Texas legislation

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: Life of the Mother Act Provides Clarity Around Medical Emergency Exception for Pregnant Patients - 08/29/2025

TMA was heavily involved in advocating and refining Senate Bill 31, the Life of the Mother Act, to bring much-needed clarity to physicians regarding the medical emergency exception to the state's abortion prohibition.

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: TMA Helps Craft Balanced Noncompete Compromise - 08/29/2025

TMA helps strike a balance on noncompete agreements between employer and employee members that reconciles the priorities of each contingent without being overly restrictive to either.

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: TMA Deflects Onerous Reporting Regs for Independent Practices - 08/29/2025

Far-reaching health care consolidation legislation littered with unintended consequences and laden with potential financial and civil penalties for uncomplicated business transactions was defeated by TMA advocacy.

‘A United Force’: Physicians Answered the Call for Patients, Medicine This Legislative Session - 08/29/2025

The Texas Medical Association remained a powerful force to stand up for patients and the practice of medicine

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: Scope Creep Defense Preserves Physician-Led Care, Patient Safety - 08/29/2025

TMA's unprecedented presence at the Capitol this session made a statement to lawmakers that patients deserve the best care possible and resulted in the stoppage of dozens of scope-of-practice bills filed yet again.

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: Texas Medicaid Enrollment Could Benefit from Modernization Funding - 08/28/2025

The Texas legislature preserved Medicaid allotments that TMA advocated for in the 2023 session, while providing funding to support two important online systems.

2025 Legislative Wrap-Up: Texas Physician Workforce Gets Budget Boost - 08/27/2025

Proven avenues to expand Texas’ physician workforce – via funding secured for undergraduate and graduate medical education (GME), loan repayment, and rural training programs, as well as supporting TMB’s efforts to process licenses for physicians moving to Texas from other

Medicine Whelms Nurse Scope Expansion Bill - 08/27/2025

Physicians from across the state made the trek to the Capitol to testify that House Bill 3974 would dismantle Texas’ longstanding physician-led care model and with it, patient safety. TMA and the legislature remain committed to quality solutions to the state’s access-to-care challenges.

Texas Senate Interim Charges Underscore TMA Legislative Priorities - 08/22/2025

Scope-of-practice creep and access to mental health care are among the 57 charges Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick recently issued for Senate committees to study ahead of the 2025 legislative session. The Texas Medical Association’s advocacy for medicine-friendly policy also continues apace during the interim, with the association closely monitoring several of these charges.

Key Issues - 08/13/2025

At the heart of TMA's agenda for the 2025 Texas legislative session is protecting the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship.

Address Delayed Care Pileup, TMA Tells House Panel - 08/08/2025

The COVID-19 pandemic strained an already overburdened primary health care system in Texas, making it vital that state lawmakers back measures that encourage patients to see a physician and catch up on delayed care before it gets even worse, Tyler pediatrician Valerie Smith, MD, told the Texas House of Representatives Select Committee on Health Care Reform.

Governor Vetoes Bill Gutting Medical Board - 06/30/2025

The full force of TMA advocacy came to bear in the veto of Senate Bill 268, which would have eviscerated an important Texas Medical Board function: halting the unlicensed practice of medicine by health professionals licensed by another Texas agency.

TMA’s First 2025 Legislative Victory Protects Sensitive Test Results - 05/23/2025

Gov. Greg Abbott signed TMA’s first victory of the 2025 legislative session to allow physicians a way to communicate to their patients receive serious or sensitive test results in a supportive manner rather than via electronic patient portals. Texas physicians will still need to comply with information blocking provisions after the three-day pause.

Insurance Bill Undermining Patient, Physician Protections Heads to House - 05/13/2025

A top target for TMA, House Bill 139 would create a new “employer choice of benefit” health plan exempt from decades’ worth of insurance laws that promise a minimum set of coverage, prompt pay, prior authorization restraints, and other guardrails. Other bad bills with serious consequences for practices also top TMA’s opposition list.

Physicians Combat Bad Bills at TMA’s Final First Tuesdays at the Capitol - 05/07/2025

Champion of medicine Sen. Donna Campbell, MD, thanked Texas physicians for rallying against harmful legislation – like those that could expand scope of practice. Also on TMA’s chopping block: bills that let health plans go unchecked and weaken vaccine access.

‘If That’s Not Expanding Scope, I Don’t Know What Is’: Bill Grants Scope Shortcut to Rural APRNs - 05/06/2025

With patient safety on the line, TMA physicians showed up in droves in opposition to Senate Bill 3055, which would give certain nurse practitioners independent practice in rural areas. Instead, physicians turned lawmakers’ attention to a new and immediate solution to Texas’ rural access shortages advancing through the legislature: Senate Bill 2695.

Rural-Access Solution Goes Before Senate Committee - 04/28/2025

The culmination of many months and meetings, TMA-backed Senate Bill 2695 was unveiled to the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, opening a new pipeline for rural access to care while preserving Texas’ physician-led care model.

‘Who Writes the Rules Matters’: Medical Students Converge on Capitol to Educate and Advocate - 04/24/2025

As First Tuesdays continues its run in the second half of session, physicians and medical students bring their thoughts, stories, and concerns to lawmakers to shed light on TMA priorities, including scope of practice and physician workforce measures.

Medical Education, Medicaid Get Budget Boosts as Final Deliberations Begin - 04/23/2025

Medicaid, women’s health, and medical education are all winners so far, all topping TMA priorities this session as part of the overarching goal to boost access to care. With a handful of weeks to go in the session and another key deadline approaching, medicine is still working hard to ensure budget wins stay permanent.

TMA’s Top Legislative Priorities: Enhance Medicaid Payments and Coverage - 04/17/2025

TMA will work to enhance Medicaid payments and coverage this legislative session

TMA Mobilizes Against Nurse Scope Expansion Bill - 04/11/2025

House Bill 3794 is among dozens of bills filed this session that chip away at Texas’ scope of practice laws. While for the most part TMA has stopped such bills in their tracks, by contrast, HB 3794 would open what TMA President G. Ray Callas, MD, strongly warned is a “floodgate” for independent practice by advanced practice registered nurses. TMA urges physicians to act to stop the bill.

TMA Calls for Increased Funding to Help TMB Address Workforce Issues - 04/09/2025

TMA President G. Ray Callas, MD, advocated for Texas Medical Board (TMB) funding, citing record numbers of physician license applications. Plus, learn the Texas House committee assignments that may influence medicine’s legislative agenda. Read more.

E-Cigarette Regulation Heard in Senate, House Committees - 04/07/2025

TMA testified to regulate e-cigarettes just as traditional tobacco products, with protections for children and youth. TMA is also tracking numerous women’s health and insurance bills on the move.

First Tuesdays at the Capitol Lets Legislators Hear What Matters Most to Medicine - 04/02/2025

Since 2003, TMA member physicians, medical students, and TMA Alliance members have told their stories to legislators via First Tuesdays at the Capitol. Advocates for medicine have two more opportunities this session to share their views.

Insurance Concerns Dominate TMA Testimony - 03/31/2025

One bill would exempt certain plans from important patient protections, while another could undo reforms to insurer ranking and tiering practices.