Senate creates Health Professions Workforce Coordinating Council; measure passes over opposition
Summary
The Senate approved a committee substitute for Senate Bill 28 91 establishing a Health Professions Workforce Coordinating Council to centralize workforce data and planning across state agencies. The bill passed third reading 25–6 after floor debate and recorded opposition.
The Texas Senate passed the committee substitute for Senate Bill 28 91, which establishes the Health Professions Workforce Coordinating Council to align health‑care workforce development across agencies.
Senator Kelly Hancock (Senator Cook moved the bill on the floor) described the council as implementing the first recommendation of Governor Abbott’s health care workforce task force and said it "brings together the existing 15 agencies and organizations currently managing health care workforce development into one body" to streamline data and needs assessments. The sponsor framed the bill as a way to produce more accurate workforce needs assessments and more fiscally responsible spending on workforce development.
The bill drew recorded opposition on the floor during final passage. After motions to suspend rules and advance the bill, the roll call on final passage showed 25 ayes and 6 nays; the chair announced the bill "finally passed." The transcript records applause and a public acknowledgment of the governor and task force leaders, but does not show explication of opponents’ floor reasoning in the provided excerpts.
Context: supporters pointed to the state task force recommendation and compared the structure to the existing statewide behavioral health coordinating council. The bill authorizes consolidation of data flows, formalizes interagency coordination, and charges the council with developing more accurate, comprehensive assessments for workforce spending decisions.
Decision: the committee substitute was approved by the Senate, 25–6, and will proceed to the enrollment/house concurrence as required by the legislative process.
