April 10th, 2025
Resource Links:
Consideration of the budget as well as HB 500, the supplemental budget, by the House will occur today at 9:00am, Thursday, April 10th.
HB 500 (supplemental): https://www.capitol.state.tx.us/tlodocs/89R/billtext/pdf/HB00500H.pdf#navpanes=0
House Rules Adopted related to Consideration of the Budget: To view the rules adopted by the House on April 2, 2025 related to consideration of the budget (SB 1), see pages 2 – 4 at the following link:
https://journals.house.texas.gov/hjrnl/89r/pdf/89RDAY37FINAL.PDF#page=2
Link to Watch Today’s Debate: Though the House proceedings on the budget and HB 500 will make for a long day, interested persons may view at: https://house.texas.gov/videos
Representative Donna Howard’s Proposed Accountability Amendment to Rider 23:
This amendment adds the provision below to Rider 23 which parallels the same provision in the Senate Rider. However, unlike the Senate Rider 23 which requires HHSC to create list of providers whose calculated direct care staff wage and benefits expense ratio is less than 0.95 and submit to certain legislative offices, Howard’s amendment sets it at less than 0.90.
(c) Out of funds appropriated in Strategy B.1.1, Medicaid & CHIP Contracts and Administration, HHSC shall continue to collect biennial cost reports from providers to monitor the average hourly wage and associated payroll costs, taxes, and benefits.
HHSC shall calculate for each provider the total amount that was paid to the provider that is attributable to the direct care wages, payroll costs, taxes, and benefits, the amount expended by the provider for that purpose, and the ratio of expenses to revenue to determine a direct care wage and benefits expense ratio. HHSC shall report to the Legislative Budget Board, the Lieutenant Governor, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and the Office of the Governor on an annual basis by November 1 of each year on the findings, including a list of providers whose calculated direct care staff wage and benefits expense ratio is less than 0.90.
