BY LISA A. RODRIGUEZ, State Director, AARP Texas
Whether I’m visiting communities across Texas, meeting with AARP volunteers, or talking with family caregivers, the conversations often center on the same concerns. Texans want to protect the savings they’ve worked a lifetime to build. They want affordable utility bills, access to quality care, and the ability to remain independent as they age.
Texas is aging rapidly, but that’s not a challenge to manage. It’s a reality to plan for. Older Texans are the state’s fastest-growing population, and by 2050, one in five Texans will be over age 65.
As state lawmakers prepare for the 2027 legislative session, they have an important opportunity to address the issues that matter most to older Texans and their families. The policy decisions made in Austin over the next session will help determine whether millions of Texans can remain healthy, financially secure, and independent in the years ahead.
AARP Texas has identified several priorities for the session that would strengthen consumer protections, support family caregivers, improve affordability, and promote healthy aging across our state. Texans can follow AARP Texas’ advocacy work and legislative priorities at www.aarp.org/TXadvocacy and by following AARP Texas on social media.
Protecting financial security starts with protecting Texans from fraud. Criminals are increasingly using cryptocurrency kiosks to steal money from consumers, many of whom are older adults. Victims are often pressured through phone calls, text messages, or online scams to deposit cash into these machines, only to discover their money is gone.
Texans have lost millions of dollars to these schemes, sometimes wiping out a lifetime of savings. As the older population grows, the consequences of weak consumer protections become larger and more costly. State lawmakers can help by approving safeguards around crypto ATMs, as well as combating other financial exploitation, identity theft, AI-enabled scams, and elder abuse.
Affordability also remains a growing concern. As Texas’ older population grows, more households will be living on fixed or limited incomes. While wages can increase over time, many retirees’ incomes do not keep pace with rising costs. That means increases in electricity, water, insurance, property taxes, and housing costs hit older adults especially hard.
During the 2027 session, legislators can help by advancing policies that promote affordable housing, fair access to consumer credit, and insurance protections that help Texans maintain financial stability as they age.
Quality, affordable health care and long-term care services remain major concerns for older Texans and their families. Texas is home to 5.3 million unpaid family caregivers who help loved ones remain independent while balancing work and other responsibilities.
Family caregivers provide billions of dollars in unpaid care each year, reducing strain on the health care and long-term care systems, and help people age in place in their homes and communities. Lawmakers can help meet these families’ needs by improving hospital billing transparency, strengthening long-term care protections, and addressing barriers to care, particularly in rural communities.
Legislators also have an opportunity to address an issue that has too often been overlooked: menopause and perimenopause care.
AARP research found that only 7% of women age 35 and older recognize the full range of conditions associated with age-related hormonal changes, while nearly half report that menopause negatively affects their daily lives. Many women navigate these changes while working, caring for children, supporting aging parents, and contributing to their communities. Sensible policies that improve awareness and access to evidence-based care can help women remain healthy, active, and engaged in their families and communities.
These issues are not partisan. They are practical challenges affecting families in every corner of Texas. AARP Texas, backed by more than 2.5 million members and hundreds of volunteers across the state, will continue working with legislators of both parties to advance solutions that strengthen financial security, support family caregivers, protect consumers, and promote healthy aging.
The 2027 legislative session presents a great opportunity to build a stronger future for older Texans and their families. The voices of Texans 50-plus, family caregivers, and their loved ones will help shape the decisions made at the Capitol.
Now is the time to stay informed, get involved, and let your state lawmakers know which issues matter most to you. Together, we can advance practical solutions that help every Texan age with dignity, security, and independence.
Learn more at www.aarp.org/TXadvocacy and follow AARP Texas on social media for updates and opportunities to take action.