TPHA Public Health Coalition
Texas Public Health Coalition (TPHC) was created in 2006, the coalition is a collection of organizations that share an interest in advancing core public health principles at the state and community levels. In particular, the coalition addresses the leading causes of death and disability in Texas – cancer, tobacco usage, stroke, and obesity – through:
- Increased awareness and visibility of Texas’ public health infrastructure and level of wellness;
- Meaningful, evidence-based policies and legislation; and
- The removal of barriers to wellness.
This year priority topics include the following:
|
Get Texans Moving and Eating Healthy |
|
• Preserve and support expanded funding for chronic disease prevention. • Support recommendations to improve the quality and/or amount of health education, nutrition, physical education, and physical activity in schools and early childhood centers. • Support policies that address healthy environments and obesity as they relate to physical activity and increasing access to affordable and healthy foods. • Support healthy food financing initiatives that incentivize and support the availability of healthy foods in Texas’ underserved communities. |
|
Vaccinations Are Important for All Texans |
|
• Improve the public’s access to information about immunization coverage in their communities, schools, and daycare facilities and provide information to the public on the incidence of disease. • Strengthen efforts to ensure pregnant women get vaccinated for pertussis. • Support expanded funding for the Department of State Health Services Adult Safety Net program. • Continue to store childhood immunization data for post-high school education and employment needs. • Strengthen the immunization registry by making the consent process opt-out. |
|
Texas Must Be a Leader in Cancer Prevention and Research |
|
• Support the Texas Department of State Health Services’ funding requests for the Breast and Cervical Cancer Services (BCCS) program and the Texas Cancer Registry. • Support full funding of the Cancer Prevention and Research Institute of Texas. • Strengthen CPRIT prevention programming to ensure adequate financial support of prevention, early detection, and survivorship programs. |
|
Reduce the Toll of Tobacco in Texas |
|
• Support adequate funding for comprehensive statewide tobacco control. • Promote the adoption of local smoke-free ordinances across Texas. • Support comprehensive statewide smoke-free legislation. • Support regulation of e-cigarettes as tobacco products, including prevention of youth access. • Support an increase in the state tobacco tax by at least $1 per pack of cigarettes and a comparable amount for other tobacco products.
|
|
Texas Must Do More to Reduce Preventable Injuries
|
|
• Increase driver responsibility. Stop texting while driving. • Educate the public about the dangers of distracted driving. |
Go to Texas Public Health Coalition Priority Legislation for an overview of legislation related to the
Texas Public Health Coalition Priorities for this legislative session.
Report Card
83rd Texas Legislature
Look at what we accomplished together! It’s been an excellent legislative session on a number of
our Public Health Coalition priorities. Interim efforts at improved education and dialogue with policy
makers paid off with significant wins on the public health front. While more needs to be done on
each of these critical topics, we think you will agree that much was achieved.
For a complete report go to: Texas Public Health Coalition REPORT CARD-83rd Texas Legislature