Texas legislation

Key Issues - 03/11/2025

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

‘This Day Is Huge’: Medicine Doubles Down on Health Care Access Advocacy on First Tuesday - 03/06/2025

TMA’s signature advocacy event, founded by the TMA Alliance, continues to connect physicians, medical students, and the alliance with lawmakers to shepherd the association’s legislative priorities to fruition.

TMA Testifies to Block AI Use in Prior Auth, Support Health of Young and Aging Texans - 03/05/2025

Physicians made the rounds in the Texas Senate, providing testimony to prohibit unfair prior authorization practices, launch a new dementia care institute, and keep the growing populations of kids and seniors healthy.

TMA Welcomes State Budget Provisions for Medicine, Healthy Living Legislation - 02/27/2025

TMA physicians weighed in on the state budget, applauding appropriations supporting medicine and urging additional funding, and advocating for a Texas Senate bill aiming to make Texans healthier.

TMA Calls for Increased Funding to Help TMB Address Workforce Issues - 02/21/2025

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.

Scope Bills, Budget Gains Mark Start of 2025 Legislative Session - 02/10/2025

Capping off a robust week of advocacy, TMA is now targeting a pair of scope of practice infringement bills, as well as tracking other measures to advance prior authorization reform and boost funding for the state’s medical education, public health, and safety net programs.

Physicians Rally Around TMA Legislative Priorities at Inaugural Virtual Event - 01/15/2025

With the curtain rising on the 2025 legislative session rising Jan. 14, TMA leaders detailed to attendees how its top 10 legislative priorities tie into physicians’ needs across the state, and how to help advocate at the Capitol on medicine’s most pressing issues in similar upcoming TMA events.

Teens Vulnerable to Social Media Harm, Exploitation, TMA Tells Legislators - 01/14/2025

 TMA presented data on how unfettered access to social media imperils youth. Medicine proposes new protections to safeguard kids as they navigate a digital terrain rife with the risk of manipulation and exploitation.    

TMA’s Top Legislative Priorities: Guarding Against Scope of Practice Expansion - 01/06/2025

TMA is working to grow the physician workforce and preserve physician-led health care in Texas.

TMA’s Top Legislative Priorities: Striking the Right Balance on Noncompete Agreements - 01/06/2025

TMA endorses a noncompete agreement policy protecting both employee and employer physicians.

TMA’s Top Legislative Priorities: Protect Medicine from Corporate Influence - 01/06/2025

TMA continues its work to keep nonmedical entities and corporate influences from interfering with physicians.

TMA’s Top Legislative Priorities: Improve Women’s Health and Clarify Abortion Exceptions - 01/06/2025

The Texas Medical Association made big strides last session, securing a hard-won waiver extending Medicaid postpartum coverage to one year and expanding access to other women’s health care through the Healthy Texas Women (HTW) and Family Planning Program, for instance.

TMA’s Top Legislative Priorities: Seeking Prior Authorization Reform - 01/06/2025

In 2025, TMA will advocate for improvements to a landmark prior authorization bill and address burdensome Medicaid practices.

TMA’s Top Legislative Priorities: Protect Immunizations to Protect Public Health - 01/06/2025

TMA will work to safeguard immunizations this legislative session.

Six Ways to Get Involved in TMA Advocacy - 01/03/2025

There are many ways Texas Medical Association members can get involved with advocacy. We highlight six avenues for members to help.

TMA’s Top Legislative Priorities: Enhance Medicaid Payments and Coverage - 12/31/2024

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

I Never Knew TMA: Did So Much Legislative Work - 12/16/2024

The Texas Medical Association's legislative agenda protects the patient-physician relationship from interference.

Record State Budget Opens Door for Health Care Investment - 12/05/2024

The 88th Texas Legislature kicked off earlier this month, and the Texas Medical Association is already tracking nearly 700 bills, including promising proposals to reduce prior authorization requirements and concerning ones regarding scope expansion.

On Guard for the Patient-Physician Relationship: 2023 Legislative Preview - 12/05/2024

A pandemic wind-down, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling, a possible recession, a national surprise-billing law. The 2023 Texas legislative session is one shaping up to be defined by a host of federal forces, some of them potentially contentious. Nevertheless, the House of Medicine stands steadfast in its legislative priorities. At the heart of the Texas Medical Association’s agenda for this session: protecting the practice of medicine and the patient-physician relationship, whether from criminalization, interference from insurers and other nonmedical entities, or public health threats.

Senate Committee Tackles Scope of Practice in Access-to-Care Hearing - 11/18/2024

In a hearing packed with representatives from medicine, nursing, pharmacy, behavioral health, licensing boards, and academia, the Senate Health and Human Services Committee tackled Texas’ health care workforce shortages with the Texas Medical Association delivering its message loud and clear: Expanding scope of practice is not the answer to helping patients in rural and underserved areas.

TMA Leadership Encourages Legislative Relationships to Protect Medicine - 11/18/2024

To best serve medicine’s agenda in the upcoming Texas legislative session, the Texas Medical Association urges members to make and capitalize on relationships with their local representatives, as leadership previewed the likely tumultuous session ahead at the close of TMA’s Business of Medicine Conference last week.

Future Noncompete Bills Must Strike Balance, TMA Tells Texas Lawmakers - 11/18/2024

In the practice of medicine, noncompete agreements have special public policy concerns, “as their use can impact continuity of care, access to needed medical services, and patient choice of a physician,” the Texas Medical Association recently testified to the Texas Senate Business and Commerce Committee. That’s largely why any future bills on noncompete agreements should “strike a reasonable balance between the employer’s interests and the interests of the employee and the public.”

Legislature Examines Children’s Mental Health Ahead of 2025 Session - 11/18/2024

Texas lawmakers have made great strides in their ongoing investment in mental health services and support for children and their families, and that must continue if Texas is to improve such access to care and reduce the risk of behavioral health crises.

Abbott Signals Support for Opioid Crisis Interventions - 11/18/2024

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott recently listed the fentanyl crisis as one of seven “emergency” items this session, clearing a path toward passage of Texas Medical Association-backed legislation that aims to curb opioid-related deaths.

Bills Threaten Medical Liability Reforms - 11/18/2024

At least two bills have the Texas Medical Association on notice for threats that aim to weaken Texas’ landmark 2003 medical liability reforms meant to protect access to care and patient safety.