Legislature Boosts Nutrition, Physical Activity in Texas Schools, Adds Physician CME Requirement
By Jessica Ridge

Two new laws stand to promote better nutrition for Texans and physical activity in schools, although one mandates an eventual addition to medical school curriculum and a new CME requirement for physicians and other health care professionals, which the Texas Medical Association is monitoring with concerns.    

Senate Bill 379 and Senate Bill 25, which took effect Sept. 1, were among a number of bills focused on healthy eating that TMA supported during the 2025 Texas legislative session as part of its overall efforts to promote healthier living and reduce chronic disease. TMA is also advocating federally to preserve physicians’ ability to assess quality nutrition for their patients. 

In Texas, SB 379 bans the purchase of sugar-sweetened drinks and candy through Texas’ Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), while SB 25 guarantees physical activity and access to recess for grade school children that can’t be rescinded as a punishment. Other provisions of SB 25 establish an advisory committee to examine the connection between ultraprocessed foods and the prevalence of chronic diseases and call for warning labels on foods that contain certain additives, such as food dyes, including Red No. 3, Red No. 4, and Red No. 40. 

TMA collaborated with partners including the Texas Public Health Coalition (TPHC) and Healthy Futures of Texas to encourage SB 25’s measure against restricting students from recess and physical education class.  

TPHC Chair Maria Monge, MD, said the provision allows “a positive way for kids to express emotions through physical activity versus sitting in a room by themselves. It can’t be overstated how important physical activity is to child mental health and overall physical health outcomes. The fact we got that included in [SB 25] is a really big deal.” 

Meanwhile, TMA is monitoring worrisome elements of SB 25 it did not support, one of which mandates physicians complete CME in nutrition and metabolic health to renew their medical license. The Texas Medical Board is expected to issue rules by Dec. 31, 2026 that will clarify the number of hours required and whether the CME will be required one time or biennially. As it stands, the CME provision in the law has no set frequency and does not address whether physicians who don’t practice direct patient care could be exempt. 

“We want to add to physician education. We don’t want to make it busywork. We don’t want to make it a box they have to check. It would be great if we can really try to ensure people take away what they’re supposed to be taking away from it,” Dr. Monge said. 

Another provision of SB 25 requires the incorporation of a new nutrition and metabolic health curriculum into Texas’ public medical schools to be devised by SB 25’s newly formed Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee.  

Dr. Monge warns that mandate has potential for redundancy, as all Texas medical schools currently offer nutrition education in their doctor of medicine or doctor of osteopathic medicine degree curricula. She emphasized the need for medicine to work with the Texas Nutrition Advisory Committee, which she lauded for the inclusion of a physician representative. 

“We need to make sure the advisory committee works with physicians to not duplicate things that are already happening and really make sure we are accessing the most up-to-date, evidence-based nutrition recommendations so that ultimately our patients benefit,” she said of the medical school mandate.  

As for SB 379, she also notes the pragmatic challenges of implementation, given state and federal funding cuts to SNAP. 

Stay abreast of TMA’s legislative efforts on the association’s state advocacy webpage.