Austin, TX — Texas health officials are proposing to eliminate the state’s Children’s Autism Program as part of budget reductions ordered for the 2028-29 biennium, alarming families and providers who say access to treatment is already severely limited.
The Texas Health and Human Services Commission included eliminating the program in its budget request after Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows directed state agencies to cut spending by 3%.
The program provided treatment to 583 children during fiscal 2026, while contractors told the Associated Press that at least 1,000 additional children are waiting for services, sometimes for years…