Five Bills to Watch During the 2023 Legislative Session

With about 5,000 bills proposed during the 2023 Texas Legislative Session, AARP Texas advocates for measures supporting older Texans. Here are some bills that would help older Texans thrive.

Interagency Council on Aging: House Bill 728 by Representative Toni Rose
Texas needs to start preparing for the needs of its aging population. House Bill 725 would establish a council to develop a strategic approach to aging services across state agencies.

Medical Power of Attorney: House Bill 2589 by Representative Donna Howard
A medical power of attorney is a document to create an appointee to make health decisions on behalf of someone if they are too sick to do so on their own. Texas is one of four states that only allows one, state-created form to create a medical power of attorney. House Bill 2589 would allow more forms to be used, making the process easier to navigate.

Backup Power for LTCs: House Bill 795 by Representative Ed Thompson
Many older Texans with health issues need medical devices that require electricity. During outages, they need access to a generator so their devices can keep running. Unfortunately, about half of assisted living facilities in Texas do not have backup generators. House Bill 795 would require these facilities to have emergency power backups.

SNAP Vehicle Asset Test Revision: Senate Bill 273 by Senator Cesar Blanco
To qualify for SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), assets and income must meet be below a certain threshold. Currently, the threshold for the value of a car is too high and prevents some Texans in need from qualifying for SNAP. Senate Bill 273 would create an annual inflation adjustment to ensure that the threshold for the value of a car remains reasonable.

Broadband Expansion: House Bill 2662 by Representative Trent Ashby
Texans of all ages deserve accessible and affordable broadband. Representative Ashby authored legislation that created the Office of Broadband Development during the 2021 Legislative Session. House Bill 2662 would allow Texas to better receive federal funds for broadband expansion and adoption.

To learn more about AARP Texas legislative priorities visit: www.aarp.org/txlege.