SEN. KOLKHORST REAPPOINTED TO SERVE AS HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMITTEE CHAIR

  

State Senator Lois Kolkhorst has been reappointed as the chair of the Senate committee on Health and Human Services.

On Monday, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced committee appointments for the 88^th Legislative Session. 

In addition to chairing the Health and Human Services Committee, Kolkhorst will also serve as a member of the Senate committees on Business and Commerce; Finance; Natural Resources and Economic Development; and Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs.

Kolkhorst said she is grateful to Lt. Gov. Patrick for giving her the opportunity to continue working to “improve the state’s healthcare, mental health delivery system and child protective services.”  She said, “We must also work together to strike a balance between our public health priorities, civil liberties, and economic freedoms."

The Health and Human Services Committee manages nearly $85 billion of healthcare spending in the state budget.  It is also responsible for setting public health policy for the state, regulating physicians and other healthcare professionals, providing legislative oversight to state agencies and boards including the Health & Human Services Commission, Department of Family & Protective Services and the Texas Medical Board, among many other health-related licensing agencies.

Renamed to the Finance Committee, Kolkhorst said her focus will be a fiscally conservative approach to budgeting, making certain the $32.7 billion surplus is used to lower taxes, pay down state debts, fully fund and improve education, and make investments aimed at saving taxpayer money in the long-term.

The Business and Commerce Committee will face the task of strengthening the state's power grid.  Kolkhorst said she will support legislation to increase thermal dispatchable generation to improve reliability.

Having served on the Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee for four previous sessions, Kolkhorst will continue her work on water policy for Senate District 18, ensuring access to water and protecting agriculture.

Kolkhorst said she is “extremely honored to work on these important committees that will impact everything from major healthcare policies to ensuring future thermal energy for a growing Texas as well as access to water along with overall tax policy.”  She said serving on these committees “has direct and significant impacts to the people of Senate District 18 and all Texans.”