Aerin's blog

On April 19, 2011, the Texas House of Representatives voted to pass HB 1965, a bill by Representative Lois Kolkhorst of Brenham.

HB 1965 will implement findings from a task force created last session that focused on strengthening nonprofit capacity and gathered feedback from nonprofit agencies around the state.

The bill would expand faith and community-based health and human services initiatives in the state and also expand the list of agencies that are required to appoint an employee as a liaison for such organizations.

There’s a media frenzy at the Capitol building surrounding one all-important document—The Budget.

This week, the Senate Finance Committee is taking an unprecedented early look at how the cuts will affect Article II, the Health and Human Services section of the state’s budget. Watch live Senate Committee hearings here.

Below is a list of articles from various sources around the state on the cuts and the impact they could have to Texas’ children, indigent, and elderly.

In November, Harris County Commissioners Court appointed a chief to the county's public defender office. The launch of the public defender's office allowed Harris County to lose its ignominious status as the largest jurisdiction in the US without a public defender. 

The Affordable Care Act features changes that are being implemented slowly across several years. A number of important health provisions go into effect during 2011. An article from the Kaiser Family Foundation lays out 9 new health provisions to expect in the new year, with detailed background information for each. 

Kaiser Health News: Nine Ways the New Health Law May Affect You in 2011.

Each day, new developments unfold in the US' march toward health reform. The Affordable Care Act is making a new mark in a number of states and territories, with Consumer Assistance Program grants that will allow states to serve consumers by protecting their rights and helping them receive their deserved benefits.

Below are specifics on the Texas Consumer Assistance Program Grant, taken from www.healthcare.gov.

Texas Department of Insurance Amount Awarded: $2,792,180

With the funds, the agency plans to: