Policy Priorities

Protecting and expanding access to sexual and reproductive healthcare

At Every Body Texas, we believe that all people deserve access to safe, unbiased, high-quality sexual and reproductive healthcare services. We advocate for policies and investments in communities across Texas that increase access to care for all people. Our policy priorities for the 87th Texas Legislature are informed by our organization’s values and include three areas of focus.

Policy Priorities Final Bill List (June 24, 2021)Statement on End of Session

Support the Safety Net

What We're Advocating
Prioritize critical safety net healthcare programs including Healthy Texas Women and the Family Planning Program.
Why it Matters
Title X providers supported by Every Body Texas also participate in state-funded women’s health programs and rely on these critical revenue sources to offer robust healthcare services to their clients and communities. Without adequate funding, safety net clinics will be forced to reduce operations or close—and access to sexual and reproductive healthcare will be lost. Cutting funding for healthcare services will doubly injure Texans.

Final Bill List (6/24/2021)

Bill Number	Author	Description	Status
HB 1	Rep. Greg Bonnen	Providing appropriations for the 2022-2023 biennium	Included in SB1, the bill vehicle that became the state budget.
HB 320	Rep. Donna Howard	Providing for the creation of Women’s Health Advisory Committee	Referred to House Public Health
HB 3825	Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos	Expanding access to women’s health care services	Referred to House Public Health
SB 1	Sen. Jane Nelson	Providing appropriations for the 2022-2023 biennium	6/18/2021 – Signed by the Governor. Certain line items vetoed. Earliest effective date, 9/1/2021.
SB 1722	Sen. Sarah Eckhardt	Expanding access to women’s health care services	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services

Healthcare Coverage

What We're Advocating
Address healthcare coverage gaps by extending Medicaid coverage for new moms from 60 days to one year postpartum and accepting federal Medicaid funding to offer insurance to low-income adults in Texas.
Why It Matters
Title X providers supported by Every Body Texas serve thousands of uninsured Texans with lower incomes each year. Millions of Texans have been left without affordable healthcare options, including those who lost job-based coverage during the pandemic. It is critical for state leaders to reduce the number of uninsured Texans to ensure that our health and economy recover. We all deserve a healthy future.

Final Bill List (6/24/2021)

Bill Number	Author	Description	Status
HB 98	Rep. Lina Ortega	Providing for extended postpartum Medicaid coverage	Referred to House Human Services
HB 107	Rep. Senfronia Thompson	Providing for extended postpartum Medicaid coverage	Referred to House Human Services
HB 131	Rep. Diego Bernal	Providing for expanded eligibility for Medicaid + a Medicaid Buy-in for Certain Children	Referred to House Appropriations
HB 133	Rep. Toni Rose	Providing for extended postpartum Medicaid coverage	Senate committee substitute: Changed from 12 month to 6 months postpartum coverage. Includes Healthy Texas Women administration by managed care organizations from SB 1149 6/15/2021 – Signed by the Governor. Earliest effective date, 9/1/2021.
HB 146	Rep. Shawn Thierry	Providing for extended postpartum Medicaid coverage	Referred to House Human Services
HB 171	Rep. Diego Bernal	Providing for expanded eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to House Appropriations
HB 389	Rep. Celia Israel	Providing for expanded eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to House Appropriations
HB 398	Rep. John Bucy	Providing for expanded eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to House Appropriations
HB 414	Rep. Armando Walle	Providing for extended postpartum Medicaid coverage	Referred to House Human Services
HB 509	Rep. Michelle Beckley	Providing for expanded eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to House Appropriations
HB 734	Rep. Jessica Gonzalez	Providing for Medicaid coverage for certain pregnant people	Referred to House Appropriations
HB 3871	Rep. Julie Johnson	Providing for the Live Well Texas program to provide health benefit coverage to certain individuals	Referred to House Human Services
HB 4406	Rep. Ana-Maria Ramos	Providing for expanded eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to House Appropriations
HJR 9	Rep. Ron Reynolds	Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the state to expand eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to House Appropriations
HJR 23	Rep. Celia Israel	Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the state to expand eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to House Appropriations
HJR 24	Rep. John Bucy	Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the state to expand eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to House Appropriations
SB 38	Sen. Judith Zaffirini	Providing for expanded eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 118	Sen. Nathan Johnson	Providing for expanded eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 119	Sen. Nathan Johnson	Providing for expanded eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 141	Sen. Nathan Johnson	Providing for extended postpartum Medicaid coverage	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 217	Sen. Royce West	Providing for expanded eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 521	Sen. Cesar Blanco	Providing for Medicaid coverage for certain pregnant people	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 1187	Sen. Carol Alvarado	Providing for extended postpartum Medicaid coverage	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 1751	Sen. Nathan Johnson	Providing for the Live Well Texas program to provide health benefit coverage to certain individuals	Referred to Senate Business and Commerce
SJR 11	Sen. Judith Zaffirini	Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the state to expand eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SJR 14	Sen. Nathan Johnson	Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the state to expand eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SJR 15	Sen. Carol Alvarado	Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the state to expand eligibility for Medicaid	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services

Provider + Program Flexibilities

What We are Advocating
Maintain and adopt new flexibilities that promote increased access to sexual and reproductive healthcare services, including telehealth.
Why It Matters
To stay on the leading edge of sexual and reproductive healthcare, Title X providers supported by Every Body Texas need state leaders to adopt policies that promote access to care during and after the pandemic. Healthcare coverage without access is meaningless.

Final Bill List (6/24/2021)

Bill Number	Author	Description	Status
HB 4	Rep. Four Price	Relating to telemedicine, telehealth, and technology-related health care services	6/15/2021 – Signed by the Governor. Earlies effective date, 6/15/2021.
HB 105	Rep. Lina Ortega	Relating to the use of promotoras and community health workers in Medicaid managed care	Passed the House on 5/4/2021; Referred to Senate Health and Human Services on 5/17/2021
HB 158	Rep. Shawn Thierry	Providing for Medicaid coverage for doula services	Passed the House on 5/4/2021; Referred to Senate Health and Human Services on 5/13/2021
HB 296	Rep. Nicole Collier	Providing for parenting minors to consent to contraceptive care	Referred to House Public Health
HB 415	Rep. Armando Walle	Providing for Medicaid coverage for doula services	Referred to House Public Health
HB 420	Rep. Carl Sherman	Providing for the creation of a task force on maternal mortality in African American women	Referred to House Public Health
HB 515	Rep. Tom Oliverson	Relating to reimbursement and payment for certain telemedicine and telehealth services	Referred to House Insurance
HB 522	Rep. Julie Johnson	Relating to reimbursement and payment for certain telemedicine and telehealth services	Referred to House Insurance
HB 835	Rep. Donna Howard	Providing for contraceptive coverage in CHIP	Referred to House Public Health
HB 980	Rep. Art Fierro	Relating to reimbursement and payment for certain telemedicine and telehealth services	Reported favorably as substituted from House Insurance on 5/7/21; Set on the House Calendar on 5/13/2021
HB 1722	Rep. Vikki Goodwin	Relating to reimbursement and payment for certain telemedicine and telehealth services	Referred to House Insurance
HB 2651	Rep. Jessica Gonzalez	Requiring insurers to cover up to a 12-month contraception supply	Committee action pending after House Insurance hearing on 4/20/2021
HB 2685	Rep. Shawn Thierry	Providing for a pilot program to provide Medicaid coverage for doula services	Referred to House Human Services
HB 4144	Rep. Garnet Coleman	Providing for coverage of postpartum depression screening and treatment in CHIP perinatal	Referred to House Public Health
SB 136	Sen. Nathan Johnson	Relating to the use of promotoras and community health workers in Medicaid managed care	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 218	Sen. Nathan Johnson	Providing for coverage of postpartum depression screening and treatment in CHIP perinatal	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 228	Sen. Cesar Blanco	Relating to reimbursement and payment for certain telemedicine and telehealth services	Referred to Senate Business and Commerce
SB 412	Sen. Dawn Buckingham	Relating to telemedicine, telehealth, and technology-related health care services	Committee action pending after Senate Health and Human Services on 3/23/2021
SB 428	Sen. Borris Miles	Providing for the automatic enrollment of certain women in the Healthy Texas Women program	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 536	Sen. Sarah Eckhardt	Providing for parenting minors to consent to contraceptive care + for recently pregnant minors to consent to postpartum care	Referred to Senate Health and Human Services
SB 1149	Sen. Lois Kolkhorst	Requiring the transition of Healthy Texas Women program services to a managed care program	Included in Senate committee substitute for HB 133.

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