Partnership for a Healthy Texas - Supporting SB 25 (89R)
The Partnership for a Healthy Texas (PFHT), in collaboration with the Texas Association for Health, Physical Education, Recreation, and Dance (TAHPERD), testified in support of Senate Bill 25. TPHC signed onto this testimony, which supports improving the health and nutrition of Texans. Please see the full testimony below.
February 2025
House Appropriations - Advocating for Tobacco prevention
TPHC signed onto written comments by the American Lung Association and Texas Tobacco Control Coalition (TTCC). We urged the House Appropriations Committee to prioritize reducing tobacco-use in the budget by increasing DSHS tobacco prevention and cessation funding by at least $2.75 million for the biennium, as reflected in the Department's Exceptional Item request. Please see the full testimony below.
February 2025
House Appropriations Subcommittee on Article II
The Texas Medical Association, Texas Pediatric Society, Texas Public Health Coalition, and various medical specialty societies are advocating for increased funding for the Department of State Health Services (DSHS) Exceptional Items requests. These requests include: funding to reinstate vaccines previously removed from the ASN program due to budget constraints; full funding to maintain current operations and infrastructure; increased lab capacity; initiatives to reduce infant morbidity and mortality from congenital syphilis; continued investment in robust regional and local public health services; and funding for public awareness and the Texas Tobacco Quitline to help prevent tobacco-related cancers.
February 2025
Austin sees a spike in respiratory virus cases
Our chair of TPHC, Maria Monge, MD, provided comments to KVUE. She mentioned that most are being hit with influenza A, especially in recent weeks, causing high fevers and lingering coughs that can last for weeks. "Anecdotally, the physicians are hearing stories about the flu being pretty bad this year and people being out for five days, seven days, really not being able to work, care for their kids, other things that they need to be doing," said Monge.
According to Dr. Monge, we're probably not at the peak yet, and they worry about hospitals getting overwhelmed. But as of right now, the number of cases is manageable. The CDC expects the rise in cases to continue for several more weeks. (Read the full article here.)
Senate Committee on Finance Hearing – Article VII
Texans Care for Children, in collaboration with state healthcare providers, submitted a letter appreciating the hard work of the Committee and Legislative Budget Board (LBB) in developing the state budget for the 2026-27 biennium. We requested that as the committee continues to work on the budget in the coming weeks, they provide state funding to the Child Care Services (CCS) program at the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC). Read the full testimony below.
February 2025
Senate Committee on Finance Hearing – Senate Bill 1, Article II
The Texas Public Health Coalition joined the Texas Medical Association, Texas Pediatric Society, and other specialty groups to comment on the state’s Department of Health and Human Services 2026-2027 budget within SB 1, Art. II.
Given rising costs and the need to make budget adjustments, we call for full funding of the agency’s requests to maintain current agency operations and infrastructure. Overall, robust public health infrastructure is an essential component of a strong health care system. Thus, we urge funding of the exception items DSHS’ is prioritizing to address our state’s needs.
February 2025
2026-27 Legislative Budget Board Hearing
The Texas Public Health Coalition joined TMA and specialty societies to provide comments on the Department of State Health Services’ 2026-27 legislative appropriations and exceptional items requests. We support full funding of the agency’s base budget to maintain existing services required to carry out public health activities critical to the state.
Our organizations commend DSHS for its resolute, data-driven efforts to improve the health of all Texans. We look forward to the opportunity to elaborate on any of our recommendations as well as to discuss ways in which we can ensure more robust health care professional and community engagement in the design, implementation, and rollout of DSHS’ public health initiatives.
October 2024
HHSC EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION Program RUle Changes
TPHC provided additional comments on the HHSC ECI program’s proposed rule §350.107 (SEP. 13, 2024 - TEXAS REGISTER). For §350.107, Health Standards for Early Childhood Intervention Services, TPHC still has concerns that the proposed revisions would unnecessarily reduce the communicable disease prevention requirements for a local agency administering the ECI program.
TPHC thanks HHSC for the opportunity to comment on these proposed rules and welcomes the opportunity for future involvement in the rulemaking process. Our coalition is available to answer any questions. We look forward to continued collaboration on critical public health issues to ensure the safety and health of all Texans.
October 2024
Corpus Christi City Council Meeting - Informed consent
The undersigned organizations write to express concerns regarding the proposed resolution that would require healthcare providers to read, sign, and ask patients to complete an additional informed consent form before administering a COVID-19 vaccine. This proposed form includes unconfirmed and unsubstantiated adverse events, which we believe could have serious implications for patient safety and public health.
While we fully endorse informed consent, we are deeply concerned about the addition of a consent form that includes information not substantiated by scientific evidence. We strongly urge the City Council to reconsider this proposal and focus instead on supporting evidence-based practices that align with recognized public health standards. The health security of Corpus Christi residents is best supported by the accurate and consistent dissemination of scientifically validated information.
September 2024
Senate CommITTEE on State Affairs Interim Charge Hearing
Texas has seen a dramatic increase in cannabinoid-related poison center calls and emergency room and hospital visits over the past several years – many of which involving children. Children are especially at risk from accidental consumption and poisoning, including serious effects on neurologic and respiratory functioning.
Our organizations believe that consumers should be thoroughly informed of what they are putting inside their bodies. While federal tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) regulations still haven’t come to fruition, we encourage at least state-level regulation and strict labeling of hemp-derived THC products, since Texas physicians already have witnessed the risks and harms to our patients from consuming these products.
May 2024
DSHS 2026-27 Biennium Legislative Appropriations Request
The foundation of a strong health care system is a robust public health infrastructure. Therefore, we urge DSHS to continue to prioritize efforts to prevent, detect, and respond to emerging public health issues and infectious diseases; respond timely to natural disasters and emergencies; and help improve the quality and safety of maternal and child health. We support strengthening chronic disease prevention and health promotion efforts – initiatives critical to both improving health and decreasing health care costs. We urge DSHS to prioritize public health statewide, especially in communities without a health department. A continued focus on Texas’ public health infrastructure now will help defray health care costs in the future.
May 2024
HHSC EARLY CHILDHOOD INTERVENTION Program RUle Changes
TPHC appreciates the opportunity to provide comments to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission on amendments to Chapters 350, regarding the ECI program. The draft revisions propose deleting Subsection (c), which mandates that children in ECI group activities receive immunizations recommended by the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS). It also requires local agencies to inform families about the importance of immunizations and assist them in obtaining them, with exceptions for medical or religious reasons.
TPHC recommends that HHSC retain Subsection (c) but revise the exemption language to align with H.B. 44 (88R) and clarify that the provisions apply as long as they do not conflict with state immunization laws.
March 2024
DSHS Updates to the Adult Safety Net (ASN) Program
We are especially grateful to DSHS’ Immunization Unit for their unwavering dedication to public health via the ASN Program, which has significantly contributed to preventing the spread of infectious diseases. We recognize the difficult decision to discontinue important vaccines. As a collective force in public health, we understand the need to respond to evolving circumstances and re-evaluate intervention strategies. TPHC supports future DSHS legislative appropriation requests and advocate for increased funding from the Texas legislature to expand vaccine access as a critical public health intervention. We invite the Commissioner to speak with our coalition regarding DSHS vision and goals.
August 2023
HB 890 Sign-on Letter
HB 890 seeks to affirm and support parent rights in the school setting. However, we are deeply concerned that a provision in this legislation will actively harm the collection of valid public health data, and compromise evidence-based policy, programs, and interventions. The undersigned organizations respectfully urge you to strike the text on Page 5, lines 31-42. Alternatively, we support an amendment requiring parent notification and the opportunity to opt children out of surveys, which would protect parent transparency while not harming access to crucial public health data.
May 25, 2023
Texas House Higher Education Committee Hearing
Our Co-Chair, Dr. Maria Monge testified on Monday, April 10th for House Bill 3124, which would require institutions of higher education to prohibit the use of tobacco products on campus. This testimony was given on behalf of the Texas Medical Association, Texas Pediatric Society, and the Texas Public Health Coalition. Smoke-free policies protect nonsmokers from secondhand smoke exposure, help prevent young adults from taking up smoking, and increase smoking cessation efforts. This will result in fewer lives lost to preventable disease, and fewer dollars spent on preventable health care costs and lost productivity. Read full written comments here.
April 10, 2023
Texas House Public Health Committee Hearing
Our Chair, Dr. Jason Terk testified on Monday, March 20th on the safety, efficacy, and life-saving nature of vaccines. TPHC submits joint testimony with the Texas Pediatric Society (TPS), Texas Medical Association (TMA), Texas Academy of Family Physicians (TAFP), and the American College of Physicians (ACP) Texas Services Chapter opposing HB 44. Read full written comments here.
TPHC signs on to testimony opposing HB 81. Read full written testimony here.
March 20, 2023
86th Legislature Interim Charge Recommendations
August 28, 2019
Missed it live? Rewatch Texas Tribune’s “A Conversation on Children’s Health and Vaccines,” co-sponsored by the Texas Public Health Coalition
May 9, 2019
Register today for Texas Tribune’s “A Conversation on Children’s Health and Vaccines,” co-sponsored by TPHC
Fri, April 26, 2019 | 11:30 AM – 1:00 PM CDT
Please join in person or via livestream for a discussion on how and why the anti-vaccination movement has taken off in Texas, what the ramifications have been, and how health care professionals are pushing back to deflate dangerous and misleading messaging. Panelists include:
Peter Hotez, co-director of the Texas Children’s Hospital Center for Vaccine Development
Rekha Lakshmanan, director of advocacy and public policy for The Immunization Partnership
Umair Shah, executive director of Harris County Public Health
Emily Ramshaw, editor-in-chief of The Texas Tribune, will moderate this event.
March 25, 2019
CBS Austin: Bills to raise smoking age to 21 filed in Texas Legislature
TPHC Chair Dr. John Carlo represented the coalition at a press conference unveiling Senate Bill 21 to raise the legal tobacco purchase age to 21.
March 5, 2019
TPHC Presents “Disasters, Diseases and DSHS: State of the State”
Is Texas prepared for the next big public health threat? Current and former Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS) commissioners made a rare joint appearance at the January 2019 Distinguished Speaker Series to discuss Texas' greatest health challenges and reinforce the value public health in Texans' every day lives. TPHC Chair John Carlo, MD, moderated the panel.
Missed the Event? Click to watch the Facebook Live Recording.