The Texas legislative session is currently underway, with numerous bills being introduced daily. Two particularly significant bills, HB1 and SB1, are directly related to IDD services in Texas. These bills pertain to the biennial budget and propose an increase in funding for direct care personnel in HCS programs. The current allowable pay rate of $10.60 per hour is insufficient to attract qualified staff in the highly competitive Texas job market.

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HB1 and SB1 aim to raise the pay rate to $12 per hour, which is a substantial increase and greatly appreciated. We express our gratitude for the attention our services are receiving during this legislative session.

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However, we must emphasize the need for a slight adjustment to align with the pay rate of SSLC staff, who provide similar services at $17 per hour. This adjustment would promote parity across the system of care and ensure that we have access to better-qualified staff working with our specific population.

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When communicating with your legislators who represent you, please convey your appreciation for their action and explain the rationale behind our request for a slight increase in the funding proposed in HB1 and SB1.   Click here for a link to track the progress of all bills currently being introduced in this session.