FEATURED: Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen, one of the coauthors of Senate Bill 8. Senate Bill 8 provided roughly $13.3 billion from money received by the state from the Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund and the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund. Both of those funds were established under the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. Senate Bill 8 went into effect on Monday, November 8, 2021.
Photograph Courtesy DRISCOLL CHILDREN’S HOSPITAL FACEBOOK
••••••
Valley lawmakers secure $16.7 million to help DHR Health continue preparing region for COVID-19 and any future public health emergencies
By DAVID A. DÍAZ
[email protected]
DHR Health has been authorized by the Texas Legislature to receive $16.7 million to continue preparing the Rio Grande Valley for COVID-19 and any future public health emergencies, according to Sen. Juan Hinojosa, D-McAllen.
“Senate Bill 8 by Sen. Jane Nelson, which uses $13.3 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act spearheaded by President Joe Biden and approved by the United States Congress last year, includes $16.7 million for upgrading existing laboratory facilities associated with DHR Health in Hidalgo County and new laboratory infrastructure in Starr County,” he said.
Senate Bill 8 received final approval by the Texas Legislature on Monday, October 18, 2021 and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Monday,November 8, 2021, becoming effective immediately upon his signature.
Following the governor signing Senate Bill 8 into law, Hinojosa said the federal money to Texas will be providing major economic help statewide and locally.
Along with obtaining the $16.7 million for DHR Health, “our Rio Grande Valley legislative delegation worked together and advocated for funding for our South Texas priorities,” Hinojosa said.
“I am pleased that in addition to funding grants for tourism, broadband expansion, replenishing the Unemployment Compensation Fund to help our businesses, and many other investments, we were also
able to secure funds for local projects,” the Senate District 20 lawmaker said. “We continue to secure funding that increases access to care and makes investments in health care infrastructure to better serve our community.”
As the author of Senate Bill 8, Nelson, R-Flower Mound, is the legislator who filed the bill and guided it through the legislative process (also called the primary author).
“Filed” is used to refer to a measure that has been introduced into the legislative process and given a number.
A bill is a type of legislative measure that requires passage by both chambers of the legislature and action by the governor in order to become effective. A bill is the primary means used to create and change the laws of the state.
Hinojosa and Sen. Judith Zaffirini, D-Laredo – whose Senatorial District 21 includes Starr County – are coauthors of Senate Bill 8.
A coauthor is a legislator authorized by the primary author of a bill or resolution to join in the authorship of the measure.
Rep. Alex Domínguez, D-Brownsville, is a one of the cosponsors of Senate Bill 8.
A cosponsor is legislator who joins with the primary sponsor to guide a bill or resolution through the legislative process in the opposite chamber.
Soon after Senate Bill 8 became state law, Marcy Martínez, Director of Public Relations and Corporate Communications, DHR Health, expressed the appreciation of the leadership for the Valley-wide hospital system, which is headquartered in Edinburg.
“DHR Health applauds the hard work of the entire Rio Grande Valley state legislative delegation for their dedication to and advocacy on behalf of the region,” she said.
Nurse Family Partnership program at DHR Health awarded $5.2 million
Earlier in Fall 2021, DHR Health qualified for $5.2 million from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services to support its Nurse Family Partnership program in grant funding, Hinojosa announced.
“The nurse-family partnership program is a critical program that has achieved amazing results. This program works with first-time mothers to promote successful outcomes for both mom and baby,” he explained. “Since we established this program 15 years ago, nearly 18,000 families have been served, with nine out of 10 moms seeing positive results for themselves and their family.”
Hinojosa was a coauthor of Senate Bill 156, approved during the 80th Regular Session on the Texas Legislature in 2007, which established this grant program.
“I am excited to see the continued growth and support of the nurse family partnership program operated by Doctors Hospital at Renaissance. To date, DHR has been awarded nearly $12.5 million to help support these new families. Through this work, we are not only creating better physical and mental health outcomes for children and moms, but simultaneously preventing children from entering into the foster care system,” he continued.
“By making smart investments to support families on the front end, we can save the state money both in terms of child protective services and health care,” Hinojosa said. “But more importantly, we strengthen
these families and help create an environment where all children are able to grow up happy, healthy, and able to achieve their dreams.”
Anchored in southwest Edinburg on a 130-acre site, with a growing presence in neighboring McAllen, Rio Grande City, Mission, and Brownsville, DHR Health offers some of the most comprehensive medical care
on the U.S. southern border, with more than 1,400 nurses and 600+ physicians providing care in 70+ specialties and sub-specialties.
DHR Health is the flagship teaching hospital for the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley School of Medicine and encompasses a general acute hospital with the only dedicated women’s hospital south of San Antonio, a rehabilitation hospital, a behavioral hospital, more than 70 clinics Valley-wide, advanced cancer services, the only transplant program in the Rio Grande Valley – and the only 24/7 Level 1 Trauma Center south of San Antonio.
On Tuesday, November 16, 2021, Driscoll Health System, in partnership with DHR Health, held a groundbreaking ceremony for Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley, located at 2820 W. Michelangelo Drive in Edinburg, which is being built on the site of the DHR Health campus, next to DHR Health’s The Women’s Hospital at Renaissance.
The new, independently operated, eight-level pediatric hospital will further the mission of Driscoll Children’s Hospital founder Clara Driscoll to provide medical care to all the children of South Texas. The building is expected to be completed in Spring 2023.
The facility, which is under construction, represents a combined investment of more than $105 million. Driscoll Children’s Hospital Rio Grande Valley will operate with more than 500 employees, creating significant economic impact and new job opportunities for clinical, ancillary and support staff in the Valley.
Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, Ltd (“DHR”) and its general partner, RGV Med, Inc. (“RGV Med”) own and operate a 519 licensed bed general acute care hospital located at 5501 South McColl in Edinburg. The facility is one of the largest physician-owned facilities in the United States that began as an ambulatory surgery center in 1997.
The federal American Rescue Plan Act
According to the House Research Organization, which is the research arm of the Texas House of Representatives:
The federal American Rescue Plan Act created the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, which allocated $15.8 billion to Texas, and the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund, which provided $500.5 million to the state.
The Texas comptroller created the Coronavirus Relief Fund No. 325 to track federal funds coming to the state in response to the pandemic.
According to the U.S. Treasury Department, recipients of funds may use them to support public health expenditures, address negative economic impacts caused by the public health emergency, replace lost public sector revenue, provide premium pay for essential workers, and invest in water, sewer, and broadband infrastructure.
The Treasury Department also has specified some ineligible uses, including for changes that reduce net tax revenues and extraordinary contributions to a pension fund.
The U.S. Treasury Department issued an interim final rule, effective May 17, 2021, on implementing the Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds. The rule includes details on how the fund can be used, and in July 2021, the department issued a frequently asked questions page with additional information on eligible uses.
Senate Bill 8 will appropriate $8.6 billion from money received by Texas under the federal Coronavirus State Fiscal Recovery Fund established under the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 and deposited in the state’s Coronavirus Relief Fund No. 325.
The appropriations would be made for the two-year period that begins on the bill’s effective date.
Supporters of Senate Bill 8 Say:
Senate Bill 8 responsibly appropriates money Texas has received from the federal government to address the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic has impacted Texans and state agencies in a wide range of ways, and Senate Bill 8 would address many of these impacts.
The bill will balance the numerous possible uses of the funds with those allowed by the federal government in a strategic way that would help the state in its ongoing recovery from the pandemic.
Opponents of Senate Bill 8 Say:
Senate Bill 8 would spend nearly half of the American Rescue Plan Act appropriations to shore up the unemployment compensation fund at the expense of other unmet state needs, such as housing, child care, and infrastructure.
There are other alternatives for replenishing the fund, including using the Economic Stabilization Fund or financing the debt with bonds that could be paid back by employers over several tax years instead of one.
The bill should be structured in a way that protects small businesses from higher unemployment taxes while requiring major employers, including some whose revenues greatly increased during the pandemic, to pay higher taxes to replenish the fund.
While Senate Bill 8 would provide funding for several important items necessary for state agencies to respond to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, other needs should be considered, including aid to the tourism, travel, and hospitality industry, children’s advocacy centers, salaries for public safety agency employees, and support for veterans homes and historical sites.
Senate Bill 8 to provide major economic help statewide, says Hinojosa
Following the governor signing Senate Bill 8 into law, Hinojosa provided a breakdown on how Texas programs will be benefiting from the $13.3 billion in federal funds from the American Rescue Plan Act, including:
Unemployment
Compensation Fund
$7.1 Billion
The bill provides $7.2 billion to the Comptroller of Public Accounts for deposit into the Unemployment Compensation Fund to pay back outstanding advances and to bring the balance of the fund to the statutory floor.
Public Safety
Salaries
$3.5 Billion
This bill provides $3.5 billion for salaries and benefits of state employees directly involved in pandemic response, including almost $807 million to the Department of Public Safety and almost $2.8 million o the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
State and Local
Hospital Surge Staffing
$2.5 Billion
This bill provides $2.5 billion to the Department of State Health Services for stat and local hospital surge staffing, purchasing of therapeutic drugs, and continuation of regional infusion centers related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Broadband Infrastructure
$500.5 Million
The bill provides $500.5 million from the Coronavirus Capital Projects Fund to the Comptroller of Public Accounts for broadband infrastructure, $75 million of which is to be used for the Texas broadband pole placement program.
Critical Staffing Needs
$400 Million
The bill provides $400 million o the Health and Human Services Commission to administer one-time grants related to critical staff needs of front-line healthcare workers affected by the COVID-19 pandemic including recruitment and retention bonuses for nursing facilities, assisted living facilities, home health facilities, community attendants, and emergency medical services.
University Construction
$325 Million
The bill provides $325 million to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board for university construction, providing for the issuances of tuition revenue bonds.
TRS-ActiveCare and
TRS-CARE programs
$286.3 Million
The bill provides $286.3 million to the Teacher Retirement System for use in TRS-ActiveCare and TRS-Care programs for claims related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Cybersecurity
$200 Million
The bill provides $200 million to the Department of Information Resources for cybersecurity projects.
Child Mental Health Care
Consortium Initiatives
$113.1 Million
The bill provides $113.1 million to the Higher Education Coordinating Board to support the operations and expansion of mental health services for Texas children and families through Texas Child Mental Health Care Consortium initiatives.
Texans Feeding Texans
$100 million
The bill provides $100 million to the Department of Agriculture for Texans Feeding Texans for supplemental funding for food banks and home-delivered meals in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rural Hospitals
$75 Million
The bill provides $75 million to the Health and Human Services Commission for grants to support rural hospitals that have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Texas Epidemic Health Institute
$40 Million
This bill provides $40 million to the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston for the operation of the Texas Epidemic Public Health Institute.
Veterans Homes HVAC/Air Filtration
$35 Million
The bill provides $35 million to the General Land Office for HVAC upgrades to all one Texas State Veterans Homes along with the new Fort Worth Home ($29.5 million) and for negative-pressure COVID-19 wards and noble high-efficiency particulate air filtration units for the Homes ($5.5 million).
South Texas Health Lab
$16.7 million
This bill provides $16.7 million to the Department of State Health Services for the DHR Health lab in South Texas to enable infrastructure to better response to future emergencies and health crises.
Federally Qualified Health Center
Incubator Program
$5 Million
This bill provides $5 million to the Department of State Health Services for the Federally Qualified Health Center incubator program.
Additional details are available from the Legislative Budget Board at:
The Legislative Budget Board (LBB) is a permanent joint committee of the Texas Legislature that develops budget and policy recommendations for legislative appropriations, completes fiscal analyses for proposed legislation, and conducts evaluations and reviews to improve the efficiency and performance of state and local operations.
https://www.lbb.texas.gov/default.aspx
LT. GOV. DAN PATRICK APPOINTS SEN. HINOJOSA AS VICE CHAIR OF SENATE FINANCE COMMITTEE, SUCCEEDING SEN. LUCIO, WHO IS RETIRING
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, R-Houston, on Wednesday, March 23, 2022 announced the following interim appointments:
Sen. Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa, D-McAllen, as Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Finance in place of Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr., D-Brownsville.
Sen. Bryan Hughes, R-Tyler, to the Senate Committee on Finance in place of Sen. Larry Taylor, R-Friendswood.
Sen. Nathan Johnson, D-Dallas, to the Sunset Advisory Commission in place of Sen. Eddie Lucio, Jr.
Sen. Charles Perry, R-Lubbock, to the Sunset Advisory Commission in place of Sen. Brian Birdwell, R-Granbury, who is not retiring, but was recently appointed Chair of the Senate Committee on Border Security in addition to his duties as Chair of the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Economic Development.
Upon making the appointments, Patrick issued the following statement: “With the upcoming retirement of several senators, there is now a need to appoint new members to committees during the interim so important work can continue uninterrupted into the 88th Legislative Session.”
The interim is the period between regular legislative sessions.
The Texas Legislature meets in Regular Session for about five months every other year. Regular Sessions begin at noon on the second Tuesday in January of odd numbered years and can last no more than 140 days, ending during the last week of May or the first week of June.
The 88th Texas Legislature will begin its next regular session on January 11, 2023.
“I am honored that Lt. Governor Patrick has entrusted me with the important responsibility of serving on the Senate Finance Committee as Vice Chair. I look forward to re-joining this committee and working with Chair Joan Huffman and the committee members to meet the financial needs of our state while keeping taxes low to benefit our Texas families and ensure our state’s continued prosperity,” Hinojosa said.
Texas has the 9th largest economy in the world and despite the ongoing COVID challenges, the state government’s revenues have continued to outperform expectations.
“That said, we will continue monitoring situations around the world, inflation, and supply chain issues that can change our budget outlook at any time,” the McAllen lawmaker said. “I am fully committed to using my experience and knowledge of the budget process to continue prioritizing funding for education, health care, infrastructure, public safety, growing our economy and creating jobs. I will also continue advocating for and ensuring the needs of South Texas are put at the forefront of critical discussions and negotiations.”
Hinojosa represents the counties of Nueces, Jim Wells, Brooks, and Hidalgo (part).
He currently serves as Vice-Chairman of the Senate Committee on Jurisprudence and the Senate Committee on Redistricting, and serves on the Senate Committees on Border Security; Criminal Justice; Natural Resources & Economic Development; and Transportation.
••••••
For more on this and other Texas legislative news stories that affect the Rio Grande Valley metropolitan region, please log on to Titans of the Texas Legislature (TitansoftheTexasLegislature.com).
