Texas House Approves $3 Billion Dementia Research Fund, Faces Roadblocks Ahead

The Texas House passed Senate Bill 5 on Wednesday to establish a $3 billion fund for dementia research. Proposed by Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, and supported by Rep. Senfronia Thompson, D-Houston, the bill passed 127-21 with bipartisan support.

The proposed Texas Dementia Prevention and Research Institute would use excess state resources to fund brain illness research, attract top doctors, and promote Alzheimer's and Parkinson's research.

Despite the win, the fund's future is uncertain. To acquire financing via a constitutional amendment, Senate Joint Resolution 3 requires 100 votes in the House. With 62 Democrats, Republican leaders need 12 Democratic votes, which is a challenging task given the current partisan tensions.

House Democrats say they will block all constitutional amendments until Republicans allow votes on school vouchers. On Thursday, all Democrats voted against a voucher proposal, deepening the standoff. Due to this, SJR 3 and other modifications were delayed.

The initiative has Republican opponents. Rep. Brian Harrison, R-Midlothian, called the fund's $3 billion cost an overreach. Rep. Tom Oliverson, R-Cypress, said it balances private pharmaceutical interests.

The dementia fund's future rests on party discussions and Legislature politics.

‍