Texas Silver-Haired Legislature Advocacy

TSHL is officially authorized and recognized by the Texas Legislature as an essential resource on issues affecting older Texans.

We represent older Texans – addressing protections from fraud and other abuse of seniors; assurance of competent, vigilant and respectful health and nursing care;  actions to mitigate isolation and nutritional deficiencies often associated with aging; and protection and preservation of other issues unique to our older population.

 

The Advocacy Process

Advocacy is the act of supporting a population segment or a specific cause and, ultimately, developing a proposal(s) to solve a problem.

TSHL is:

  • Nonpartisan;
  • Not-for-profit;
  • Officially authorized and recognized by the Texas Legislature;
  • Served by elected TSHL Legislators (age 60 and over) who are unpaid volunteers and self-fund much of their expenses for travel to TSHL meetings, and
  • A viable and credible advocacy predicate to the Texas Legislature that has impacted over 275 pieces of legislation since its inception in 1985.
  • A forum for older Texans to “discuss older Texans issues, debate those issues, and establish legislative priorities for the Texas Legislature to consider.”

The TSHL does not specialize in just one aging issue.  We take a 360° approach to improve state government effectiveness in laws that deal with older Texans and aging   With the rapid rate of older population growth, the TSHL is “Now, More Important than Ever.”

Our advocacy process is comprehensive.  Our Legislators, through their own experience, expertise, or interest along with constituent input, identify issues of older Texans that are both appropriate and necessary for state involvement.  Legislators research these issues by researching them, consulting with experts, and by other collaborative efforts.  Legislators then write a “Resolution” – a document identifying and describing the issue with a recommendation for appropriate legislation.  Resolutions go through a process that includes a review by a Proposed Resolution Review Panel, debate and a vote in a Legislative Review Committee, continued debate and a vote by the Legislative Action Committee, and untimately presentation to the whole TSHL body for debate and adoption.  All adopted Resolutions by the full body are then published in a Legislative Report that goes to the Governor and each member of the Texas Senate and House of Representatives prior to the conviening of the next session of the Texas Legislature.

TSHL resolution authors then lead teams of TSHL Legislators to contact our state legislators prior to and during the State Legislative Session.  TSHL Legislators often provide either in-person or written testimony to keep our resolutions visible as bills are drafted and ultimately voted on by the Texas Legislature.

Scott Christensen
2021-2023 State Affairs Committee Chair

Recent Legislative Successes

 

  • Establish Silver Alert for missing seniors.
  • ERS Pension funding for financial soundness
  • TRS Pension funding for financial soundness
  • TRS-CARE additional State funding
  • Medical Cannabis increase in authorized medical conditions for treatment
  • Tele-Medicine and Tele-Dentistry authorizations
  • Rural Broadband Expansion
  • Criminal Penalties for Senior Financial Abuse, including actions of “Undue Influence”
  • Streamlining physician licensure requirements for APRNs
  • Reporting of Communicable Diseases in certain LTC facilities
  • Continued Line Item funding for Senior Corps

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