KPRC 2 obtained a letter from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) dated Friday, which cites “insufficient funds” caused by the ongoing government shutdown. The agency says the funding lapse will prevent it from paying the more than 42 million Americans who depend on the program.

Starting April 1, 2026, Texans who use SNAP benefits won’t be able to buy candy or sweetened drinks — including sodas and artificially sweetened beverages. The change, approved by the federal government, aims to promote healthier food choices.

State officials have initiated construction on the Lubbock Psychiatric Center, a $121 million, 50-bed maximum-security mental health hospital funded as part of Texas' $2.5 billion overhaul of its mental health care system.

Tens of thousands of Texans are now being told their data was part of a privacy breach that dates back to 2021.

So far, nine Texas Health and Human Services Commission employees have been fired for improperly accessing Texans’ data.

The cards used by millions of Americans to purchase food for their family don’t have modern security features, experts say.

A single mother in Houston now has to find another way to feed her three children after someone stole her SNAP benefits on Monday.

The death of an 11-year-old at a Greenville residential treatment center is among 16 deaths reported in the Texas foster care system in the last 15 months.

The Greenville-based treatment center has closed after the death of an 11-year-old boy the day before Thanksgiving.

The request comes after an audit found Texas improperly billed the federal government for reimbursements related to Medicaid-eligible students.

Governor Greg Abbott announced Thursday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission received federal approval extending the time that Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) recipients impacted by Hurricane Beryl can purchase hot foods and ready-to-eat meals with their benefits until Sept. 15.

For years, Cook’s Children, two other children’s hospitals have administered Medicaid health coverage plans. Canceling their contracts would put jobs and coverage at risk, they say.

The construction begins after lawmakers have allocated $2.5 billion to modernize and increase access to inpatient psychiatric care in Texas.

Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) received federal approval allowing recipients of the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) to apply for replacement benefits for food lost or destroyed in last week’s storms.

Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced Wednesday that it will replace the stolen Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits for several families.

Texas is reviewing the eligibility of people on Medicaid health plans or Healthy Texas Women now that pandemic Medicaid coverage is ending. Here’s what that means, how to renew your health coverage or find other options if you no longer qualify.

Governor Greg Abbott announced Thursday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is providing more than $344.1 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for the month of January. The allotments are expected to help about 1.6 million Texas households.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday the Texas Health and Human Services Commission will provide more than $341.4 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program food benefits for the month of December.

Governor Greg Abbott announced Wednesday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a fifth round of federal Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) food benefits for Texas families with children who temporarily lost access to federally funded summer meal programs due to COVID-19.

Governor Greg Abbott announced Friday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is providing more than $344.9 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for the month of September. The allotments are expected to help about 1.6 million Texas households.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has launched a donation account to help raise funds for youth survivors of human trafficking.

Texas families with students relying on free or reduced-cost meals are eligible for a $375 payment in food aid. Families have until Sept. 13 to apply for aid from the 2020-21 school year.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced Tuesday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a third round of federal Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) food benefits for families with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Gov. Abbott announced Wednesday that Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) is receiving more than $210 million in federal emergency grants for mental health and substance use disorder services to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is extending emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for the month of June in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Gov. Greg Abbott announced Wednesday.

Texas Families Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Thursday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has received approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for a second round of federal Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) food benefits for families with children who have temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals due to COVID-19 during the 2020-2021 school year.

AUSTIN – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission is expanding visitation statewide Tuesday in nursing facilities and other long-term care settings. While continuing to follow all protocols to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including wearing face masks, Texas nursing facilities can now permit:AdClose/personal contact during any visitation for fully vaccinated residents. Nursing facilities no longer need to do the following:Request general visitation approval from HHSC. In addition to nursing facilities, HHSC expanded visitation allowed in assisted living facilities, intermediate care facilities, and home and community-based service providers. Click here to view the updated emergency rules for nursing facilities.

Greg Abbott announced Sunday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has received federal approval for SNAP recipients to use their food benefits to purchase hot foods and ready-to-eat meals due to the severe weather in Texas. “As we continue to recover from this winter storm, the state is ensuring that Texans in need have access to hot food to feed their families,” said Governor Abbott. “I thank our federal partners at the U.S. Department of Agriculture for approving this waiver.”SNAP recipients can purchase these foods at grocery stores that accept SNAP benefits all throughout Texas, according to a press release. Foods like rotisserie chickens and deli foods can be used by SNAP recipients. “These added federal flexibilities will go a long way in helping SNAP clients feed their families.”AdSNAP recipients can buy these foods until the end of March, according to officials.

Food like rotisserie chickens can be bought with SNAP benefits. Greg Abbott announced Sunday that the Texas Health and Human Services Commission has received federal approval for SNAP recipients to use their food benefits to purchase hot foods and ready-to-eat meals due to the severe weather in Texas. “As we continue to recover from this winter storm, the state is ensuring that Texans in need have access to hot food to feed their families,” said Governor Abbott. Foods like rotisserie chickens and deli foods can be used by SNAP recipients. “These added federal flexibilities will go a long way in helping SNAP clients feed their families.”AdSNAP recipients can buy these foods until the end of March, according to officials.

HHSC received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. The emergency March allotments are in addition to the more than $2.5 billion in benefits previously provided to Texans since April 2020. AdAdministered by HHSC, SNAP is a federal program that provides food assistance to approximately 1.6 million eligible low-income families and individuals in Texas. Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage their benefits. “Providing emergency SNAP benefits is critical to our state’s ongoing COVID-19 response because it ensures that Texas families can continue to put healthy meals on the table,” said Governor Abbott.

HOUSTON – The Texas Health and Human Services Commission will provide approximately $204 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, food benefits for the month of December as the state continues to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The emergency December allotments are in addition to the almost $1.7 billion in benefits previously provided to Texans between April and November. HHSC received federal approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture to extend the maximum, allowable amount of SNAP benefits to recipients based on family size. Texans in need can apply for benefits, including SNAP and Medicaid, at YourTexasBenefits.com or use the Your Texas Benefits mobile app to manage their benefits. “The extension of these emergency SNAP benefits ensures that Texans can continue to provide nutritious food for their families during the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Texas Gov.

Here are things to know for Friday, Nov. 6:1. Who voted for Trump? Here’s how the vote broke across Houston and TexasVoters in Texas turned out in huge numbers during the election. “I thank our partners at the USDA for extending these emergency benefits for the month of November.”Read more. Plans for 2021 Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announcedThe Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo announced its plans for the 2021 livestock show Thursday. Freeport police Chief Ray Garivey swore in Abigail, who was battling Wilms tumor -- a form of kidney cancer.

Gov. Greg Abbott announced the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) will provide approximately $202 million in emergency Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) food benefits for the month of November as the state continues its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

After years of budget cuts in Texas caused nonprofit therapy providers to drop out of the program, U.S. Department of Education officials found Texas to be in “significant noncompliance” with education guidelines on early intervention services. Children's advocates called on state leaders to provide additional funding to Texas' Early Childhood Intervention program, also known as ECI. The program’s funding fell from $166 million in fiscal year 2011 to about $148 million in 2019, federal officials wrote. Children's advocacy groups say Texas is among three states with the lowest share of children receiving early intervention services. Earlier this year, Texas officials proposed additional funding cuts to the early intervention program, but the agency withdrew that proposal.

HOUSTON – Texas is investing $1.1 billion in federal funding to nursing facilities across the state, Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas Health and Human Services Commission announced on Friday. The Quality Incentive Payment Program has been approved by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to support facilities that provide care for individuals receiving Medicaid. Qualified facilities can use funds for quality improvements in staffing, infection control and other key long-term care quality indicators. “This funding will improve the quality of care and strengthen infection controls at Texas nursing facilities,” said Abbott in a news release.

AUSTIN – Beginning Monday, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) started posting to its website COVID-19 case counts and deaths by facility name for state-supported living centers, state hospitals, and state-licensed nursing and assisted living facilities. “HHSC has a legal and ethical obligation to protect the private health information of everyone we serve, both in the private facilities we regulate and those we operate,” said HHS Executive Commissioner Phil Wilson. Data for the state-operated SSLCs and state hospitals will reflect confirmed cases as of the previous business day. Because nursing facilities and assisted living facilities self-report data to HHSC, HHSC says staff must review and correct any clerical or reporting errors to ensure data integrity. To accommodate time for this review, HHSC says data posted on these facilities will reflect counts two weeks prior to the date of posting.

By June 11, Texas had completed an initial, month-long round of mandatory testing in all Texas nursing facilities. The ability to reopen nursing homes which have been closed to visitors since mid-March depends on it, Lutzel said. Last week, the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services committed to sending testing devices to nursing homes. But with more than 1,200 nursing homes and 2,000 assisted-living facilities in Texas, 57 devices are not nearly enough, Tran said. Warren said nursing homes are doing everything they know to do to fight a virus we dont see.

Cecile Young will run the Texas Health and Human Services Commission in the midst of a pandemic that has hit Texas particularly hard. Texas Health and Human Services CommissionCecile Young has been named the new head of the Texas Health and Human Services Commission as the agency fights an ever-growing number of coronavirus cases in the state. Cecile will provide immediate leadership to help solve the health care challenges facing our state during this pandemic, said Gov. She worked at the Health and Human Services Commission in the early 1990s after it was created by the Legislature, helping launch the fledgling agency, according to her LinkedIn page. Courtney Phillips led the commission for just over a year before leaving to take the top job at Louisianas health agency.

Nursing homes are not required to publicly disclose this information. Texas Health and Human Services Commission, which oversees these facilities, will only release raw numbers — 381 nursing homes and assisted living facilities are reporting COVID-19 cases. We reached out to nursing homes across Texas and filled in some of the blanks with reports from our NBC affiliates in Dallas, Austin, and San Antonio. Charles Brown is an attorney who specializes in holding negligent nursing homes accountable, but he is pledging not to take and COVID-19 related cases. “We’ve got to have the highest level of medical care which includes testing and reporting the data to know how we continue to handle nursing homes,” Jackson said.

AUSTIN, Texas – Texas has been awarded $27.4 million in federal funds to combat opioid-use disorders, officials announced Friday. The money will help the state’s efforts aimed at preventing and treating prescription and illicit opioid dependence, according to a news release. Of the more than 33,000 opioid-related deaths in the United States in 2015, 1,186 took place in Texas, officials said. The $27.4 million in grant money will be used for prevention, training, outreach, treatment and recovery support services. The following groups are especially at-risk for opioid-use disorders: those in major metro areas, women who are pregnant and postpartum and people with a history of prescription opioid misuse.