87TH LEGISLATIVE WRAP-UP
Conclusions Drawn from the 87th Legislative Session By Leah H. Jacobson, MD, FAAP
In today’s hyper-political environment, summarizing the outcome of an inherently political process can be difficult. Do I focus on how important it is to participate in First Tuesdays and how to get involved at a local or state level? Or what BCMS and the Legislative Committee have been doing to advocate for its members and patients? Or, a wrap-up of what we know so far from the 87th Legislative Session? Many Texans believe the Legislature was disappointing, as evidenced by the most recent University of Texas/Texas Tribune polls regarding the legislative session and what Texans thought of the issues dominating it. I was once again struck by how many topics directly or indirectly relate to health care and public health. Some issues were directly related to health care, such as the coronavirus pandemic and Medicaid issues. Others focused on more indirect issues, such as public education, immigration, electric reliability, public safety and homelessness, to name a few. The majority of Texans voted on an expansion of Medicaid (sixty-seven percent support it (50% Republicans and 90% Democrats)). There was significant bi-partisan support for this issue, but GOP leaders did not share the same perspective. House Bill 3871 and Senate Bill 117 for the expansion of Medicaid did not make it out of the committee. Two related bills that did pass and were signed involve the Healthy Texas Women Program and expanded benefits (HB 133), and HB 290. The latter was incorporated into HB 2658, which makes it easier for children eligible for Medicaid to receive and keep their coverage. Texans were in favor of the legalization (or 34
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at least partial legalization) of marijuana (only 13% of those polled were against any circumstance being made legal). Almost 60 bills related to marijuana were introduced this Session. Ultimately, only two bills regarding marijuana use were adopted. (House Bill 1535 expands the Compassionate Use Program, and HB 567 protects parental rights regarding the administration of low-THC cannabis to their child for approved medical reasons.) With regards to our state infrastructure and electric system, 52 percent of Texans polled were not satisfied with the Legislature’s work on the reliability of the state’s electricity grid, and even more were less confident that the Legislature had passed laws to prevent future issues in utility services like those that had occurred in February. This is just a small look at some of the issues that are being discussed. With the Legislature returning to Austin in July for the first, though likely not the only Special Session, there will be more topics discussed. We will have to wait and see how these issues affect us and our patients. As The Texas Tribune poll shows, the Legislature does not always represent every single view of their constituents. It is up to us as health care providers to help continue to advocate for our patients and the population at large. I urge you to get involved. You can join the BCMS Legislative and Socioeconomics Committee and meet or contact your state Senator or Representative about a topic you are passionate about. You can also learn about TEXPAC (Texas Medicine’s Political Action Committee) and the TMA’s Political Action Committee and learn how you can get in-
volved in advocacy. Lastly, you can talk to your patients about these important issues and find out what is important to them. These things can all make a big impact! “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” - Margaret Mead Reference: https://www.texastribune.org/2021/06/25 /texas-permitless-carry-medicaid-transgenderstudents-poll/ Leah H. Jacobson, MD, FAAP is the Chair of the BCMS Legislative Committee and was the 2017 President of the Bexar County Medical Society.
