State Legislative Priority Wins
During the 89th Texas Legislative Session, the Houston Food Bank collaborated with community members and advocacy organizations at both the state and local levels to address food insecurity. This document outlines the “policy wins” achieved through those efforts.
TIERS Funding
$300 million was appropriated to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) to modernize TIERS—the software system that supports eligibility for programs like SNAP and Medicaid across the state.
• This will improve application processing and address wrongful denials and delays for state public assistance programs.
Motor Vehicle Sales Tax Exemption
HB 4226 exempts all Texas food banks from paying sales tax when purchasing or renting motor vehicles.
• This will allow food banks to reinvest those funds back into distributing more nutritious meals in the community.
Food Is Medicine
HB 26 authorizes Medicaid to pay for nutrition counseling and instruction services. In addition, HHSC is authorized to create a pilot program that will provide medically tailored meals, paired with nutrition counseling, to pregnant women on Medicaid.
• This will provide individuals on Medicaid with access to the nutritious foods they need to improve their health and save costs for Texas.