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Rules committee approves resolution recognizing Community Health Worker Awareness Week
Summary
After testimony from community health workers and the bill sponsor, the committee adopted an amendment and advanced HCR 28 — designating a Community Health Worker Awareness Week in August 2025 — to the House floor with a be-adopted recommendation.
Representative Ricky Ruiz introduced House Concurrent Resolution 28 to the House Committee on Rules on March 17 and said the resolution recognizes the role of community health workers in connecting residents to health services and addressing health disparities. Committee staff read that a dash-1 amendment posted on OLIS changes the resolution to designate the week of August 2025 as Community Health Worker Awareness Week.
Community health workers, who testified in person, described their roles bridging communities and systems, supporting health literacy and helping people navigate services. Magdalena Ramirez said Washington County community health workers served “over 40,000 Washington County residents” in the 2021–2023 period to improve health literacy and assist with COVID-19 vaccination outreach, housing navigation and mental-health supports. Teresa Campo Dominguez, who said she has worked as a community health worker for more than 35 years, described the role’s roots in community organizing and promotores models.
Vice Chair Draeson moved to adopt the dash-1 amendment and then moved HCR 28 as amended to the floor with a be-adopted recommendation; both the amendment and the motion to advance the resolution were adopted by roll-call votes recorded in the transcript. Representative Ruiz will carry the resolution on the floor, according to the chair.
Why it matters: supporters said the resolution elevates a workforce that improves access in rural, low-income and historically underserved communities and can reduce disparities in maternal-child health, chronic disease management and mental health.
