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2025 Texas Legislative Session in Review:

A Summary of the 89th Legislature Related to Medical-Legal Partnership

By: Zechariah Dennis, BS, & Stephanie Sommerlatte, JD
July 3, 2025

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Abstract

Arranged consistent with the National Center for Medical-Legal Partnership’s IHELP® framework—a summary how MLP helps clinicians, social workers, community health workers, and others address the underlying causes of poor health outcomes—this issue brief provides an overview of new legislation relevant to MLP stakeholders in Texas.

Introduction

For MLPs—integrated teams of health care and legal professionals working to address the non-medical drivers of health—legislative developments present both opportunities and challenges in advancing patient-centered care and legal advocacy.

 

The 2025 Texas legislative session concluded with significant changes to the state’s health and legal landscape, directly impacting the work of medical-legal partnership (MLP) practitioners. This session was marked by the passage of high-profile legislation on education funding, health care access, and public health policy, alongside renewed debates over issues such as abortion care exceptions, trauma funding, and the regulation of health-related businesses.

 

In Texas, the major financial allocation for MLP legal partners is basic civil legal services (BCLS) funding. The Supreme Court of Texas 
oversees the distribution of BCLS funds through the Texas Access to Justice Foundation. Within the Legislature’s new $338 billion two-year spending plan, bolstered by a $24 billion surplus, was a $21.2 million decrease in all-funds appropriations for BCLS from the 
current 2024–2025 biennial level. For the upcoming 2026-2027 biennium, which begins September 1, 2025, $80.3 million was 
allocated to support civil legal aid. Included in the BCLS funding are $10.0 million in fiscal year 2026 for victims of sexual assault and $3.5
million in each fiscal year for support veterans and their families.

 

As Texas continues to refine its approach to health and legal policy, MLP practitioners play a crucial role in interpreting and responding to these changes to ensure equitable access to care and justice for marginalized populations.

Income and Insurance 

Legal interventions to increase income supports or resolve insurance barriers are associated with reduced stress, better adherence to medical regimens, improved financial stability, and even reductions in hospitalizations—especially among low-income families and those with chronic illnesses. MLPs that help patients secure public benefits, resolve insurance denials, and address employment-related income loss directly impact patient ability to access and pay for care.

 

  1. SB 379 – Prohibits SNAP use on sweetened beverages and candy; the term does not include a beverage that contains: milk or milk products, soy rice or similar milk substitutes or more than 50 percent of vegetable or fruit juice by volume (Effective September 1, 2025)

  2. HB 1327 – Extends health-care provider participation in Harris County Hospital District. Under the Harris County Hospital District Health Care Provider Participation Program, nonpublic hospitals agree to an assessment on their total net patient revenues, which is matched with federal Medicaid dollars to supplement below-cost Medicaid payments. Under current law, the program is set to expire on December 31, 2025. Some have suggested that an extension of the program is needed to continue providing this support and to allow other hospitals to join the program. (Effective immediately)

  3. HB 138 – Establishes Health Impact, Cost & Coverage Analysis Program for health converge transparency, creating a new program in Texas to analyze the cost, health impact, and evidence behind proposed health insurance laws before they’re passed. (Effective immediately)

  4. SB 30 – Limits medical torts damages.  SB 30 would limit the evidence that could be offered to prove the number of economic damages that could be awarded to a claimant to recover healthcare expenses. If a third-party payor paid for a health care service, supply, or device provided to an injured individual, the evidence would be limited to evidence of the amount paid plus amounts paid by an insured for coinsurance, deductibles, or copayments related to the service, supply, or device. 

  5. SB 815 – Prohibits health insurers from using automated decision systems, including those with artificial intelligence, to make or influence adverse determinations about a patient’s care such as deeming services inappropriate, unnecessary, or experimental. While insurers can still use automation for administrative support or fraud detection, they cannot rely on it to deny or limit medical care. The bill also strengthens transparency by requiring denial notices to include both the description and source of the screening criteria and review procedures used. It authorizes the insurance commissioner to audit any insurer using automation in utilization review. (Effective September 1, 2025

  6. HB 3812 – Amends provisions relating to preauthorization requirements. CSHB 3812 would amend provisions relating to health care provider preauthorization requirements. (Effective September 1, 2025)

Housing and Utilities 

Understanding and addressing housing and utility issues is essential to holistic patient care, as these factors profoundly affect health and healthcare utilization. Legal interventions that stabilize housing and ensure safe, affordable living conditions are effective strategies to improve patient health and reduce systemic inequities. Studies demonstrate that when MLPs intervene to improve housing and utilities, patients experience better health outcomes, including improved control of chronic diseases like asthma and diabetes, reduced hospital admissions, and decreased healthcare costs. 

 

  1. SB 38 – Streamlines the eviction process to help landlords more quickly remove unauthorized occupants, including squatters, holdover tenants, and those who repeatedly don’t pay rent. The bill aims to reduce the delays and costs landlords currently face, make evictions more predictable and fairer, and improve community safety. By speeding up turnover, it also supports housing affordability and access by helping landlords re-rent units faster. (Effective September 1, 2025)

  2. SB 1567 – Bars home-rule cities with university campuses from enforcing zoning rules that limit how many people can live in a home based on age, family ties, occupation, or relationship status. It sets a standard occupancy limit of one person per sleeping room (minimum 70 sq ft), plus one additional person for every extra 50 sq ft. Cities can still enforce limits for health, safety, or affordable housing rules but cannot require brokers or agents to submit leases to verify how many unrelated people live in a unit. Property owners can still enforce private rules or deed restrictions, and they can sue the city for violating this law. Governmental immunity is waived for such claims. 

  3. SB 785 – Prevents cities from requiring a special permit for new HUD-code manufactured homes if they don't require one for other homes in the same zoning area. Cities must allow these homes in at least one residential zoning district that covers a substantial area and must reflect this on official zoning maps. Cities cannot use zoning to block manufactured homes entirely. However, the bill does not override historic preservation rules, existing deed restrictions from before January 2, 2025, or apply to cities where all residential zones already prohibit manufactured homes or have no business/industrial zones. (Effective September 1, 2025)

  4. SB 2137 – Temporarily bans the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) from using public school quality as a factor when evaluating applications for low-income housing tax credits. Specifically, from 2026 to 2027, TDHCA cannot require, or award points based on the educational quality of schools near a proposed development site. The bill also requires TDHCA to study the impact of this change on housing tax credit allocations and report findings to the Legislature by November 1, 2027.

  5. HB 21 – Establishes geographical limitations and affordability requirements for tax-exempt housing developments would help to increase transparency and better ensure that HFCs provide affordable housing to the community. CSHB 21 would amend the Texas Housing Finance Corporations Act to clarify the area in which a housing finance corporation (HFC) could operate and would impose additional requirements for property tax exemptions.

Education and Employment 

Education and employment are deeply intertwined—educational attainment influences employment opportunities, working conditions, and income, which in turn affect access to health-promoting resources and the ability to navigate health systems. Disparities in either domain can perpetuate poor health outcomes across communities. MLPs that address legal barriers related to education and employment—such as access to special education services, workplace discrimination, wage theft, or unsafe working conditions—can have a significant impact on patient and community health.

 

  1. HB 2 – Is one of the largest one-time public education investments (8.5 million public education spending package), that raises money for support staff and teachers, increases safety and Texas will be moving away from the former criticized special education funding system, and move to a system where schools would receive dollar based on the individual needs of the student, an approach educators, lawmakers and public educators find more equitable.

  2. HB 6 – Updates student discipline laws, including suspension and expulsion procedures. For special education students, it requires that any threat assessment team include a professional with direct knowledge of the student's disability and how it affects behavior—such as the student’s special education teacher, a licensed behavior analyst, a licensed clinical or master social worker, or a licensed school psychologist. 

  3. HB 1188 – Requires school districts to inform parents or guardians of students with intellectual or developmental disabilities about available services and public benefits during the student’s first IEP meeting. This includes information on support provided by the local intellectual and developmental disability authority (LIDDA) and home- and community-based service waivers under the federal Social Security Act. The bill applies starting in the 2025–2026 school year and takes effect immediately if passed by a two-thirds vote; otherwise, it becomes effective September 1, 2025.

  4. HB 252 – Expands the authority of certain state agencies to pay twice a month employee who held a position classified in salary groups A12 ($33,840-$49,798) through A17 ($42,976-$64,469) in the salary Schedule A of the General Appropriations Act. Authorized agencies would include: the Texas Department of Transportation; the Health and Human Services Commission; the Texas Workforce Commission; the Department of Public Safety; or any other state agency designated by the comptroller.  

  5. HB 3153 – Requires state and local facilities (like group homes, shelters, and juvenile centers) to conduct criminal background checks and verify employment history for anyone—employees, volunteers, or contractors—who may have direct contact with children. It bans hiring or retaining individuals with a history of sexual or physical abuse and prohibits nondisclosure agreements that hide such misconduct. Facilities must also provide training on recognizing abuse, reporting requirements, and maintaining professional boundaries with children.

  6. HB 3923 – Directs the Office of the State Auditor’s classification officer to review and revise qualifications for state agency jobs to broaden applicant eligibility. Specifically, the officer must: (1) identify positions where education, experience, or training requirements could be reduced without affecting job performance; (2) reduce, where practical, the number of roles requiring a bachelor’s degree; (3) explore ways to expand career advancement for current employees without a degree; and (4) report findings to the Governor’s Budget Office and Legislative Budget Board by October 1 before each legislative session.

Legal Status 

Legal status—including criminal records, veteran discharge status, credit history, citizenship status, and more—directly shapes access to healthcare, exposure to chronic stressors, and long-term health outcomes. MLP teams help reduce the health-harming effects of long-term legal problems—such as chronic illness, poor working conditions, and limited access to resources—by expunging old arrests to improve job prospects, upgrading less-than-honorable discharges to restore veterans benefits, resolving debt to enable transportation access, and navigating complex immigration processes to unlock new opportunities. These interventions help break the cycle of disadvantage and promote better health throughout life. 

 

  1. SB 1814 – Requires the Texas Veterans Commission (TVC) to create an electronic database for active-duty service members scheduled to leave the military within 12 months, if they consent. Approved state agencies and local veteran organizations can access the database to share information on available benefits, including employment, training, housing, health care, and support services. TVC must adopt rules to manage the database and the application process for access.

  2. HB 229 – Requires government entities that collect sex-related data to classify individuals strictly as male or female. It also adds definitions to the Code Construction Act based on biological reproductive roles—defining terms like “male,” “female,” “man,” “woman,” “mother,” and “father” according to anatomy at birth. “Sex” is defined as a person’s biological sex, reinforcing binary classification in official records and state law.

  3. SB 406 – Requires that a person’s sex be listed as either male or female on their birth certificate based on biological characteristics and prohibits courts from approving changes to that designation. The bill reinforces binary sex definitions and restricts the ability to update birth certificates to reflect gender identity.

  4. SB 8 – Requires sheriffs in counties with populations of 100,000 or more to seek and, if offered, enter into agreements under the federal ICE 287(g) program (or similar), allowing local officers to enforce federal immigration law. Sheriffs in smaller counties may voluntarily participate. Sheriffs must renew their request annually if not accepted and report proof of attempts to the Attorney General.

Personal and Family Stability 

Personal and familial stability matter for health because they create the social and emotional foundation necessary for healthy development, effective coping, and long-term well-being. MLP addresses legal and social determinants that threaten family stability—such as securing alternatives to guardianship and documenting financial and medical decisions in advance of need—which has profound health benefits. Interventions that strengthen family relationships and support systems not only improve immediate health outcomes but also foster resilience and well-being across generations. 

 

  1. SB 1120 - Expands and strengthens rights for victims of family violence, sexual offenses, and stalking. It broadens the definition of “victim” under the Code of Criminal Procedure to include individuals affected by a wide range of offenses—including assault, sexual assault, and violations of protective orders—when committed against a family member, household member, or dating partner.

  2. HB 2340 - Requires child custody evaluators to complete at least three hours of training on caring for children with intellectual or developmental disabilities (IDD) within the two years prior to conducting an evaluation. This training must cover topics such as education, therapy, independent living preparation, and addressing mental or physical health challenges.

  3. SB 500 – Requires DFPS, licensed child-placing agencies, or a child’s guardian to provide prospective adoptive parents with a report on the child’s health, social, educational, and genetic history before adoption. The report must be shared within 45 days after the child’s permanency plan changes to adoption or parental rights are terminated, and any additional records requested must be provided within 90 days. Prospective adoptive parents must be informed of their right to access these records, but confidential information—such as the identities of biological parents, adopted siblings in other families, abuse reporters, and Social Security numbers—must be redacted. A nondisclosure agreement is required before releasing confidential details. (Effective September 1, 2025)

  4. SB 1760 – Updates the Texas Estates Code to streamline guardianship procedures. It simplifies transfers when a court lacks venue, allows notice to bond sureties by qualified delivery, and requires standardized record transfers. A $45 transfer fee is set, with no additional fees allowed. Guardians can deposit bond alternatives with the court, and new duties include notifying the court of a ward’s death, hospitalization, or address changes. The bill updates allowance rules to specify “minor or incapacitated adult children” and requires proof of notice. It also simplifies discharge procedures and mandates personal service for temporary guardianship filings. (Effective September 1, 2025) 

  5. SB 746 – Expands the definition of "guardian ad litem" to include representation for both incapacitated persons and proposed wards, provides legal immunity for guardians ad litem, and restricts individuals with adverse interests from contesting guardianship proceedings. This bill was sponsored by Senator Judith Zaffirini and is scheduled to take effect on September 1, 2025.

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