AUSTIN, Texas (AP) _ Bills heard Thursday by a Texas Senate panel could lead to the population of schools for the mentally disabled being reduced to about 3,000 residents.
Some of the state schools could be closed.
Texas has about 5,000 residents living in 13 state schools. Many of the residents are severely disabled.
A bill by Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston would require the state to identify 1,500 residents who could be moved into community-based care by 2013.
No bills before the Senate Health and Human Services Committee targeted specific schools for closure.
Gov. Rick Perry has declared fixing problems at the state schools a legislative emergency.
The Ellis bill would reduce state school populations by 500 by Sept. 1, 2011, and to a total of 3,000 by 2013.