The Texas House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs will gavel in at 9 a.m. Wednesday to examine how mental illness, homelessness and the criminal-justice system feed one another, and to weigh whether Texas is doing enough to keep young people leaving foster care from ending up on the street.
The panel will take invited testimony only, though Texans may file written comments online until the hearing adjourns.
When: 9:00 AM, Wednesday, June 24, 2026
Where: Room E2.026, Capitol Extension, Austin
Chair: Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., R–Magnolia (HD-3)
Vice Chair: Rep. Erin Zwiener, D–Driftwood (HD-45)
Format: Invited testimony only; written public comment accepted online
Live video: house.texas.gov/video-audio/
Submit comments online: comments.house.texas.gov/home?c=c324
Chaired by Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., R-Magnolia, the committee is working through interim charges handed down ahead of the 90th Legislature, which convenes in 2027. Intergovernmental Affairs holds jurisdiction over counties, municipalities and four state agencies, a portfolio that places it at the intersection of local jails, housing programs and homelessness policy — the threads Wednesday’s agenda tries to pull together.
Mental health, homelessness and recidivism. The committee’s marquee charge directs members to study the relationship between mental health conditions, homelessness and repeated contact with the justice system. Members will examine the availability of specialized high-acuity beds for homeless Texans with severe mental illness, addiction and complex medical needs, and will weigh recommendations on pre-arrest diversion, alternatives to inpatient hospitalization, and data-sharing practices meant to break the cycle of re-arrest.
Foster youth and homelessness. A second charge asks the committee to study the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Foster Youth to Independence initiative, which provides housing vouchers to young adults aging out of foster care. Members are to review program models from other states and identify best practices that could be applied in Texas, where research has consistently found that young people who age out of foster care without permanent placement face elevated risks of homelessness, unemployment and justice-system contact. The charge dovetails with the committee’s broader focus on housing instability, and it places the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs — one of the agencies under the panel’s jurisdiction — at the center of the discussion.
Agency oversight. Under the broad oversight authority of Section 301.014 of the Government Code, the committee will monitor the agencies in its jurisdiction — including for fraud, waste and abuse. Those agencies are the Office of State-Federal Relations, the Commission on Jail Standards, the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs and the Texas Commission on Fire Protection.
Because the committee is meeting in the interim, it will not vote on legislation. Any findings would shape bills filed when lawmakers reconvene in 2027.
Committee members
- Rep. Cecil Bell Jr., R–Magnolia (HD-3) — Chair
- Rep. Erin Zwiener, D–Driftwood (HD-45) — Vice Chair
- Rep. Sheryl Cole, D–Austin (HD-46)
- Rep. Philip Cortez, D–San Antonio (HD-117)
- Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez, D–Farmers Branch (HD-115)
- Rep. Terri Leo Wilson, R–Galveston (HD-23)
- Rep. David Lowe, R–North Richland Hills (HD-91)
- Rep. Shelley Luther, R–Tom Bean (HD-62)
- Rep. Jon E. Rosenthal, D–Houston (HD-135)
- Rep. David Spiller, R–Jacksboro (HD-68)
- Rep. Carl Tepper, R–Lubbock (HD-84)