HB 109

"🟡 HB 109: A Bill That Helps Foster Youth—But Quietly Bends the Rules on Who Gets Paid

At first glance, HB 109 looks like the kind of bill we want to see: it helps kids in foster care who’ve been sleeping in hotels or CPS offices because there’s nowhere else for them to go.

And on that front, it does something important—it lets the state create more residential treatment facilities across Texas, not just at the old Waco center. That’s a big deal for youth in crisis who need real care, not just a cot and a caseworker.

But there’s a twist—and it’s buried deeper than most people catch.

What HB 109 Also Does:
It gives the state health agency (HHSC) permission to hand out construction money directly to any provider they choose. No competitive bidding. No public scorecard. No requirement to explain why one group got picked over another.

That’s a problem. Because when public money moves without public checks, it creates room for favoritism, waste, or worse—contracts quietly steered to political donors or well-connected vendors.

Who Gains Structural Power:
→ State agencies like HHSC, which now control big-money grants with no legislative oversight
→ Private mental health operators, especially those already plugged in at the Capitol
→ Big nonprofits or contractors who can skip the usual bid process

Who Gets Left Out or Should Be Watching:
→ Small towns or rural providers that won’t even know the money’s on the table
→ Local school districts that could be forced to educate out-of-district kids without new funding
→ Taxpayers who’ll never see a line-item or audit trail

This Isn’t Corruption—Yet. But It’s a Setup.
If this kind of direct-grant model catches on, it becomes a template. And next session, someone might copy-paste the same loophole into a bill for broadband, housing, or disaster relief. Before you know it, the public bidding process is just a suggestion—not a requirement.

The Goal Is Good. The Method Needs Watching.

We should absolutely be investing in care for the most vulnerable kids in the system. But Texans also deserve to know who’s getting paid, how they’re chosen, and whether our money’s actually fixing the problem—or just fueling another contractor pipeline.

Because helping kids shouldn’t mean handing over blank checks behind closed doors.

🟡 #HB109 #TexasPolicy #StayInformed #WatchTheDetails"