Gov. Perry Appoints Nelson as Chair of Medicaid Reform Waiver Legislative Oversight Committee

Gov. Rick Perry has appointed Sen. Jane Nelson of Flower Mound as chair of the Medicaid Reform Waiver Legislative Oversight Committee for a term to expire at the pleasure of the governor. Pursuant to Senate Bill 7 of the 82nd Legislative Session, the committee will facilitate the design and development of the state's Medicaid reform waiver, and facilitate a smooth transition from existing Medicaid payment systems and benefit designs to the new model enabled by the waiver.

Sen. Nelson is a former teacher who served two terms on the State Board of Education before representing District 12 in the Texas Senate. She is chair of the Senate Health & Human Services Committee, and past chair of the Senate Health Services Committee. During her tenure, Sen. Nelson sponsored Proposition 15, which established the Cancer Research & Prevention Institute of Texas, and authored SB 7 in 2011, which authorized pursuit of a federal waiver to grant the state flexibility in the administration of Medicaid.

Sen. Nelson received a bachelor's degree from the University of North Texas.