Secretary Kennedy, Governor Abbott Celebrate Landmark Reforms to Make Texas Healthy Again

AUSTIN—AUGUST 29, 2025—Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. traveled to Austin, Texas this week for two days of events with Governor Greg Abbott to highlight the importance of rural health care access and celebrate the passage of legislation to Make Texas Healthy Again.

On Wednesday, Secretary Kennedy joined Governor Abbott at the Texas State Capitol for a press conference and ceremonial signing of landmark MAHA legislation to put Texans on a pathway to make better-informed health and nutrition decisions.

"Thank you, Governor Abbott, for leading Texans in confronting chronic disease and championing rural health care," Secretary Kennedy said. "I commend the Texas legislature for uniting across party lines to pass bold, bipartisan MAHA reforms. And I thank President Trump for his brilliant One Big Beautiful Bill, whose Rural Health Transformation provision delivers $50 billion to strengthen rural hospitals nationwide. Together, we will expand rural health care like never before—that is my promise to Texas, to rural communities, and to the American people."

"Every legislator in Texas wants to see Texas be put on a pathway to better health. These bills that I signed this week put Texas on that pathway. Taxpayer dollars will no longer be used to fund chronic health problems in our state," Governor Abbott said. "Our goal has to be to ensure that every corner of our state is going to be prepared to respond to the health care needs of their community. More than 190 counties are categorized as rural in this state, and they have more than 6 million Texans. We have an obligation to ensure that those communities are able to succeed. I want to thank Secretary Kennedy and President Trump for helping prioritize the rural regions of our state to ensure healthcare in those regions improve."

The Make Texas Healthy Again bills signed by Governor Abbott included:

• Senate Bill 25, known as the "Make Texas Healthy Again" Act, which promotes healthier living for all Texans by requiring strong food label transparency for consumers and embedding nutrition education across K-12 schools, higher education, and the health care workforce. The bill also mandates that schools offer daily physical activity for students from kindergarten to eighth grade.
• Senate Bill 314 prohibits schools participating in national School Lunch and Breakfast Programs from serving foods with certain additives as a part of free or reduced-price meals.
• Senate Bill 379 prohibits individuals from using Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits to purchase sweetened drinks and candy.

Photos of the ceremonial bill signing can be found here.

On Thursday, Governor Abbott and Secretary Kennedy convened a rural health roundtable with health experts, providers, and hospital executives from across Texas. The discussion centered on the unique challenges rural communities face in maintaining access to quality care and strategies to ensure that rural hospitals remain viable. President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill through its Rural Health Transformation Fund will deliver an historic $50 billion to support rural hospitals across America.

Following the roundtable, Secretary Kennedy, Governor Abbott, and roundtable participants gathered for a press conference.

Photos from the rural health event can be found here.