In November of 2011 Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples announced the formation of The Texas Rural Health and Economic Development Advisory Council. Consisting of nine members, the council is tasked with identifying rural policy priorities and reviewing the effectiveness of existing rural programs.
In addition, the council is responsible for developing a Rural Policy Plan which will be submitted to the Texas Legislature on or before December 1, 2012. The council’s Rural Policy plan will focus on strategic initiatives for economic and community development, improvements to existing rural health care systems and recommendations for the use and allocation of Community Development Block Grant funding, which is used to make improvements in rural communities across Texas.