Bill Text: TX HR1559 | 2023-2024 | 88th Legislature | Enrolled
Bill Title: Honoring the Association for Texas Advocates on its 40th anniversary.
Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 1-0)
Status: (Passed) 2023-05-09 - Reported enrolled [HR1559 Detail]
Download: Texas-2023-HR1559-Enrolled.html
| H.R. No. 1559 | ||
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| WHEREAS, The Association for Texas Advocates is celebrating | ||
| 40 years of exemplary service to adults with intellectual and | ||
| developmental disabilities and their families in 2023; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Founded in 1983, Texas Advocates is a statewide | ||
| self-advocacy organization run by and for people with intellectual | ||
| and developmental disabilities; the nonprofit now has some 20 | ||
| chapters and 500 members in towns and cities from the Rio Grande | ||
| Valley to the Texas Panhandle and from El Paso to Texarkana; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Texas Advocates has steadfastly provided adult | ||
| Texans with intellectual and developmental disabilities with a | ||
| range of programs to promote their well-being, connect them to | ||
| their communities, and enrich their lives; the organization is | ||
| currently offering peer mentoring services at residential | ||
| institutions, operating 15 Next Chapter Book Clubs to help | ||
| participants discover the joy of reading, and preparing to train 40 | ||
| of its members to become leaders in Texas organizations and | ||
| governmental entities by 2027; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Every year, Texas Advocates sponsors a | ||
| well-attended annual conference for adults with intellectual and | ||
| developmental disabilities, their families, and organizations and | ||
| businesses that serve them, and this year, the conference will take | ||
| place in the city of Denton; during each state legislative session, | ||
| the association sends representatives to discuss the needs of its | ||
| clients and the cause of disability rights with state lawmakers, | ||
| and it collaborates with like-minded organizations to provide | ||
| current data and cogent information to elected officials in the | ||
| interim as well; and | ||
| WHEREAS, Texas Advocates is one of the few organizations of | ||
| its kind whose leadership structure includes an individual with an | ||
| intellectual disability as its co-executive director, who works in | ||
| tandem with an experienced nonprofit executive; its current | ||
| co-executive directors are Brooke Hohfeld and Deborah Wallace, who | ||
| are doing an exemplary job of leading the organization with the | ||
| support of the Texas Council for Developmental Disabilities, the | ||
| Tocker Foundation, and other donors; and | ||
| WHEREAS, For four decades, the Association for Texas | ||
| Advocates has supported and empowered countless clients across the | ||
| state through its initiatives and advocacy efforts, and it is a | ||
| pleasure to join in recognizing the organization on this special | ||
| milestone in its history; now, therefore, be it | ||
| RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives of the 88th Texas | ||
| Legislature hereby honor the Association for Texas Advocates on its | ||
| 40th anniversary and commend the organization's leadership team, | ||
| support staff, contractors, volunteers, and members for their | ||
| outstanding contributions to its success; and, be it further | ||
| RESOLVED, That an official copy of this resolution be | ||
| prepared for Texas Advocates as an expression of high regard by the | ||
| Texas House of Representatives. | ||
| Talarico | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Speaker of the House | ||
| I certify that H.R. No. 1559 was adopted by the House on May | ||
| 9, 2023, by a non-record vote. | ||
| ______________________________ | ||
| Chief Clerk of the House | ||
