Texas Health Agency Budget Request Proposes Ending Children's Autism Program; Advocates 'Shocked'
Texas' Health and Human Services Commission has proposed eliminating all state funding for the Children's Autism Program in its budget request for fiscal years 2028-29, The Texas Tribune reported Oct. 12. The program, created in 2008, provides services including applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to children with autism.
The program served 583 children in fiscal year 2026, cost the state about $13.7 million over the past two fiscal years, works through 16 providers statewide, and has more than 1,000 children on its waitlist. State officials said in the request that ending the funding would save money. The Autism Society of Texas said in a statement it was 'shocked' by the proposal, noting that many families struggle to obtain comparable services through private insurance and that the program is a key support for lower-income households.
The proposal follows a directive this summer from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who wrote to state agencies in July asking them to cut 3% from their budget requests in the name of using taxpayer dollars more efficiently.
The request is only a proposal: the Texas Legislature will make the final appropriations decision during its session early next year. If adopted, affected families would need to turn to other public or private coverage options, and advocates say they will lobby lawmakers to preserve the program.
Source: The Texas Tribune, Oct. 12, 2026
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 德克萨斯州议会大厦（奥斯汀），CC BY-SA 4.0，摄影：Bravodelnorte（Wikimedia Commons）
