德州卫生机构预算申请拟取消儿童自闭症项目 倡导组织称「震惊」
据《德克萨斯论坛报》10月12日报道，德州卫生与公众服务委员会（HHSC）在向州立法预算委员会提交的2028—2029财年预算申请中，提出取消对「儿童自闭症项目」的全部州拨款。该项目自2008年设立，为自闭症儿童提供应用行为分析（ABA）等治疗服务。
数据显示，该项目2026财年共服务了583名儿童，过去两个财年州政府支出约1370万美元，全州有16家服务机构参与，另有1000多名儿童在候补名单上等候。州政府官员在申请文件中称，取消拨款可节省资金，但倡导组织「德州自闭症协会」发表声明表示「震惊」，指出许多家庭难以通过私人保险获得同类服务，该项目是低收入家庭的重要支持。
这项提议的背景是州领导层今年夏天要求各州级机构在新预算申请中削减3%开支：州长格雷格·阿博特、副州长丹·帕特里克和州众议院议长达斯汀·伯罗斯7月联名致信各机构提出这一要求，理由是更有效地使用纳税人资金。
需要说明的是，预算申请只是行政部门的提案，德州州议会将在明年初的会期决定最终拨款。如果提案通过，受影响的家庭将需要转向其他公共或私人保险渠道。倡导组织表示，将在立法过程中为保留该项目游说。
信息来源：《德克萨斯论坛报》（Texas Tribune，2026年10月12日）
Texas Health Agency Budget Request Proposes Ending Children's Autism Program; Advocates 'Shocked'
Texas' Health and Human Services Commission has proposed eliminating all state funding for the Children's Autism Program in its budget request for fiscal years 2028-29, The Texas Tribune reported Oct. 12. The program, created in 2008, provides services including applied behavior analysis (ABA) therapy to children with autism.
The program served 583 children in fiscal year 2026, cost the state about $13.7 million over the past two fiscal years, works through 16 providers statewide, and has more than 1,000 children on its waitlist. State officials said in the request that ending the funding would save money. The Autism Society of Texas said in a statement it was 'shocked' by the proposal, noting that many families struggle to obtain comparable services through private insurance and that the program is a key support for lower-income households.
The proposal follows a directive this summer from Gov. Greg Abbott, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick and House Speaker Dustin Burrows, who wrote to state agencies in July asking them to cut 3% from their budget requests in the name of using taxpayer dollars more efficiently.
The request is only a proposal: the Texas Legislature will make the final appropriations decision during its session early next year. If adopted, affected families would need to turn to other public or private coverage options, and advocates say they will lobby lawmakers to preserve the program.
Source: The Texas Tribune, Oct. 12, 2026
图片来源：德克萨斯州议会大厦（奥斯汀），CC BY-SA 4.0，摄影：Bravodelnorte（Wikimedia Commons）
