative payee; DFPS may serve as representative payee only if no suitable candidate is available and, when DFPS serves as payee, the bill would restrict how federal benefits are spent and require that leftover funds serve the child’s unmet needs rather than offset the department’s costs.

Senator West said department practice had resulted in $25,000,000 in federal benefits received by DFPS between Sept. 1, 2023 and Jan. 31, 2025 on behalf of more than 3,400 foster children, and he cited peer states that have enacted reforms. Buckner International, foster youth and advocates testified in favor. Buckner’s Sydney Baker said youth who age out without these benefits can lack savings and housing; a witness who aged out of care said discovering benefits had been spent was devastating and that the funds could have supported education or housing.

DFPS Chief Financial Officer Leanne Bigger said the agency uses benefits that it receives to offset placement costs and that on unverified kinship placements SSI is passed directly to caregivers; she provided high‑level fiscal context and acknowledged the committee substitute seeks to create a different administrative process. Committee members discussed fiscal notes and implementation complexities; Bigger said the agency could provide additional data about the percentage of children eligible for SSI and the department’s fiscal practices.

The committee called resource witnesses and heard arguments about stewardship of funds on behalf of foster youth. The committee closed public testimony and left the substitute pending.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Senate Committee on Health and Human Services (Part I) May 7, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","The committee considered a substitute to Senate Bill 577 that would require DFPS to seek another representative payee for federal benefits received on behalf of foster children and restrict DFPS from spending those benefits to offset placement costs.","taxTitle","Committee on Health & Human Services, Senate, Legislative, Texas","taxId",16925,"location","Texas","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6246799,"Committee hears bill to expand insurance coverage for advanced CT heart screening; insurers raise evidence and cost concerns",162,2579000,2741000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6&start=2579&end=2741","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6/thumbnail_2579000.jpg","/articles/6246799/Texas/Committee-hears-bill-to-expand-insurance-coverage-for-advanced-CT-heart-screening-insurers-raise-evidence-and-cost-concerns","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246799-a63dcf1dd7b7fbda6f8ce8477c47bc5d/orig.mp4?Expires=1770566153&Signature=DngPPJf~Mwm6L2ke0oVMUGeE1Xl6fei2mJ9bEGoGMB~04PszMc6SbkQM22xieS21JEIteFwzRo24DeyiJSXMjORuQyvxZBx-~-8CcyyCKB7iz3GX1IgLplS~qX0GHN6iEvlq-FFmRK4dfJ2VUyj6uOOY3~NC73a56mOZijB0CqBypD7Ilkr~lJelcMl6NxNAT6p9Q-QBE~aUUVKbQ96WMCbEjGFzfWB6fUELjEfT8DiZEdScDZL30al4qEssWQ5NCAvFgJI-uoWWQWBXrFsl1AcsqtTbusipSHX~2qM3MM2MKtrY3kYzXNgYawjRTrtZhCYOxy9-62kl9J5KV1efzA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senate Bill 2744, offered by Senator Paxton, would expand insurance coverage for newer CT‑based heart screening that visualizes non‑calcified (“soft”) plaque and uses advanced analysis, including artificial intelligence, to assess coronary artery disease. Paxton and invited medical witnesses argued the technology identifies vulnerable plaque earlier than older calcium scoring methods and could permit preventive treatment to reduce heart‑attack deaths.

Paxton said the update would modernize the 2009 Heart Attack Prevention Act (House Bill 1290) to reflect current imaging capability. Cardiologist Dr. James Minh described the technology as a noninvasive CT method that visualizes soft plaque and argued the disease is far more prevalent than some cancers: “If you rewind back to 02/2020, there were 2 times as many cardiovascular deaths as there were deaths from COVID‑19,” he said, noting many people who suffer fatal heart attacks have no preceding symptoms.

A patient witness, John David Enright, said advanced CT angiography identified significant soft plaque despite a zero coronary calcium score and that medical therapy and lifestyle changes reduced his plaque by approximately 50% over a year. Proponents described the per‑person screening cost (CCTA plus analysis and consultation) as “a little south of $2,000” and compared that to average colonoscopy costs.

Jamie Dudensing, CEO of the Texas Association of Health Plans, testified in opposition. He said similar plaque analyses can be covered today for symptomatic patients following medical‑necessity reviews, but the technology has not received an A or B preventive‑service grade from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF). Dudensing warned that a statutory mandate would set a specific payment level that could exceed Medicare averages and increase employer plan costs without the USPSTF evidence review.

Other witnesses testified in support, describing local direct‑to‑consumer scanning options at lower prices; advocate Sheila Hemphill described consumer availability of calcium scoring options. Committee members asked about prevalence and cost‑effectiveness; proponents said heart‑disease prevalence is far higher than colon cancer and that the number needed to screen compares favorably. The committee closed public testimony and left the bill pending.","Senate Bill 2744 would expand mandated insurance coverage to include coronary CT angiography with advanced plaque analysis to find non‑calcified plaque; physicians and a patient testified for the bill, while insurer representatives warned the preventive evidence review and price mandates are not yet in place.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6246805,"Committee hears bill to require bereavement training and bereavement devices for hospitals after stillbirths and neonatal deaths",574,2768000,3342000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6&start=2768&end=3342","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6/thumbnail_2768000.jpg","/articles/6246805/Texas/Committee-hears-bill-to-require-bereavement-training-and-bereavement-devices-for-hospitals-after-stillbirths-and-neonatal-deaths","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246805-48f41314150fde10c9abcf88503203a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1770566153&Signature=ZijvKsOLjz0G9nD9zBVaKTnIC3rDnFTk2A~uOSFd8O46ga5pWhTxi0dfTgbIQDIqsVZ2XrFOOevKK9d-jx7jqqfDYoSRPNyirXddmTp73n7Pkt62A5wdsa54swLgUr5LYUZzRVj5Oczy~CGBbWnW8Ds4UiVQUy9Eipn98AM~bBDMOYvevAlVXxeZ968edmfY0I~3chW63xwGC-uTBqpuaKR2xnq1nyTQW4jO6SbBgFsKTnGPZWg1kgEB5xRq3MTZm5E1tlbBB0~SLm0QjBxaZQDyDcB-X268rmzC206YpFSStYdMQJzoEeFhY9AodFpFAcyp~CvDZGSSaLX4W5J-oA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services heard House Bill 37, presented by Senator Huffman, to create a perinatal bereavement care initiative administered by the Texas Department of State Health Services and to require hospitals with a maternal level of care designation to offer bereavement counseling and make available devices that preserve an infant’s body during a medically recommended hospital stay.

Sponsor Sen. Huffman told the committee the bill, titled “Everly’s Law” in testimony, would prioritize hospitals that lacked cooling devices, treat more high‑risk maternal cases, or deliver higher volumes. The initiative could include state or private grants and would allow the Department to provide staff training, bereavement devices and supporting resources. HHSC and the Perinatal Advisory Council would be involved in creating a recognition program for hospitals that provide bereavement training.

Several family members who experienced infant loss testified in favor. Katie Tallman, who identified herself as Everly’s mother, described having access to “a puddle cot” and a nurse named Carol who “gently guided me through everything” and who “captured her handprints and footprints and preserved them for us.” Tallman said the cooling device gave her “time to bond, to make memories, to say hello and goodbye.”

Andrew Smith said his family received a cuddle cot after the death of his daughter Gemma and that the device “allowed my family and me to heal and grieve authentically.” Jamie Rose, a parent who lost a micro preemie, said bereavement training helps staff “meet families where they are with empathy and understanding” and that cooling beds “give families those precious hours to say goodbye in their own way.”

Dr. David Weissoli, a Houston neonatologist and member of the Texas EMS Trauma and Acute Care Foundation, supported the bill and suggested the state’s 22 regional advisory councils (RACs) could help coordinate bereavement training. He recommended clarifying that hospitals should not lose a maternal level‑of‑care designation if state funds are not available to support the required services.

No one testified in opposition. The committee closed public testimony and left House Bill 37 pending.","House Bill 37 would create a perinatal bereavement initiative at DSHS requiring maternity‑level hospitals to offer bereavement counseling and, when available, cooling devices that allow families time with a stillborn or neonatal‑loss baby; multiple parents testified in support and the committee left the bill pending.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6246809,"Senate committee hears bill to bolster rural hospitals with grants, training and Medicaid payment changes",128,675000,803000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6&start=675&end=803","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6/thumbnail_675000.jpg","/articles/6246809/Texas/Senate-committee-hears-bill-to-bolster-rural-hospitals-with-grants-training-and-Medicaid-payment-changes","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246809-1ef7877b9147a2f8aa4aa18614bd2411/orig.mp4?Expires=1770566153&Signature=bymoQ64hsV-ES7wg9dLY4B3gpqH41nHc0o36FTrWAmviuMTCfCHh1ck-dneA9GV2sOiK1BkL0pqgzSfIocz-RPsshB9N8F~89otpCAXmwfF7V39Sh6MMi0-doCyh~PomKl~bd5UWRBA1Af1FiIXiljx4-8LC52R3X~GpBwhip1AVlWmlUP9V2xjdKmOLwKDaa4i~Zo8hjMMTQXOCqQ3qBF4BV~lajoakXxjoF3MAcOAdeEUnchJ5dWfkbVO-sbyzelZvP7syNBeIi8~enJLBY~4VCaaCDOBX8grG90tJXOCSjemzlub3PyqWoaDydtVNun11J39nK~uQPWe3Os46xg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Senate Committee on Health and Human Services heard House Bill 18 on measures intended to stem rural hospital closures by creating new financial and technical support at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Sponsor Senator Perry explained the bill would create a state office of rural hospital finance at HHSC, several grant programs, a rural hospital officers academy and an updated Medicaid reimbursement method for rural hospitals.

Supporters told the committee that many rural hospitals operate on thin margins and that targeted financial help and training are necessary to keep 24-hour services, including labor and delivery, available. “We're the association for all 157 rural hospitals in Texas,” John Henderson, CEO of the Texas Organization of Rural and Community Hospitals (Torch), said in testimony supporting HB 18. Henderson told senators the bill “deals with that in perpetuity, so we don't have to come back every session and fight for that.”

John Hewson, CEO of Frio Regional Hospital in Pearsall, described his 22‑bed critical access hospital as “the only hospital delivering babies between Laredo and San Antonio” and said the bill’s rural maternal add‑on payment and stabilization grants would be “potential lifesavers” for low‑volume hospitals. Hewson said 98% of his hospital’s roughly 10 deliveries a year are Medicaid and that full‑cost Medicaid reimbursement would “stabilize us and let us focus on care instead of constantly playing that financial battle.”

The bill would: establish a state office of rural hospital finance at HHSC to help hospitals navigate Medicaid and draw down funding; create a Rural Hospital Officers Academy to provide more than 100 hours of free annual training and reimburse travel expenses for participants; authorize four types of grants including financial stabilization and emergency hardship grants; update Medicaid reimbursement for rural hospitals to a periodically updated average cost and require an OB‑GYN add‑on payment to support labor and delivery care; and expand pediatric telehealth connectivity and rural pediatric mental‑health access through existing consortiums.

Witnesses described prior investments and lingering gaps. Henderson credited earlier stabilization grants with helping at least three hospitals and said Texas has seen recent rural hospital closures (LaGrange in fall 2023; Trinity “about two weeks ago” as of testimony). Senator Perry and witnesses referenced a prior appropriation of $50,000,000 in grants intended for rural hospitals; Tory Grady, HHSC director of provider finance, said HHSC was working to distribute those dollars before the end of the biennium and that the grant design intentionally signaled they were not guaranteed to continue beyond the legislative appropriation.

HHSC and providers discussed the proposed change to Medicaid payment mechanics that would move rural hospital reimbursements toward an average‑cost basis updated on a periodic schedule so hospitals could expect more predictable monthly cash flow. Senator Perry called that change “probably the biggest issue in the bill that really gives a monthly cash flow predictability they don't have today.” Victoria Grady, HHSC director of provider finance, described operational and appropriations limits but agreed that more frequent updates to reimbursement rates could reduce the need for session‑by‑session backfills.

Committee members asked about workforce, quality, telemedicine use and system affiliation. Witnesses said recruiting nurses is especially difficult, that many small hospitals rely on general surgery and other service lines to offset obstetrics losses, and that telemedicine is used “in some form or fashion” by most rural hospitals. Testimony described variation between system‑affiliated and locally governed hospitals and warned that one‑size policies can impose urban standards that are hard to adapt in low‑volume rural settings.

No final action was taken. The committee chair left House Bill 18 pending for further consideration.","Senators and witnesses described House Bill 18 as a multi-part effort to stabilize rural Texas hospitals through a new HHSC office, grant programs, enhanced Medicaid payments and an officers academy; public testimony supported the bill and the committee left it pending.",{"_33":113,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":114,"_41":115,"_43":116,"_45":117,"_47":118,"_49":119,"_51":120,"_53":121,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":122,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":123,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6246790,"Senate hearing on bill to apply ICWA standards statewide sparks debate over resources, legal standards and child safety",619,5176000,5795000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6&start=5176&end=5795","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3215348-c76aea3a80d382e1095b99ea542631e6/thumbnail_5176000.jpg","/articles/6246790/Texas/Senate-hearing-on-bill-to-apply-ICWA-standards-statewide-sparks-debate-over-resources-legal-standards-and-child-safety","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6246790-e07bccfa2a7ecc4175c5513da95989a9/orig.mp4?Expires=1770566153&Signature=CZq9WlqzSs0oygZMHncOkpj4-Cyv6OjDm6ZL2pML9SjMd5Jlc0XxaFV1wMZHsThVodFIkwWqWvEZnV9Y6vKr9DKyLxVdhPY2QsLsXKXuBet69Hl0mmBbUXwuCh3WlvXvjTJ01gw1uQiXMN2dIorKUiJzoPxDk-JTLeVqgob5UWY6EK6PZz1w~aGqjzjqV7Gq4o1yFMqJ8r8y0kYRDwleHWDJy4R68O43aX~DCGkuyRudj7~1DnVCSvMkVJZbrx1aYxIpOyO8EbwGNlMf5~dAI1vNm5J4ujEqjopn9prPM0rSsn1BpmZtCRAwV8EHsOoDJAzaxts0BJ-QVT0l3g74lQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Senators took testimony on House Bill 2216, a bill that would incorporate elements of the Indian Child Welfare Act (ICWA) into the Texas Family Code for all families involved in child welfare cases. Sponsor Senator Sparks described the bill as raising the evidentiary standard for removal, requiring active efforts to prevent removal and to reunify families, prioritizing placement with relatives and guaranteeing automatic counsel for indigent parents when a child is removed.

Proponents argued the bill applies higher procedural protections already afforded to Native American children to all children in Texas, with supporters saying the state should require the department to do more than “reasonable efforts.” Andrew Brown of the Texas Public Policy Foundation said the active‑efforts standard requires more intensive, documented, casework than the current standard; Jeremy Newman of the Family Freedom Project said the bill raises the evidentiary standards and limits termination where there is no clear nexus of harm to the child.

Opponents raised concerns about resource demands and unintended consequences. Multiple county and court officials, including Phil Crowley (county judge) and Laura Seibert (Smith County CPS chief for the district attorney’s office), warned the bill would increase casework time, add fiscal burden for counties and could leave children in care longer if courts cannot find safe placements. ARO 4 Kids and other community providers said the change to active efforts could require many more caseworkers and support staff; ACH Child and Family Services estimated that active efforts could add 30–50% more time per case and warned the bill as written asks for higher performance without additional resources.

Proponents and sponsors emphasized the bill’s policy goals to keep children safe while maximizing family preservation. Senator Sparks acknowledged concerns about fiscal and implementation details and received a suggestion from DFPS to implement active efforts initially as a casework standard and measure resource impacts before codifying a higher legal evidentiary standard. The committee closed testimony and left House Bill 2216 pending.","House Bill 2216 would adopt several procedural and evidentiary protections modeled on the Indian Child Welfare Act—raising the removal evidentiary standard, requiring 'active efforts' rather than 'reasonable efforts', prioritizing placement with relatives and guaranteeing counsel for indigent parents; supporters said the changes protect families,","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Senate substitute for bill would limit DFPS use of foster youths’ federal benefits and require alternate payees when possible

Committee hears bill to expand insurance coverage for advanced CT heart screening; insurers raise evidence and cost concerns

Committee hears bill to require bereavement training and bereavement devices for hospitals after stillbirths and neonatal deaths

Senate committee hears bill to bolster rural hospitals with grants, training and Medicaid payment changes

Senate hearing on bill to apply ICWA standards statewide sparks debate over resources, legal standards and child safety