Governor Abbott has released his budget priorities for the 2022-2023 biennium. Not to be confused with the House and Senate base budgets that have been filed, the governor’s budget is a document that often serves as a guiding policy statement.
See below for his press release followed by a summary of key proposals and recommendations:
“Governor Greg Abbott today released his budget for the 2022-2023 biennium. The Governor’s budget ensures that the State of Texas continues to build on the critical progress made in public school finance, property tax reform, disaster preparedness, school safety, and numerous other achievements of previous legislatures. It also ensures that Texas has the ability to look toward the future as our economy moves beyond the pandemic and the state makes critical investments without raising taxes on hardworking Texans.
‘I truly believe that Texas will be able to meet its needs and serve the taxpayers and residents of our state during this biennium and beyond,” reads the Governor’s introductory letter. “We must also look toward the future as our economy moves beyond the pandemic. We will take action so the state can remain a model for the rest of the nation by providing for a healthier, safer, freer, and more prosperous Texas.’
Highlights of the Governor’s budget:
- Ensuring Access to COVID – 19 Vaccines and Monoclonal Antibody Therapeutics
- Ensuring Healthcare Access for Texans with Preexisting Conditions
- Increasing the Availability of Teleservices and Expanding Access to Broadband
- Ensuring Compliance with the Federal Foster Care Lawsuit
- Providing Law Enforcement Access to Training
- Providing Additional Body Cameras for Peace Officers
- Enhancing Capitol Security
- Reforming our Flawed Bail Program
- Ensuring Election Integrity
- Addressing Learning Loss Due to COVID-19
- Creating a Broad Foundation for Civics Knowledge
- Attracting Jobs to Texas”
Category Spotlight on the Governor’s Budget Recommendations to the 87th Legislature
COVID Response
- Fully utilize federal funds available for administering COVID-19 therapeutics and vaccine doses.
- Support DSHS’ Infectious Disease Infrastructure request and strategically allocate federal funds to improve public health IT and laboratory infrastructure.
- Address the critical storage need to ensure the future availability of PPE.
Health Care
- Support and expand foster care initiatives, including Community-Based Care and utilizing federal dollars available for preventative services.
- Continue to make investments in the state’s behavioral health programs, including the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium. Continue efforts to improve the state’s mental health infrastructure.
- Fund 1115 waiver initiatives continuing through the 10-year extension. The Delivery System Reform Incentive Payments and Charity Care Pool will provide financial stability to our publicly owned and operated health departments and districts.
- Find opportunities to increase the use of telehealth services.
- Invest in high-speed broadband to expand access in unserved areas of the state.
Public Safety
- Appropriate a total of $150 million to the Disaster Fund for state disaster response.
- Support and fund law enforcement, including IT, training, and public safety equipment purchasing.
- Demonstrate the state’s commitment to border security by maintaining the assets provided by the Legislature.
- Fund Capitol security, authorize the Capitol Complex Safety Zone, and fund DPS enhancements for threat detection and investigation.
- Continue to invest in innovative cybersecurity solutions that help protect the state and its residents from cybersecurity threats.
State Operations/Fees, Taxes, and Elections
- Examine the fees associated with professional licenses and prevent any increased cost.
- Authority to exceed the voter-approval rate should only be available to cities, counties, and special districts that have suffered physical damage due to a disaster.
- Continue and expand the use of county election security trainers. Provide additional funding to the SOS to expand the election day inspector program to the early voting period.
Education
- Invest in high-speed broadband to expand access in unserved areas of the state.
- Build upon the initiatives included SB 11 and SB 500 to continue to provide a safe environment for our students
- Fully fund the initiatives from last session’s school finance bill, HB 3, and continue the progress that began last session.
- Strategically utilize federal funds to approve programs and initiatives that will help fill the gaps in learning experienced by students due to COVID-19, provide opportunities for parents to advocate for their student’s educational needs, and further invest in our Texas teachers.
- Approve the creation of instructional resources to ensure our schools teach students the civics knowledge they need to be engaged, productive citizens.
- Preserve the progress made by SB 12, the TRS bill, and not take any action that will increase the pensions system’s unfunded liability.
- For higher education; prioritize need-based financial aid.
- Strategically utilize federal funding to engage individuals with some college and no degree to complete a high-quality credential or degree.
- Strategically utilize federal funding to create industry-recognized, registered apprenticeship programs through public institutions of higher education.
- Work to put the strategies outlined in the most recent Tri-Agency Workforce Initiative into action to support our students and working Texans, and to continue building strong links between industry and education
Economic Development
- Fund the Texas Enterprise Fund at $150 million including unexpended balance authority.
- Appropriate the dedicated state hotel occupancy tax revenues to Economic Development & Tourism in the Office of the Governor.
- Maintain funding for Film and Music Marketing to continue attracting businesses and lucrative job opportunities.
