Texas Legislative Update

April 2025

Michael Grimes, Imperium Public Affairs (TCEP Lobbyist)

With a little less than 40 days remaining in the regular session, the Legislature is beginning to pick up the pace. Committees are moving bills out and setting them for floor debate. At this point in the last session, the Texas House had already passed more than 100 bills; this year, that number is still less than 100. The resulting backlog is likely to pose challenges for legislation that has not yet received a committee hearing.

TCEP held its Hill Day at the Capitol on Tuesday, April 15. More than 40 emergency physicians, residents/fellows and medical students participated, advocating for issues critical to emergency medicine and the broader House of Medicine.

Medicine is currently engaged on several fronts, including insurance and medical economics, scope of practice expansion, and liability reform. Just this week, Senator Mayes Middleton was granted permission to introduce a broad APRN scope of practice expansion bill. SB 3055 has been referred to the Senate Committee on State Affairs and is expected to be heard next week.

TCEP recently engaged on a similar measure in the Texas House. HB 3794 by Representative Drew Darby would grant full practice authority to APRNs. Dr. Theresa Tran testified on behalf of TCEP in opposition to the bill. Meanwhile, Dr. Robert Emmick testified in support of HB 1635, which seeks to uphold the prudent layperson standard. Both bills remain pending in committee.

The last day of the 89th Regular Session is June 2, 2025.