Texas
Mental health advocates ask Texas lawmakers to replace expiring COVID-19 relief funding
/static.texastribune.org/media/files/6cd3698a19b71cb4773888da1521e24e/0805%20Mental%20Health%20File%20EG%2009.jpg?ssl=1 "Mental health advocates ask Texas lawmakers to replace expiring COVID-19 relief funding")
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Replacing federal pandemic relief funding critical to community programs could top Texas lawmakers’ to-do list for mental health next year as they also address understaffing of the 988 suicide hotline, mental health in schools and reviving the workforce.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar projected the state will have a $20 billion surplus at the start of the 2025 session on Jan. 14. Although the state has plenty of cash, competing priorities like school vouchers, campus security and fixing Medicaid enrollment issues might diminish what’s available for mental health.
Exacerbating funding needs is the Dec. 31 expiration of federal COVID-19 relief dollars that helped pay for a wide range of efforts that included addressing health and infrastructure needs in local communities.
The $350 billion program, part of the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act, awarded the state $203.4 million in mental health grants and an additional $252.8 million in substance abuse prevention and treatment grants.
Some of the mental health programs the money paid for included telepsychiatry programs in schools and libraries, community mental health programs in churches, and peer-to-peer services where mental wellness can be practiced in the community without a degree.
These programs helped lessen the impact of the statewide mental health provider workforce shortage that has created long wait lists for services.
“There is not a formal funding option to replace the American Rescue Plan Act,” said Alison Mohr Boleware, the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health policy director. “Many stakeholders and advocates are raising the alarm on what will happen if funds are not replaced.”
As this funding ends and a new presidential administration enters, Texas lawmakers must determine how to replace it overnight, while also sustaining funding for existing initiatives such as the Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium, a group of leaders in health-related institutions that have been tasked with improving the mental health care system for youth. The initiative was also given a hefty bump by COVID-19 relief funding
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“The Texas Legislature has made historic, life-saving investments in mental health over the last decade,” said Andy Keller, president and CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute. “The 89th legislative session presents an opportunity to build on that commitment.”
Lawmakers have already filed dozens of bills ahead of the legislative session to address mental health. Here are some to watch.
More providers in Medicaid
The federal government wholly or partly designates more than 95% of Texas’ 254 counties as mental health professional shortage areas, with a pronounced effect in rural, border, and frontier counties.
The problem is even worse for those enrolled in Medicaid, the health insurance program for low-income individuals.
SB 469 would allow social workers with master’s degrees who are still waiting on their clinical licenses to treat Medicaid patients. Social workers are often the first point of contact for many people looking for mental health help.
Social workers in Texas who have a master’s degree and are working toward their clinical license are unable to bill Medicaid until they complete two years of supervision by a licensed clinician. Removing this limit could add more than 1,500 licensed masters-level social workers to the Medicaid program quickly.
“This is really a workforce priority,” Boleware said.
HB 154 could also add more Medicaid providers to the roster by increasing Medicaid reimbursement rates for mental health and substance use services. In Texas, Medicaid pays between $60 and $122 for a 50-minute session with a therapist who can charge $180 or more for that visit. This, among other factors, has led to more Texas mental health providers no longer accepting Medicaid.
SB 176 would also allow schools to bill Medicaid for delivering behavioral health services on campus, creating another option for children in the health insurance program to access care..
988 funding
With the 988 suicide hotline saddled with a shortfall of several million of dollars, SB 188 would create a trust fund to support the program.
Dialing 988 connects callers with crisis counselors regardless of location. Since launching in 2022, the five call centers in Texas have received more than 380,000 calls, the second-highest call volume in the nation, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness Texas. One-third of them occurred from January to June of this year.
The system’s funding demand far exceeds its available funding. In fiscal year 2024, the state allocated $14 million through grants for 988 operations. However, in 2023, the projected operational costs for the five 988 centers in Texas were $21 million.
The trust fund would be modeled after how the state helps fund 911 call centers.
Mental health in schools
Texas school districts have been struggling with high rates of chronic absenteeism since the COVID-19 pandemic.
One in five Texas students was considered chronically absent — defined as missing at least 10% of the school year — in the 2022-23 school year, according to data collected by The Associated Press.
To address the problem, several bills lawmakers have already filed for the upcoming session require school districts to work with Communities in Schools, a nonprofit that has turned into the state’s largest provider of school-based behavioral health services. The reliance on the organization has forced its leaders to ask for a $10 million increase in state funding annually, particularly to help its efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism in Texas schools.
“Chronic absenteeism is just a piece of a larger root cause, and one of those key root causes is mental health and wellness for students,” said Tasha Moore, chief executive officer for Communities In Schools of North Texas.
The spike in chronic absenteeism is linked to undiagnosed mental health issues among students and the inability to build social skills when schools closed during the pandemic, Moore said.
Communities In Schools has seen positive results from their efforts to reduce chronic absenteeism in the South Plains region. Over the past five years, an average of 83% of case-managed students who needed attendance intervention have shown improvement and are attending school on time and consistently.
Officials with the organization believe they can replicate these results statewide.
Another step that could help youth mental health is HB 1594, requiring health insurance plans to provide complete coverage to anyone younger than 26 years old who is experiencing psychosis for the first time. The plan would have to cover services such as psychotherapy, medication management, family support, and casework.
Lyssette Galvan, the National Alliance on Mental Illness Texas’ public policy director, said that to truly help young people in crisis, the state needs to ensure that commercial insurance can pay for all of those services, which currently isn’t happening.
Another youth mental health bill to watch is by Rep. Jared Patterson, R-Frisco, that would prohibit minors from creating accounts on social media sites and require age verification for new users. It is among multiple other measures to control the spread of cyberbullying, pornographic images and online exploitation among young people, particularly at school.
Substance abuse
House Rep. Erin Zwiener, D-Driftwood, has filed HB 1496, resurrecting a bill from last legislative session that would have legalized test strips that can detect fentanyl in drugs. The synthetic opioid is blamed for a rapidly growing number of overdose deaths because drug users often do not know the substances they are taking — and often illegally purchased — are laced with fentanyl.
Drug policy experts say that providing test strips to users and giving them a chance to avoid fatal overdoses opens the door to a continuum of care that could help get people off drugs.
Traditionally, many tough-on-crime Republicans have opposed efforts aimed at minimizing harm for those addicted to drugs, such as legalizing fentanyl test strips and syringe exchange services, concerned that such moves would enable drug use.
However, over the past several years, the troubling rise in opioid-related deaths have convinced more Republicans, such as Abbott, to support protections for those who continue to use drugs.
Boleware said another step to tackling substance use problems in Texas is improving the current “Good Samaritan” law so that individuals who witness someone else overdosing on drugs will not be criminally charged if they call law enforcement. As of December, no bill has been filed to address the issue.
The Texas Longhorns haven’t slowed down throughout the 2026 season as they now hold a 29-1 record and continue to push the longest winning streak in program history farther along, as the Longhorns’ winning streak now stands at 27 games.
The Longhorns have strung together consistency and dominance over the last weeks of the season, as recently the Longhorns have become the unanimous top team in the country, earning the top spot, ranking as the No. 1 team in the nation.
And now No. 1 Texas will get back to the gauntlet that is SEC play with a conference series against one of its bitter rivals in the dirt edition of the Lone Star Showdown against the No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies. The Longhorns get ready to host, welcoming in the Aggies to Red and Charline McCombs Field with the first game of the series set for Friday, March 27, at 6 p.m. CT.
How to Watch Texas vs. Texas A&M
Who: No. 1 Texas Longhorns and No. 15 Texas A&M Aggies
What: Lone Star Showdown
When: March 27-29
Where: Red and Charline McCombs Field in Austin, TX
TV/Streaming: Friday on SEC Network+, Saturday on ESPN2 and Sunday on ESPN
Radio: Longhorn Radio Network
Meet the Opponent
The Aggies head into the Lone Star Showdown series with a 23-9 overall record and have found success through their two conference series of the season, with a 5-1 record in the SEC. Away from home, the Aggies have split four of their away games with a 2-2 record on the road.
With the flip of the calendar from non-conference to conference play, the Aggies find a rhythm on the field, taking their conference opener against the then No. 17-ranked LSU Tigers on the road 2-1 and followed that up with a sweep at home against the Kentucky Wildcats, outscoring the Wildcats 26-9 over the three-game series.
The Longhorns batting order will battle against an Aggies pitching staff that heads into the weekend series with a 3.10 ERA and 1.09 WHIP. As a whole, the Aggies pitching staff has recorded 193 strikeouts while holding their opponents to a .225 batting average.
The leader of the Aggies pitching staff is sophomore Sydney Lessentine, as her 72 innings pitched is the most by any other Aggies pitcher. In her 19 appearances this season, Lessentine tallies a 2.43 ERA and .82 WHIP along with 60 strikeouts and holds opponents to a .196 batting average.
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COVINGTON, TX – Clouds of grey and brown smoke rolled through the field as yards of fire roared across dead grass. About 30 acres of Austin and Kelli Rollins’ property burned on the March morning, leaving blackened remnants just a couple dozen yards from the house.
But what looked like a natural disaster was the result of careful planning.
Prescribed burns, like the one onthe Rollinses property, can benefit wildlife populations, encourage the growth of native prairie grasses and limit damage from wildfires. Throughout Texas’ history, fires occurred naturally every three to seven years. Most native species are fire-adapted, Texas A&M’s Prescribed Burn Coordinator David Brooke said, but human fire suppression tactics have substantially decreased fire frequency and changed the landscape.
“From the Edwards Plateau, Hill Country up towards Dallas [and the] Panhandle, our habitat was a lot more open. It’s supposed to be rolling plains, prairies … with intermittent tree cover. What we’re seeing now is woody encroachment,” Brooke said.
At the Rollinses, the prescribed burn began with an introductory meeting to discuss strategy and a test fire on a corner of the lot. The team, largely consisting of members of the North Texas Prescribed Burn Association, edged the field with a water line, creating a moisture barrier to prevent flames from spreading in the wrong direction. Just a few yards behind the lengthening water line, volunteers used drip torches to create a “black line,” a thin burned strip meant to contain the larger plumes of fire that would come later.
The tip of a drip torch is used to set fire to Austin and Kelli Rollins property outside of Covington, Texas, March 18, 2026. They used a controlled burn to regenerate the pasture surrounding their home. Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
The crew collaborated with the wind, starting the test fire at the most downwind corner and expanding the black lines perpendicularly. Winds whipped, around 20 miles per hour, approaching the regulatory safety limit. By working backwards from the fire’s natural destination, the team limited the chance of flames escaping their control.
“Essentially what we’re doing is building a catcher’s mitt so when we light everything up, [the black line] will be there to stop it,” Brandon Martin said, who serves on the board of the prescribed burn association.
North Texas Prescribed Burn Association members perform a controlled burn at a Covington, Texas ranch
Martin, dressed in a hard hat and flame retardant clothing, assisted with this prescribed burn as a volunteer, but he also knows fire professionally through his role in emergency management at the Tarrant Regional Water District. As well as providing advice, he actively spread flames with a drip torch. Torch canisters are filled with fuel that, when turned down, trickles past a burning wick and ignites as it falls to the ground.
This fire is part of an effort to return the field to native prairie, a landscape Martin said depends on fire to thrive. Regular burning limits the growth of saplings and bushes, keeping the environment clear of exotic species that can outcompete native grasses.
North Texas Prescribed Burn Association member Don Nelson radios wind speed and direction to the rest of the crew during a controlled burn on the property of Austin and Kelli Rollins outside of Covington, Texas, March 18, 2026.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
Brooke said fire isn’t only a natural land management process, it’s also cost-effective. Invasive species can be removed mechanically with chainsaws and digging, or with chemical application. But in either instance, the labor and equipment costs are usually significantly higher than burning, especially with bigger plots.
“From an economics standpoint, it’s a heck of a lot cheaper to use fire,” Brooke said.
The resulting ash is high in nitrogen and phosphorus, which fertilizes the soil. With a little rain, Brooke said fields are often covered in green shoots within a matter of weeks, with a reinvigorated landscape emerging in the following months.
However, Brooke noted “one burn isn’t a silver bullet,” since invasive species could also be fed by these fresh nutrients. But if landowners can commit to following the three- to seven-year historic fire frequency, “it gives your native species the edge.”
Austin Rollins grabs a pressure sprayer to extinguish a spot fire during a controlled burn on his property near Covington, Texas, March 18, 2026.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
New growth also attracts a variety of wildlife, as it is highly palatable and an ideal habitat to spot predators. Brooke said he’s seen a number of landowners undertake prescribed burns to improve the hunting prospects.
Prescribed burns are best known for their power to stopthe spread of wildfire. The lack of fuel for a wildfire after an intentional burn can lower the fire’s intensity and help save structures. Brooke pointed to the town of Borger, which has a history of proactive wildfire management.
In the fall of 2023, they burned a 7-mile-long, 250-foot wide strip along the edge of town, creating a “black line” that proved crucial months later. When one of the 2024 Panhandle wildfires approached the town, it stopped just outside of several neighborhoods at the fire break. Firefighters credited the work with saving homes and possibly lives.
For landowners considering undertaking controlled burns themselves, Brooke said Texas is a “right-to-burn” state – guaranteeing landowners the right to burn on their own property – but there are still regulations to follow. County burn bans must be observed, local authorities notified and some state agencies regulate weather conditions to manage the smoke.
The North Texas Prescribed Burn Association used a backing fire to control a burn on the property of Austin and Kelli Rollins outside of Covington, Texas, March 18, 2026. They burned approximately 30 acres.
Tom Fox / Staff Photographer
Wind speeds are required to be between six and 23 miles per hour during a burn. If the breeze is too low, smoke won’t clear properly and it could settle on nearby roads, potentially causing an accident. If gusts are too high, fire behavior becomes more unpredictable.
Some counties also require a copy of the burn plan to be submitted in advance, which accounts for things like weather, the crew, suppression tactics (such as water, specialized rakes and leaf blowers) and smoke modeling.
Ultimately, given the high winds, the team on the Rollinses land decided to burn back to the black line in smaller strips instead of one roaring blaze. But even those sections could generate significant heat as the orange glow jumped from stem to stem. The gusts cleared most smoke quickly, but each time a new strip ignited, the plumes towered into the distance.
When just a few smoldering spots remained, the group gathered to debrief and share H-E-B sandwich trays. Pairs inquired about other teams’ strategies, but mostly, the crew was pleased with the safety and their progress – finishing the project in about three hours.
“Man, it’s beautiful,” Kelli Rollins said as she took a picture of the charred field against the blue sky. “I know that’s a weird thing to say, but it is.”
A modified Tesla Model X drives into the tunnel entrance before an unveiling event for the Boring Company Hawthorne test tunnel in Hawthorne, south of Los Angeles, California on December 18, 2018. – On Tuesday night December 18, 2018, Boring Co. will
DALLAS – After a months-long competition to convince tech mogul Elon Musk’s Boring Company to choose a U.S. city for a transit tunnel project, one Texas city has made the cut for the final three in consideration.
‘Tunnel Vision Challenge’ finalists
What we know:
The “Thrilling Three” in the running for the Tunnel Vision Challenge, announced in January, are Dallas, New Orleans, LA, and Baltimore, MD.
Dallas is in consideration for a “University Hills Loop.” When the challenge first launched on Jan. 18, the options of “a Loop tunnel, a freight tunnel, a pedestrian tunnel, a utility tunnel, a water tunnel, or any other use case where a tunnel would be useful” were pitched. All three finalists are Loop tunnels, which the company tags as “Teslas in Tunnels!”
Wednesday’s announcement says the projects will be up to one mile long and 12 feet in diameter.
What’s next:
The Boring Company said in their Wednesday announcement that, if possible, it “would be awesome” to build all three Loops.
The company plans to, along with the project stakeholders, enter into a rigorous diligence process which includes “meetings with elected officials, regulators, community leaders, and business leaders; geotechnical borings; and utility and subsurface infra investigation.”
They say they plan to build any and all final projects that are found to be feasible.
Possible second Texas project
The company said there were other projects that caught their attention as interesting projects, which they plan to attempt in the near future.
These include the “Morgan’s Wonderland Tunnel” in San Antonio, as well as the “Hendersonville Utility Tunnel” in Tennessee.
The Source: Information in this article comes from The Boring Company.
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