House Bill 63 is an attempt to reduce the amount of vindictive or false child abuse reports made to the state, but child advocates say it will deter valid reports, too.
Stephen Simpson
Stephen Simpson is the Houston-region reporter, where he covers the fast-growing city and its surrounding areas. He joined the Texas Tribune in 2023 and previously served as the mental health reporter. Prior to that, he was a politics reporter for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, where he covered the state's Supreme Court, House of Representatives and correctional system. Stephen's earliest career experiences include reporting and copy editing at The Jonesboro Sun and The Pine Bluff Commercial. He earned a degree in online and print journalism with a minor in filmmaking from the University of Central Arkansas.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Texas schools say it’s time to stop tying mental health funding to school safety money
Federal pandemic aid helped build public school mental health services in Texas. School officials now brace for the expiration of those funds next year. They’re urging lawmakers to create a dedicated funding stream for mental health assistance in schools.
Posted in
Guns in Texas
Greg Abbott says to stop mass shootings, Texas must improve mental health care. A $25 billion investment hasn’t been enough.
Texas still lags nationally when it comes to mental health services and there have been seven mass shootings since Abbott took office in 2015.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
When it comes to upping mental health services, Texas has a Medicaid problem
Texas wants to expand mental health services, but many mental health providers do not accept Medicaid because of its lower payment rate.
Posted in
Health care
For migrant children who cross the border alone, a new set of challenges getting health care awaits
A report from the Migration Policy Institute and the American Academy of Pediatrics details the barriers undocumented children face in the United States.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Texas Senate approves $15 million bill to expand local mental health treatment options for children and families
The proposal would offer hospitals and nonprofits grant funding to expand child and family mental health services.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Lawmakers’ attempts to tighten drug laws could saddle crime labs with an unsustainable workload
Texas lawmakers want tougher criminal penalties for possession of delta-8 and fentanyl. But that would mean much more work for the crime labs handling most of the drug testing for the state’s 254 counties.
Posted in
Health care
Gov. Greg Abbott launches $10 million effort to combat fentanyl crisis, sends overdose-reversing meds to all 254 counties
The “One Pill Kills” campaign is funded with the help of a federal grant, and the statewide Narcan distribution is being paid for with funds from Texas’ settlement agreement with opioid manufacturers and pharmaceutical companies.
Posted in
Texas Legislature 2023
Bills call for Texas teachers to be trained to administer lifesaving overdose drugs to students
Texas is attempting to address the fentanyl crisis gripping schools by having staff learn how to administer lifesaving medication.
Posted in
Health care
Workforce shortages in the state psychiatric hospital system prolong jail time for mentally ill Texans
The state has added more beds for jail inmates who need psychiatric treatment to be considered competent to face trial. But at least a third remain empty because the state can’t hire enough people to staff them.
