Gov. Greg Abbott ceremonially signed three health-focused bills into law on Wednesday, joined by U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., marking a new push to improve public health in Texas.
The legislation — Senate Bills 25, 314, and 379 — collectively dubbed the “Make America Healthy Again” initiative, aims to address chronic disease through bipartisan measures.
“Every legislator in Texas wants to see Texas be put on a pathway to be healthier,” Abbott said in a news release. “These bills that I am signing today put Texas on that pathway. Taxpayer dollars will no longer be used to fund chronic health problems in our state. These bills were truly a bipartisan effort, and I am proud to sign them into effect.”
Secretary Kennedy praised the move, stating, “Thank you, Governor Abbott, for your leadership in uniting Texans to confront chronic disease. I also commend the state’s legislators for coming together across party lines to pass these bipartisan bills. Texas has chosen a bold new course for public health — one I urge other states to follow.”
The signing ceremony, attended by Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, Speaker Dustin Burrows, and lawmakers, including Republican Senators Bryan Hughes (Mineola), Lois Kolkhorst (Brenham), and Mayes Middleton (Galveston), along with Republican Representatives Stan Gerdes (Smithville), Caroline Harris-Davila (Round Rock), and Lacey Hull (Houston), highlighted the collaborative effort. The event was streamed online.
Senate Bill 25, known as the “Make Texas Healthy Again” Act, mandates nutrition education in K-12 schools, higher education, and healthcare training, while enhancing food label transparency.
Senate Bill 314 bans certain additives in free or reduced-price school meals, and Senate Bill 379 restricts Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits from being used to buy sweetened drinks and candy.
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