We are pleased to share a significant milestone for the Duchenne community: Texas Governor Greg Abbott has officially signed Senate Bill 1044 into law! This legislation requires the Texas Department of State Health Services to add Duchenne to the state’s newborn screening panel,  a major advancement in our fight to ensure earlier diagnosis and intervention for all families impacted by Duchenne.

While this is very exciting news, there is still more work to be done. Although SB 1044 has been signed into law, it currently stands as an unfunded mandate, meaning that the law cannot be implemented until the necessary funding is secured. We are actively engaged with Texas legislators and key stakeholders to ensure that funding for Duchenne screening is included in the 2026–2027 biennium state budget.

In addition to the funding challenge, we are also facing a logistical hurdle. The Texas newborn screening laboratory plans to add five new conditions this year, but is already operating at full capacity. The lab will not have the bandwidth to add Duchenne newborn screening unless it has the resources to implement these five new conditions first. Fortunately, the lab has requested, and is expected to receive, funding in the current budget cycle to expand its facilities.

While a definitive timeline for this expansion has not been provided, we anticipate that construction and capacity-building efforts will delay implementation of Duchenne screening. PPMD is working closely with the laboratory and state officials to monitor progress and minimize the delay as much as possible.

We know how critical early diagnosis is for families. This legislation is a big step forward, and we are committed to seeing it through to full implementation. We are deeply grateful to the champions in the Texas legislature who helped push this bill forward, to the advocates who shared their stories, and to every member of our community who continues to fight for newborn screening in every state.

We’ll keep you updated as we continue our work in Texas — and beyond — to make sure every baby born with Duchenne gets the best possible start.