12-Month Medicaid for Kids, ARRA Accountability and More

The budget the House of Representatives adopted unanimously on April 18 included a number of high-priority items that represent real progress in Texas' 2010-11 budget processs. Among the most important improvements the House made on the floor were:

• Authorizing the Health and Human Services Commission to use ARRA funds to provide full-year Medicaid enrollment for children contingent upon the passage of necessary legislation
• Establishment of performance measures for agencies receiving ARRA funds to guide their expenditure of those funds
• Authorizing new ARRA-funded programs for energy efficiency/renewable energy loans and green jobs contingent upon the passage of necessary legislation

Among other noteworthy budget decisions, the House voted to take more than $22 million from the Governor's budget to fund services for veterans and community mental health services and to reappropriate funds from the Texas Enterprise Fund to unemployment insurance if none of the unemployment insurance bills currently working through the legislative process fail to become law.

Texas Impact continues to assert that Rainy Day Funds should be used for shortfalls in operating revenue, leaving federal stimulus funds available to improve services and infrastructure. However, the House-passed budget represents a significant improvement over the Senate budget and Texas Impact thanks the 150 members of the Texas House for their hard work.