HB 35

"Why HB 35 Matters to Me—and Should Matter to You

There’s a bill that quietly passed this session that I believe every Texan should know about. It doesn’t deal with taxes or politics as usual. It deals with something far more personal: the trauma that our first responders carry, and the silence they are often forced to live in because of it.

HB 35, written by Rep. Senfronia Thompson, creates a statewide peer support network for firefighters and EMS personnel. This isn’t about more bureaucracy. This is about building something real—a support system where those who run into danger for a living can finally talk to someone who gets it.

Let me be clear: most of the firefighters, medics, and veterans I’ve counseled over the years didn’t come to me because I’m a therapist. They came because they couldn’t trust anyone else. They were afraid. Afraid of being labeled. Afraid of losing their jobs. Afraid of their coworkers looking at them differently if they ever admitted they were struggling.

And here’s the truth: they were struggling. They were reliving scenes the rest of us only see in movies. They were stuck in memories they didn’t ask for. They were holding back tears and rage and shame—and still showing up to work. That is why this bill matters.

What HB 35 Does:

It tells firefighters and EMS that they matter too—not just the people they save.

It creates regional support hubs where trained peers (other first responders) can offer help.

It requires suicide prevention training for those peers and gives them access to licensed mental health professionals.

It protects participants’ privacy. What’s said in peer support can’t be used against them.

It bars disciplinary action from fire and EMS licensing agencies if someone seeks help.

It mandates an annual report to track whether this system is working.

But here’s what I’m most grateful for: this bill recognizes that needing help is not weakness—it’s survival.

It’s not perfect. Funding depends on the Legislature each year. There’s no guarantee every rural community will get full access. And there’s still work to be done to make sure those offering support are actually trauma-informed and trustworthy. But this is a start. A big one.

This is the kind of law that could save lives—not just on the job, but after the sirens fade. It could give people a reason not to give up. And maybe, just maybe, it means fewer folks will have to come to people like me in secret, carrying their pain in silence.

If you care about mental health, if you care about our first responders, or if you’ve ever lost someone to the kind of invisible wounds this bill is trying to treat—then know this:

HB 35 is a win for Texas.

And to Rep. Thompson: thank you. You may never hear the names of those you helped, but they will remember what this law made possible."