From Bills to Laws: Advocacy in Action

Every two years, Texas lawmakers convene for 140 days during the Legislative Session to make crucial budget decisions and update laws that affect all Texans. During this time, bills go through a series of steps, including being filed, discussed in committees, debated, amended, and voted on in both chambers of the Legislature. If a bill passes both the House and Senate, it is sent to the governor, who can sign it into law, veto it, or allow it to become law without a signature. While the process may seem complex, it offers multiple opportunities for public involvement and influence.

Click here to view a graphic outlining each step.

Everyone is an advocate, and your voice matters in shaping the decisions that impact your community. Lawmakers represent the people in their districts and rely on hearing from constituents to understand challenges and explore possible solutions. Voices of those with lived experience and providers working directly with families carry powerful stories that can guide policymakers toward better outcomes. Building relationships with your lawmakers, sharing your experiences, and participating in the legislative process—whether through testimony, advocacy campaigns, or direct communication—can create meaningful change for children and families. By engaging in this process, you become a vital part of ensuring Texas laws and budgets reflect the needs and priorities of its people.

Watch to learn more: TexProtects’ Director of Policy and Advocacy shares with the Texas Prevention Network how lawmakers create bills and how to become involved in Texas’ 89th Legislative Session.

Virtual Series: Connecting Families To Resources

Learn how we can connect Texas families to resources through policy efforts in the 89th Legislative Session.

Opinion: Build Back Better can transform lives of millions of Texas children

We can’t talk about the future of Texas without talking about the well-being of our children.

During the last Texas legislative session, policymakers set a vision and passed legislation that will substantially improve outcomes for our youngest children. Now, we have an opportunity to realize the vision and the potential to transform millions of lives to catapult Texas into a future that is healthier, safer and more prosperous for everyone.

The Build Back Better Act, voted out of the House on Nov. 15 and awaiting a vote in the Senate, would provide once-in-a-lifetime funding for early childhood initiatives. Should it pass Congress, it could potentially grant $400 billion in social infrastructure across the nation. Funding allocation and implementation would be determined at the state level, but the figure would be significant enough to dramatically transform childhood wel-lbeing. Texas policymakers face a pivotal moment in history – and they must seize it.

Read the full article at Austin American Statesman.

Real-time Child Abuse Data

How to ensure that accurate and timely child welfare data is available in Texas.

View the One-Pager.

The State of Texas Families BEFORE COVID-19

How Texas ranks in child welfare areas and the ways to improve.

View the One-Pager.

Child Maltreatment Prevention

The true cost of child abuse and neglect in Texas.

View the One-Pager.

Family Connects

A breakdown of the benefits of Family Connects across Texas.

View the One-Pager.

A Family Support – Home Visiting

Breakdown of how investing in home visting can give children a strong start in Texas.

View the One-Pager.

87th Texas Legislative Session Wrap Up

Smart solutions to child abuse and neglect were put forward by TexProtects during the legislative session, including accomplishments, missed opportunities.

View the Report.