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State hospitals report shrinking forensic wait list but long average waits remain
Summary
HHSC and state hospital leaders told the committee the forensic wait list has fallen from its peak but remains large (about 1,585 people on the list) with average waits of roughly 189 days in FY26; the agency said new bed construction will add hundreds of forensic beds over the next two years.
Health and Human Services Commission officials told the Senate that recent state investments are expanding inpatient capacity but that wait lists for forensic competency restoration remain substantial and wait times long.
Jordan Dixon, HHSC, said the forensic clearinghouse had about 1,585 people on the wait list and that average placement wait in FY26 was approximately 189 days — down from a FY22 peak of roughly 2,600 people and average waits exceeding 200 days. Dixon described multiple restoration pathways (inpatient, jail‑based, outpatient) and said HHSC is adding new forensic capacity that will significantly increase placement options over the next two years.
Why it matters: long waits for forensic beds affect public safety, prosecution timelines and the ability to restore defendants to competency. Committee members pressed HHSC for more granular county‑level placement statistics and asked for projections on how the new state hospital beds will reduce wait times and regional imbalances.
Quote: "We have about 1,585 people on our wait list," Dixon said, adding that average wait times in FY25 were over 200 days and are declining as new beds come online. The agency noted planned expansions in state hospital and contracted beds, including a new Dallas facility with adult and pediatric capacity.
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