Governor Greg Abbott attended the Texas Organization of Rural & Community Hospitals (TORCH) fall conference in Austin, where he spoke to over 350 healthcare leaders and rural advocates. During the event, Governor Abbott signed House Bill 18 and House Bill 3000 into law, both aimed at improving healthcare in rural areas of Texas.
“The hardworking people in rural Texas provide the food, fuel, and fiber that all Texans depend on,” said Governor Abbott. “It is essential that we do more for rural Texas and rural healthcare. That is why we made one of the largest investments ever for mental health hospitals and facilities to cover the entire Panhandle and the Uvalde community. This funding will make Texas more efficient in delivering preventative healthcare. Here today, together through House Bill 18 and House Bill 3000, we are dramatically improving healthcare in rural Texas.”
Governor Abbott referenced a recent roundtable discussion with U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., which focused on rural healthcare initiatives alongside industry stakeholders from Texas. He noted that recent investments by the Trump Administration and the Texas Legislature have expanded support for healthcare needs in rural communities throughout the state. The Governor also acknowledged the contributions of workers in these communities to the state’s economy.
Senator Charles Perry, Representative Ken King, Representative Gary VanDeaver, TORCH Chair Lorenzo Serrano, TORCH Interim CEO Terry Scoggin, and other healthcare leaders joined Governor Abbott at the event.
House Bill 18, called the Rural Health Stabilization and Innovation Act, aims to provide strategic planning and funding to help sustain rural hospitals and clinics across Texas.
House Bill 3000 establishes a grant program administered by the Comptroller’s office to offer financial assistance to ambulance providers serving rural counties.
Additional photos from the event are expected to be made available later.
