Pro-Life Budget Amendments - 89th Legislature

On Thursday, April 10, the Texas House will consider, debate, and vote on CSSB 1, the biennial state budget bill. The budget outlines and establishes the priorities for the Legislature, including the Pro-Life Priorities. CSSB 1 must accomplish three Pro-Life goals in the biennial budget: (1) fully fund the Pro-Life Thriving Texas Families (TTF) program with $210 million for the biennium, (2) prevent the Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) from mandating certain payment models for the TTF providers, and (3) preserve and expand Pro-Life policies and programs in the budget.

Fully fund the Thriving Texas Families program
TTF was established in 2005 as the Alternatives to Abortion program and has grown exponentially into a robust, statewide social service network that contracts with pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, and maternity homes. This Pro-Life program provides counseling, parenting classes, job skills training, the dispensing of diapers and formula, and much more. CSSB 1 currently funds the program at $140 million for the biennium, a shocking decrease from the 88th legislative session. If the funding is not increased to $210 million, the program’s impact will be limited, further delaying the approval of qualified providers ready and willing to serve families in need. Moreover, the number of Texas women utilizing TTF providers is anticipated to increase by 33% in this biennium. Several Pro-Life legislators have pre-filed amendments to increase the program’s funding. For the program to accept pending providers and continue serving more Texas women, children, and families, the Legislature must raise the total funding of the Pro-Life program to at least $210 million for the biennium.
Prevent state agencies from harming TTF providers
In February of 2025, HHSC made abrupt changes to the program without legislative direction or stakeholder feedback, including restricting all TTF contracts to use a direct-cost reimbursement payment model. This model is more expensive to both the state and small pregnancy resource centers than the fee-for-service funding model allowed under the program for 19 years. The Legislature must pass a rider to protect the program and small TTF providers from this harmful bureaucratic change. The rider by Representative Tom Oliverson, M.D., (R-Cypress) on Packet Page 155 will protect small TTF providers and honor the state’s fiscal responsibility to keep down administrative costs.
Stop pro-abortion amendments
Numerous elected officials have pre-filed anti-Life amendments. Some amendments attack the TTF program, and other amendments explicitly remove Pro-Life riders. Other proposed amendments include ambiguous language that could open the door for taxpayer funds to flow to abortion providers like Planned Parenthood. The House must block each of these dangerous, anti-Life amendments.

Votes on the following amendments are eligible for scoring on Texas Right to Life’s Pro-Life Scorecard for the 89th Legislature:

House Bill 1 by Representative Bonnen, M.D.:

Item	TXRTL Position	Summary
Article I P. 38 by Money	Neutral	Fund the installation of an Unborn Texans Memorial Plaque to be displayed in the Capitol Complex, listing the estimated number of Texans’ lives lost to abortion under Roe v. Wade.
Article I P. 66 by Hopper	PRIORITY: Support	Increases funding to the Thriving Texas Families program by $70 million for the biennium, meeting funding needs for pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, and maternity homes. Reduces funding for the “Promote Texas” program in the Trusteed Programs Within the Office of the Governor. If adopted, TTF would be funded at $210 million, which is the goal for the Pro-Life program.
Article I P. 98 by Money	Neutral	Requires the Texas State Almanac to provide information on the state’s commitment to protecting unborn children’s lives.
Article II P. 119 by Simmons	Oppose	Completely defunds the Thriving Texas Families program and removes all references to the Pro-Life program from the budget.
Article II P. 143 by Oliverson, M.D.	Support	Increases funding to the Thriving Texas Families program by $40 million for the biennium by reducing funding to Medicaid Client Services. If adopted, TTF would be funded at $180 million for the biennium but still short of the necessary goal of $210 million.
Article II P. 145 by Harris Davila	PRIORITY: Support	Increases funding to the Thriving Texas Families program by $70 million for the biennium, meeting funding needs for pregnancy centers, adoption agencies, and maternity homes. Reduces general revenue in all HHSC strategies proportionally. If adopted, TTF would be funded at $210 million, which is the goal for the Pro-Life program.
Article II P. 147 by Capriglione	Amend	Amended to use a different funding source—rather than the TTF program—to promote awareness of Safe Haven laws. The rider currently redirects $4 million from TTF funds, which are intended for pregnancy centers and providers supporting women and families. While we support the goal of raising awareness about Safe Haven laws, we oppose using funds already designated for Pro-Life services.
Article II P. 155 by Oliverson, M.D.	PRIORITY: Support	Prohibits HHSC from mandating payment models in the Thriving Texas Families program since this is how bureaucrats are harming small Pro-Life pregnancy centers and providers.
Article II P. 163 by Howard	Oppose	Requires $5 million of Thriving Texas Families funding to be spent on substance use treatments, which are outside of the scope of this specific Pro-Life program.
Article II P. 188 by Lalani	Amend	Creates the Women’s Health and Wraparound Services program to provide support to women, such as translation, transportation, child care, mental health, primary health care, and substance abuse services. Earmarks $4 million of funding for the Women’s Health Program for the new program. While this is a noble goal, the rider must be amended to prevent abortion assistance organizations, such as Jane’s Due Process or Fund Texas Choice, from receiving this funding.
Article III P. 289 by Money	Support	Prohibits all state funding from being used to host, support, or advertise activities or organizations that support or encourage abortion in institutions of higher education.
Article VII P. 378 by Oliverson, M.D.	Neutral	Dedicates $1 million to Rural Hospital Obstetrics and Gynecology Telemedicine Medical Services.
Article VII P. 395 by Jones, Jolanda	Neutral	Creates a new strategy called Maternal and Infant Mortality Among Black Women and Infants and funds it with $995,000 from the Texas Lottery Commission.
Article IX P. 440 by Cain	Support	Creates a budget-wide prohibition on funding related to purchasing or research using human fetal tissue.
Article IX P. 441 by Cain	Support	Creates a budget-wide prohibition on funding related to anti-Life embryo-destroying research.
Article IX P. 438 by Bryant	Oppose	Removes Pro-Life policies that prohibit state funding of abortion.

After the close of the 89th Texas Legislature, Texas Right to Life will release a detailed report of Pro-Life efforts, successes, and missed opportunities from this session. See ProLifeScorecard.com for previous years.