Success in the 2013 Legislative Session

In January, we listed several issues that were important to us in the 2013 session. In nearly every case, we succeeded in advancing strong cancer-fighting policies.

Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas (CPRIT)
ACS CAN played a vital role in advocating for reform and full funding of CPRIT. CPRIT reform is now law, and the agency will be funded in the amount of $594 million for the next two years.

Youth Tanning Restrictions
ACS CAN and its allies led a successful initiative to raise the minimum age for indoor tanning to 18. This new law will reduce youth exposure to a serious cancer risk

Smoke-Free Legislation
We faced a difficult set of options in 2013 for smoke-free legislation: pass a non-comprehensive law that would delay passage of a fully comprehensive law, or make the case for real reform while recognizing that success could take time. Our legislative allies remain as strong as ever after this session, and we will continue to build political and public support for this vital initiative.

Tobacco Prevention and Cessation Program
The Texas Department of State Human Services (DSHS) increased state funding for tobacco prevention and cessation by $11.6 million dollars: funding from all sources will total $29.7 million in 2014-15.

Texas Breast and Cervical Cancer Program
The legislature set aside $5.2 million for this screening program for at-risk women, which we supported.

Texas Cancer Registry
As part of the CPRIT budget, DSHS will receive $2.97 million per year to run the Texas Cancer Registry.

Access to Care
The legislature considered and rejected a plan to accept federal funding to provide private coverage for up to 1.8 million uninsured Texans. While ACS CAN did not recommend a formal plan, we encouraged legislators to accept federal funding to make broader access to care possible.