An official State of Texas website.
Since 2017, the Texas Legislature has invested more than $2.5 billion to replace and renovate hospitals across the state, including new hospitals in Houston, Dallas, Lubbock and Amarillo. These projects are part of a plan to modernize and increase access to inpatient psychiatric care in Texas. This webpage lists the projects that are in the planning phase, under construction and completed.
Who We Serve
Texas state hospitals provide a variety of inpatient psychiatric services for youth and adults. Many patients come to state hospitals after interacting with the criminal justice system, either because they were determined incompetent to stand trial due to their mental health needs or a jury found them not guilty by reason of insanity.
Some patients may require a maximum-security setting, which includes extra security features such as fencing, secure entryways, increased video monitoring and additional direct care personnel. Other patients may have been referred by a local mental health authority or non-criminal court proceeding.
State Hospital Projects
Planning Phase
San Antonio State Hospital – 40-Bed Conversion
HHSC will renovate and convert an existing 40-bed unit into a maximum-security unit for people 65 and older and others whose medical and physical conditions require additional care.
- Status: Construction is scheduled to begin late 2024.
- Budget: $15 million approved by the 88th Texas Legislature.
North Texas State Hospital – Wichita Falls Campus – 200-Bed Replacement Hospital
HHSC is planning to build a replacement hospital for the North Texas State Hospital – Wichita Falls campus that will have 200 beds.
- Status: Construction is scheduled to begin late 2024.
- Budget: $452 million approved by the 88th Texas Legislature.
Rio Grande State Center – 50-Bed Expansion
HHSC will expand the Rio Grande State Center by 50 maximum-security beds. This new unit will be located on the existing Rio Grande campus.
- Status: Construction is anticipated to begin late 2024.
- Budget: $120 million approved by the 88th Texas Legislature.
El Paso Psychiatric Center – 50-Bed Expansion
HHSC will expand the El Paso Psychiatric Center by 50 non-maximum-security beds.
- Status: HHSC chose an architectural and engineering firm to oversee planning and design.
- Budget: $50 million approved by the 88th Texas Legislature for pre-planning, planning, land acquisition and initial construction.
Panhandle State Hospital – New 75-Bed Hospital
HHSC is planning to build a 75-bed non-maximum-security hospital in Amarillo.
- Status: Construction is anticipated to begin late 2024.
- Budget: $159 million approved by the 88th Texas Legislature.
Lubbock Psychiatric Center – New 50-Bed Hospital
HHSC is planning to build a 50-bed maximum-security unit in Lubbock.
- Status: Construction is anticipated to begin late 2024.
- Budget: $121 million approved by the 88th Texas Legislature.
Under Construction
Texas Behavioral Health Center – New 292-Bed Hospital
HHSC partnered with the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas to design, construct and operate the Texas Behavioral Health Center at UT Southwestern. The psychiatric hospital will have 200 adult and 92 pediatric beds.
Status
- Substantial completion of the adult unit is expected in late 2025.
- Substantial completion of the pediatric unit is expected in early 2026.
Budget
- $282.5 million for the adult wing approved by the 87th Texas Legislature.
- Additional $102 million approved by the 88th Texas Legislature to complete construction.
- Children’s Health provided $200 million to construct a pediatric wing.
Terrell State Hospital – 250-Bed Replacement Hospital
HHSC is building a replacement facility for Terrell State Hospital that will have 250 beds.
- Status: Substantial completion is expected in 2027.
- Budget: $573 million approved by the 88th Texas Legislature.
Completed State Hospital Projects
Austin State Hospital – Replacement Hospital
HHSC partnered with Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin to design and build a 240-bed hospital to replace the existing hospital on the Austin State Hospital campus. A ceremony on May 15, 2024, marked the opening.
Budget: $304.6 million approved in phases by the 85th, 86th and 87th Texas Legislatures.
Watch a video of the Austin State Hospital grand opening.
San Antonio State Hospital – Replacement Hospital
HHSC built a 300-bed hospital to replace the existing 262-bed facility at San Antonio State Hospital. HHSC held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on April 9, 2024.
Budget: $357 million approved in phases by the 85th, 86th and 87th Texas Legislatures.
Watch a video of the San Antonio State Hospital grand opening.
Rusk State Hospital – Replacement Hospital
Construction at Rusk State Hospital added a new maximum-security unit with 100 beds, a new non-maximum-security unit with 100 beds, and a replacement administration building. The complex increased the number of maximum-security beds from 40 to 100. Construction was completed in May 2023, and HHSC held a ribbon-cutting ceremony on June 7, 2023. The administration building opened in September 2021.
Budget: $202.6 million approved in phases by the 85th and 86th Texas Legislatures.
Watch a video of the Rusk State Hospital transformation.
Kerrville State Hospital – Renovation and Expansion
Kerrville State Hospital campus buildings 612 and 613 were renovated and 70 maximum-security unit beds were added. The renovations were completed in December 2023.
Budget: $30.5 million approved by the 85th Texas Legislature for design and renovation and $8.6 million of deferred maintenance funds approved by the 86th Texas Legislature to add programming and therapy spaces to support patients staying in the maximum-security unit wing.
John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center – New 264-Bed Hospital
HHSC and UTHealth Houston partnered to build, design and operate the 264-bed John S. Dunn Behavioral Sciences Center in Houston’s Texas Medical Center. Construction finished in February 2022, with the first unit opening in April 2022. The center celebrated its two-year anniversary in March 2024.
Budget: $126.5 million approved by the 85th Texas Legislature.