Texas House & Senate Interim Charges: In late March, Speaker Dustin Burrows and Lt. Governor Dan Patrick released interim charges, items that legislative committees are assigned to study before the 2027 session. These charges are often a signal of leadership priorities heading into the next legislative cycle.
- New House Select Committees: Speaker Burrows created three new select committees: Healthcare Affordability, Governmental Oversight, and General Aviation.
- New Senate Select Committees: Lt. Governor Patrick created three new select committees: Religious Liberty, Homeland and Border Security, and Veteran Affairs.
- Healthcare-Relevant House Charges: Several committee charges have implications for healthcare in Texas, including:
- Healthcare Affordability: The select committee will evaluate cost drivers, study improvements to the delivery system and emerging financing models, assess the impact of insurance design and market structure on consumers and employers, examine consolidation impacts on patient choice, and review consumer price transparency.
- Mismanagement Prevention of Government Funded Programs: Committees will ensure Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) efficiently serve eligible Texans, evaluate barriers to provider enrollment and credentialing, and consider additional measures to reduce costs to taxpayers.
- Rural Healthcare: The Appropriations Committee will address funding to support and expand rural healthcare statewide, while other committees study the implementation of federal Rural Health Transformation Program (RHTP) funding, assessing its effects on access to care, behavioral health, telehealth, workforce stability, and provider sustainability.
Healthcare Technology: Committees will study the use of AI in healthcare to improve access, quality, and efficiency, and evaluate telehealth and virtual care models. - Healthcare Workforce: Review the current and projected healthcare workforce shortage in Texas and make recommendations to reduce its impact on access to care and service delivery.
- Committee Hearings Underway: The Senate Health and Human Services Committee met on April 8 to examine government provider and consumer waste in Medicaid and Child Care Services. Upcoming hearings include the Healthcare Affordability Committee on April 30-May 1 and the Senate Finance Committee on July 27-28 and September 2.
Texas May 26, 2026 Runoff Elections: Texas will hold runoff elections for the 38 races in which no candidate received more than 50% of the vote. Winners will advance to the November general election.
Key Facts:
- Voter Registration: The voter registration deadline for the primary runoff has passed (April 27). However, registered Texas voters who did not vote in the March primary may vote in either party’s runoff. Voters who did participate in the March primary may only vote in the runoff for the same party.
- Early voting window: Early voting opens Monday, May 18, and closes Friday, May 22.
- Statewide runoff contests include:
- U.S. Senate (R): Incumbent Sen. John Cornyn vs. Attorney General Ken Paxton
- Attorney General (R): Mayes Middleton vs. Chip Roy; (D): State Sen. Nathan Johnson vs. former Galveston Mayor Joe Jaworski
- Railroad Commissioner (R): Bo French vs. Incumbent Jim Wright
- Lieutenant Governor (D): Vikki Goodwin vs. Marcos Velez
- District-level races: Runoffs are also taking place in select U.S. House, Texas Senate, Texas House, and State Board of Education districts. Visit the Texas Secretary of State’s elections page to find the races specific to your district.
- What’s on my ballot? Ballot content is determined by voting precinct. Visit your county’s election website to find a ballot specific to your address.
