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NAMI Texas champions\nbetter care and better lives for all Texans affected by mental health conditions. Join our\nmovement!

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Why engage in statewide advocacy?

Although the federal government can have a dramatic impact on the regulations and funding of mental health programs, people often underestimate how much the state government impacts their lives and the services they use. People also underestimate their ability to influence their state government to enact real change. Texas is the second largest state in the nation and holds almost 9% of the US population.

How do I get involved in state advocacy?

Working through the state legislature is one of the most public and effective ways to change mental health policy as a Texas resident. Our state legislature meets for 140 days every odd-numbered year to pass bills and set the budget for the following two biennium. However, legislators have staff in their office all year and hearings on key issues happen in-between sessions as well.

Get to know your state legislators.

You can find information on your state and federal legislators through our action center, but you can also look up their information by entering your address here. From there, you can find out their backgrounds, interests, and committee assignments and discover opportunities for working on common interests. You can also find contact information to call and discuss important issues impacting mental health, or schedule a visit with their staff. Building a relationship with your legislators is critical to enacting change, as lawmakers often trust and rely on the expertise of individuals and groups they already know.

Follow NAMI Texas' legislative priorities.

In the months prior to each legislative session, NAMI Texas puts out a public policy platform that shows our state priorities for the next two years. The platform for 2019-2020 can be found here. You can also find out current information about our policy priorities on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or by emailing executive.director@namitexas.org or policy.fellow@namitexas.org to be added to our advocacy mailing list.

Follow the legislative process during session.

The state legislature will reconvene for the 87th legislative session in January 2021, but legislators will starting filing bills in November 2020. We see hundreds of bills impacting mental health each session, so there are many opportunities to get involved and learn more about the process. The Texas Legislature Online (TLO) is a great resource for tracking bills and finding information on public hearings during and after the session.

Join your local NAMI affiliate's advocacy committee

There's strength in numbers when it comes to advocacy, and working in groups to pass legislation is critical to be effective. A number of local NAMI affiliates in Texas engage in advocacy at the local and state levels and hold regular committee meetings. If your affiliate does not have a committee, you can talk to your affiliate leader about getting one started. Find your local affiliate here.

Follow our action center and participate in advocacy campaigns

As issues come up in state policy, we will post advocacy campaigns that urge you to email, call, or meet with your legislators to discuss specific issues or bills that impact mental health in Texas. We will provide the key information, but we need NAMI members and mental health allies to reach out to the legislators and urge them to improve mental health across the state.

Resources

Contacting your Texas Legislators: https://lrl.texas.gov/genInfo/ContactLeg.cfm

Citizen's Handbook: How the Texas Legislature Works: https://senate.texas.gov/_assets/pdf/Citizen_HBook_Web_2015.pdf

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NAMI Texas is the state chapter of NAMI, the National Alliance\non Mental Illness, which is the nation\u2019s largest grassroots mental health organization\ndedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental\nillness. What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table\nin 1979 has grown into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, NAMI\nis an association of more than 600 local affiliates who work in your community to advocate, raise awareness\nand provide support and education.
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NAMI Texas is a non-profit, non-partisan organization.\nWe support public policies that help people with mental\nhealth conditions and their families. NAMI has a strong presence in the U.S.\nCapitol and all 50 states, advocating for national laws and regulations, state laws,\nas well as county and local policies that will ensure that people get the help they\nneed when they need it.

Find out more about our state chapter at our website. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram for up-to-date news on our work and mental health in Texas.
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