Latest news with #SenateJointResolution3
Yahoo
13-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Craddick sends Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT) legislation to Abbott's desk
May 13—AUSTIN — State Rep. Tom Craddick May 12 applauded the final passage of legislation to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (DPRIT), a monumental step in addressing one of the state's most urgent healthcare challenges. With the Texas Senate's concurrence with House amendments to Senate Bill 5 and Senate Joint Resolution 3, the legislation now heads to Governor Abbott for signature. "I am proud to author House Bill 5 to establish DPRIT and send it to Governor Abbott's desk to be signed," Craddick said in a news release. "Thanks to Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick's leadership and vision, this transformative institute will place Texas at the forefront of dementia and Parkinson's research and care."
Yahoo
28-04-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas poised to ask voters to approve $3 billion to study dementia
Texas voters will likely get a chance to decide whether to spend $3 billion in state funds on dementia research after the House preliminarily approved Senate Joint Resolution 3 on Monday. Both chambers voted earlier this session to create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas, to study dementia, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and other brain conditions. Modeled after Texas' cancer institute, the new initiative was a priority for Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and received bipartisan support from the majority of lawmakers. But it's not up to them whether taxpayer dollars can be used to fund this project. That decision will lie with the voters, who, after SJR 3 is finally approved by the House, will be asked at the next election whether they want to allocate $3 billion of general revenue to this work. 'I don't know [any one] in this House who doesn't have a family member or a friend or a neighbor … impacted by dementia or Alzheimer's,' said Rep. Senfronia Thompson, a Houston Democrat. 'This Constitutional Amendment gives us the funding to do the research so that we can give those persons who are impacted with these dreadful diseases a better quality of life.' SJR 3 passed 123-21, with one member abstaining. Despite the popularity of the bill, the funding measure's fate was briefly in question, as Democrats attempted to hold constitutional amendments hostage over the creation of a school voucher program. Both chambers have signed off on a $1 billion private school voucher program, finally breaking through years of resistance from Democrats and rural Republicans. In a last ditch effort, Democrats asked that the proposal be put to voters and vowed to vote against all constitutional amendments until their request was granted. Since constitutional amendments need a two-thirds majority to pass, it's one of the few times Republicans need Democrats allied to their cause. The dementia funding measure was one of the constitutional amendments up for a vote during this so-called blockade. The bill was punted a few days, but when it came back up for a vote Monday, enough Democrats voted with Republicans to approve the proposal. After lengthy back and forth over the enabling legislation last week, the funding vote Monday was quick and to the point. Thompson and Rep. Tom Craddick, a Midland Republican, who both have pushed for a bill like this for several years, implored their colleagues to vote for the measure. 'We're one of the leading states with Alzheimer's in the country,' Craddick said. 'This could be the way we can solve it … This isn't a party vote. This is a vote for the people in the state of Texas.' Tickets are on sale now for the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Get tickets before May 1 and save big! TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas Senate OKs plan for $3 billion dementia research center. Here's how it would work.
The Texas Senate overwhelmingly backed a proposal Wednesday to create a multibillion-dollar dementia research center, aiming to better understand and treat the debilitating cognitive diseases that deprive hundreds of thousands of aging Texans of their quality of life each year. Senate Bill 5, authored by Republican Sen. Joan Huffman of Houston, would create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Huffman's related Senate Joint Resolution 3 is a proposed amendment to the Texas Constitution to fund the institute with a $3 billion endowment. The center would "accelerate research into dementia, attracting top talent to our state and creating high quality jobs," Huffman said on the Senate floor Wednesday. "But the most important goal is to improve the health and quality of life for Texans impacted by dementia," she said. Dementia is a broad group of cognitive impairments associated with aging that affects a person's memory and ability to reason and often hampers a person's day-to-day functioning. The most common form is Alzheimer's disease, which afflicts nearly half a million Texans, according to the state Department of Health and Human Services. "Dementia is a disease of particular concern because it robs a person of their thoughts and memories — the very essence of that person," Huffman said. "It leads to a loss of quality of life and independent function that places an immense burden on families and loved ones, and our overall health care system." More: Texas hemp production, sales have been legal since 2019. Why one senator wants to ban THC. The institute — which Huffman said would be modeled after Texas' successful cancer prevention institute that is now one of the largest in the world — would distribute grants to universities and other research entities to fund studies on dementia prevention and treatment. An oversight committee comprising doctors, caregivers and family members of dementia patients would administer the funding. "I believe that DPRIT will … position Texas as a national leader in combating dementia and related disorders, accelerating groundbreaking research and improving the lives of millions of Texas," Huffman said. Both measures passed the Senate 29-2, with Republican Sens. Bob Hall of Rockwall and Kelly Hancock of North Richland Hills dissenting. Hancock shared a personal story of his father, who died last year of dementia, but suggested it is not the role of government to research the conditions. "My father lived eight years with dementia. The last several he didn't know who I was," Hancock said. "It is horrible. There is no doubt — horrible. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. "I do believe that as government, we have a certain role and a focus of core things that we should work on. My vote is not a vote of not support, just a vote of recognizing that maybe we need to focus on other things as government." The legislation will now head to the Texas House for consideration. If the resolution passes, Texas voters will have the final say in November. This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Texas Senate advances plan to create $3B dementia research center
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Texas Senate advances bill to start a $3 billion dementia research fund
The Texas Senate on Wednesday advanced to the House a bill that would create America's largest brain health research center. Senate Bill 5, by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, would create the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. Senate Joint Resolution 3, which would require voter approval if passed by the Legislature, would fund it with $3 billion in surplus revenue. This funding is intended to attract physicians, researchers, and experts in the field of dementia to Texas. This institute would research all brain diseases, not just dementia. Under the bill, the institute would be governed by a board of physicians and scientists with expertise in dementia research. Grants could be awarded for projects addressing the causes, prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation of dementia patients, as well as new medicines and facilities to help treat patients. Following the initial $3 billion in general revenue, future appropriations into the institute would be capped at $300 million annually. 'I can't think as a body, as a legislature, that we could make a wiser, more prudent, better investment for the people of Texas and future generations,' Huffman said from the Senate floor prior to the vote. One of the institute's primary duties will be awarding grants. All grant proposals must undergo a peer review, and the oversight committee must approve final grant awards to ensure fairness in the grant-making process. Sen. Kelly Hancock, R-North Richland Hills, during the discussion of the bill on Wednesday, shared that his father lived eight years with dementia before passing away last year, and it's a disease he wouldn't wish on anyone. He said that despite his personal experience, he didn't believe funding a dementia center was the government's role. 'My vote is not a vote of support. It's just a vote of recognizing that we need to focus on other things as a government, and it concerns me as we add some of these on,' said Hancock, who joined Sen. Bob Hall, R-Galveston, in voting against the legislation. Huffman responded by saying she understood his point, but she believes the fund is worthy of investment from the state's surplus of dollars. 'There are people living today because of some of the research breakthroughs in cancer. If we can do the same thing with this and help prevention and research, it seems like it could be the best money we're spending,' she said. Government spending has become a hot topic in the state and the nation as President Donald Trump's administration has attempted to cut medical research funding. In February, the National Institute of Health released a notice of an updated policy that would strip research groups of hundreds of millions of dollars and place a 15% indirect cost rate on all new and existing grant awards received by research institutions. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley in Boston on Wednesday blocked the Trump administration from cutting medical research after a litany of lawsuits, including one filed by 22 state attorneys general along with universities, hospitals, and research institutions nationwide to stop the cuts, saying they would endanger patients. Texas was not among the plaintiffs. 'While other research opportunities may diminish, the creation and funding of (the Dementia Prevention and Research Institute of Texas) will position Texas to be a leader in dementia-related research,' Huffman said in an emailed statement to The Texas Tribune on Thursday. The dementia program is modeled after the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas which voters approved in 2009 with $3.7 billion and voters again approved in 2019 an additional $3 billion. The $6 billion cancer research institute is the largest cancer research organization in the country and the second largest worldwide. The institute issues up to $300 million annually for cancer research and prevention projects, according to Kristen Doyle, CEO of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute. It has recruited 324 researchers to Texas; supported the establishment, expansion, or relocation of 74 companies to Texas; and has provided 10 million prevention services, reaching all Texas counties. 'I believe we can follow this success and position Texas as a national leader in combating dementia and related disorders, accelerating groundbreaking research and improving the lives of millions of Texans,' Huffman told fellow lawmakers. In 2012, allegations arose that millions of taxpayer dollars were distributed in grants without proper peer review, briefly engulfing the cancer institute in scandal. Huffman said lawmakers have learned lessons from creating the cancer research institute, which should make creating a dementia institute much smoother. 'Everyone who was around will admit that the (cancer institute) had a rocky start, but those problems were resolved with legislation and oversight, and all of that has been incorporated in this legislation,' she said. 'We worked closely with the (cancer institute) as we wrote this bill and took suggestions from them so we can go full speed right off the starting gate.' Doyle said the merit-based, peer-reviewed grant process is central to their national reputation for integrity and transparency in funding groundbreaking projects. Huffman said that Texas already has the third-most dementia patients in the country, almost half a million, and last year, state Medicare costs for dementia care alone topped $4 billion. 'There is no better place than Texas to take on this challenge,' Huffman said. Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made the research institute a top bill for the session. He says that Texas' size and economic strength allow it to take on big projects like this. 'Texas, with our vast resources, has an opportunity to make a positive difference in the lives of millions,' he said in a news release. Alzheimer's, a degenerative brain disease, is the most common form of dementia, accounting for about 80% of cases, according to the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Alzheimer's symptoms — memory loss and the inability to perform simple tasks — tend to develop in the mid-to-late 60s and occur when clumps of abnormal proteins block the communication of brain cells. Symptoms can be mild at first and worsen over time. The Texas Department of State Health Services reports that 459,000 Texans have been diagnosed with Alzheimer's, about 12% of the state's population over the age of 65. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, this has cost the state approximately $24 billion in caregiver time. We can't wait to welcome you to the 15th annual Texas Tribune Festival, Texas' breakout ideas and politics event happening Nov. 13–15 in downtown Austin. Step inside the conversations shaping the future of education, the economy, health care, energy, technology, public safety, culture, the arts and so much more. Hear from our CEO, Sonal Shah, on TribFest 2025. TribFest 2025 is presented by JPMorganChase.
Yahoo
21-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Resolution to eliminate education cabinet secretary position advances
Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces) chairs the Senate Education Committee. (Photo by Leah Romero / Source NM) A proposal to amend the New Mexico Constitution and reconfigure public education governance passed the Senate Education Committee Friday and advances to the Senate Finance Committee. Senate Joint Resolution 3, sponsored by Sen. Bill Soules (D-Las Cruces), chair of the Senate Education Committee, received a do-pass by a vote of 7-2 by committee members. The Senate Rules Committee previously advanced the bill without recommendation. The resolution proposes amending the state Constitution to shift oversight of the Public Education Department from a governor-appointed cabinet secretary to a superintendent of public schools hired by a public schools board. If the resolution passes, it will be up to voters to decide during the next general election. Soules pointed out to committee members Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's administration has had five public education cabinet secretaries thus far. 'Education needs consistent leadership at the top,' he said during the meeting. The Senate Education Committee adopted an amendment to SJR 3 Friday, to make sure there is still a separate Public Education Commission in place to authorize charter schools in the state. The state school board would be made up of 10 elected members and five appointed by the governor. They would determine department policies and appoint a superintendent. The proposed structure is how governance was organized up until former Gov. Bill Richardson's administration, when voters approved a constitutional amendment creating a cabinet-level position to lead the Public Education Department. Former Sen. Steven Neville (R-Aztec) and President Pro Tempore Mimi Stewart (D-Albuquerque) introduced a similar resolution in 2023, which passed the Senate but died before a House vote. Representatives from the New Mexico School Board Association, New Mexico Coalition of Educational Leaders, New Mexico School Superintendents, Albuquerque Teacher Federation and a current Public Education Commissioner all spoke in favor of the resolution. 'It's very important that a superintendent go beyond three years in order to enact change within his district. It's no different at the state level. Matter of fact, it's very much more important,' Martin Madrid, president of the New Mexico School Superintendents Association, said during the meeting. 'In my short tenure as the president since June, I've had to build a relationship with two separate secretaries.' Members of NewMexicoKidsCAN, the Greater Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce, New Mexico Chamber of Commerce, Think New Mexico and Teach Plus New Mexico voiced their opposition to changing the governance of public education in the state as a way to address shortcomings in student performance. 'I worry it will include more chaos as we make all of these transitions,' Amanda Aragon, executive director of NewMexicoKidsCAN, said. 'I think you need look no further than the local school board elections in your own districts to know that school board elections are becoming really, really political.' Mariana Padilla, secretary designate of the Public Education Department, also voiced her opposition to the bill, noting that the time and resources it will take to restructure the department 'would be much better spent on focusing on the educational initiatives and needs of our students and our educators.' 'There is no body of research that indicates that a state school board structure is a better governance structure,' Padilla told committee members. SUBSCRIBE: GET THE MORNING HEADLINES DELIVERED TO YOUR INBOX
