Public Policy
One of NBHP’s primary goals is to identify policy priorities amongst its membership and work together as a strong voice representing the behavioral health provider community in Greater Houston. During the 87th Legislative Session, NBHP’s top issue was to ensure that the Texas Legislature continues to invest in and improve access to high quality mental health and substance use disorder services in the Greater Houston area and across Texas. These efforts will continue into the upcoming 88th Legislative Session (beginning January 2023), as well as several other priorities listed below. Please navigate this webpage to learn more about NBHP's legislative involvement at the local and state level (s).
The Amazing 102.5 FM, NAMI Greater Houston's Radio Show: Sydney Carter
Sydney Carter, Policy Program & Special Projects Manager at NBHP, was honored to speak about policy and legislative issues concerning behavioral health during the Texas Legislative Session on The Amazing 102.5 FM as a feature on NAMI's Radio Show. Thank you so much to NAMI and NAMI Greater Houston. Link to watch: https://youtu.be/feccr6IJv7o
Please see NBHP's 88th Legislative Session Policy Platform above. The above document will indicate how NBHP participates in advocacy efforts during the legislative session, i.e. providing testimony, witness, alerts, and other forms of advocacy to mobilize the community to advance behavioral health care in Texas. Additionally, above, please see NBHP's Greater Houston Behavioral Health Legislative Forum One Pager.
Please see NBHP's 88th Legislative Session Bill Tracker, here. Pre-filing has begun, and bills will continue to be filed at the Texas Legislature from now until mid-March. NBHP updates the Bill Tracker daily and monitors any changes in bill movement. Please feel free to share the Tracker and utilize for yourself or for your organization during the session!
Please see NBHP's Budget Tracker. The document will be updated at the release of each version of the General Appropriations Bill.
Please see NBHP's 88th Legislative Session Bill Tracker, here. Pre-filing has begun, and bills will continue to be filed at the Texas Legislature from now until mid-March. NBHP updates the Bill Tracker daily and monitors any changes in bill movement. Please feel free to share the Tracker and utilize for yourself or for your organization during the session!
Please see NBHP's Budget Tracker. The document will be updated at the release of each version of the General Appropriations Bill.
87th Texas Legislature Interim Update
As a part of NBHP's submission to the Texas Health & Human Services Commission’s request for stakeholder input on their Legislative Appropriations Request for the 2024-2025 Texas State Budget, NBHP and RecoveryPeople created and circulated two Sign-On Letters. The letters entailed specific asks for Recovery Housing and Workforce Development initiatives across the state and were signed by 30+ local and statewide organizations. The specific asks included:
Recovery Housing Sign-On Letter:
Workforce Development Sign-On Letter:
Check out the full requests, as well as NBHP's LAR request, in the documents below.
Additionally, NBHP’s Sydney Carter and Betsy Dupree-Kyle testified at the Texas Health & Human Services Commission 2021 Public Rate Hearing for Medicaid Reimbursement Rates, where they advocated for reimbursement rate increases for Peer Support Specialists to $15.17 per quarter-hour.
As a part of NBHP's submission to the Texas Health & Human Services Commission’s request for stakeholder input on their Legislative Appropriations Request for the 2024-2025 Texas State Budget, NBHP and RecoveryPeople created and circulated two Sign-On Letters. The letters entailed specific asks for Recovery Housing and Workforce Development initiatives across the state and were signed by 30+ local and statewide organizations. The specific asks included:
Recovery Housing Sign-On Letter:
- $4.8 million to provide rental assistance to 4,000 people
- $2.4 million to employ 20 Recovery Housing Navigators across the state
- $120,000 to provide recovery housing certification to 100 houses
Workforce Development Sign-On Letter:
- $2.5 million to create a grant program for pipeline initiatives to educate a diverse array of students on behavioral health careers
- $7 million to cover clinical supervision costs for 1,000 behavioral health professionals
- $1 million to fully certify 500 Mental Health Peer/Recovery Support Specialists
- Funding to at least double the Medicaid reimbursement rate for Mental Health Peer/Recovery Support Specialists.
Check out the full requests, as well as NBHP's LAR request, in the documents below.
Additionally, NBHP’s Sydney Carter and Betsy Dupree-Kyle testified at the Texas Health & Human Services Commission 2021 Public Rate Hearing for Medicaid Reimbursement Rates, where they advocated for reimbursement rate increases for Peer Support Specialists to $15.17 per quarter-hour.
| nbhp_rp__signonletter_workforcedevelopmenthhsclar.pdf |
| nbhp_rp_signonletter__recoveryhousinghhsclar.pdf |
| nbhp_hhsc__lar_comments.pdf |
87th Texas Legislative Session Update
After four and a half months, the 87th Texas Legislative Session concluded on May 31, 2021. Over 7,000 bills were filed, and NBHP tracked over 200 related to mental health and substance use disorders; conducted more than 30 virtual and in-person legislative meetings; provided 10 written and oral testimonies; and mobilized more than 170 advocates to send over 1,500 messages to their legislators on important mental health and substance used disorder-related bills.
Thanks to our collective efforts, dozens of behavioral health-focused bills passed, including three of NBHP’s priority bills. They are:
After four and a half months, the 87th Texas Legislative Session concluded on May 31, 2021. Over 7,000 bills were filed, and NBHP tracked over 200 related to mental health and substance use disorders; conducted more than 30 virtual and in-person legislative meetings; provided 10 written and oral testimonies; and mobilized more than 170 advocates to send over 1,500 messages to their legislators on important mental health and substance used disorder-related bills.
Thanks to our collective efforts, dozens of behavioral health-focused bills passed, including three of NBHP’s priority bills. They are:
- HB 4, which will expand telehealth service access, including for behavioral health care;
- HB 133, which will extend Medicaid coverage for postpartum women from two months to six months; and
- HB 707, which will require a study regarding the expansion of recovery housing in Texas.
We want to thank everyone who advocated for bills, provided testimony, submitted comments, engaged in advocacy alerts, made phone calls to legislators, etc. Your efforts helped make meaningful change for behavioral health in Texas!
- Check out NBHP's 87th Legislative Platform.
- For the full 87th Texas Legislative Session Wrap-Up Guide, please see below.
Sydney Carter, NBHP's Mental Health Policy Fellow, testified on May 12, 2021 in favor of HB 4, which would expand access to telehealth services, at the Senate Health & Human Services committee.
Network of Behavioral Health Providers
9401 Southwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77074
Phone: 713-970-3410
9401 Southwest Freeway
Houston, TX 77074
Phone: 713-970-3410