2021 Texas Legislature
Commercial Insurance – Sunset
HB 1860 – Rep. Cyrier – The bill would push the Texas Department of Insurance’s Sunset review from 2023 to 2025. It would also include Workers’ Comp.
Commercial Health Insurance
HB 571 – Rep. Gates – The bill would create bundled payments for state employee health plans.
HB 573 and SB 1271 – Rep. Oliverson and Sen. Schwertner – The bill relates to health sharing ministry health plans.
HB 620 – Rep. Julie Johnson – The bill would require health plans to label all insurance cards with an HMO or PPO designation.
SB 124 and HB 578 – Sen. Nathan Johnson and Rep. John Turner – The bill relates to health literacy programs in the state of Texas.
SB 519 – Sen. Schwertner – The bill would prohibit HMOs from using extrapolation to complete an audit of a participating provider.
SB 436 – Sen. Blanco – The bill would prohibit plans regulated by the state from defining Covid-19 as a pre-existing condition.
HB 1369 – Rep. Jetton – The bill relates to the regulation of health care cost-sharing ministries.
SB 749, HB 1529, and HB 1541 – Sen. Johnson, Rep. Martinez Fischer, and Rep. Johnson – The bill would establish comprehensive preexisting condition protections in Texas statute to mirror the federal protections of the Affordable Care Act.
HB 2276 – Rep. Lucio III – The bill relates to the consent to electronic delivery of information.
HB 2389 – Rep. Moody – The bill would require HMOs to provide additional explanation as to why they terminated a physician from the network. Information would include an economic profile.
HB 2600 – Rep. Paul – The bill would direct the state to study the fiscal impact of commercial insurance mandates.
HB 2929 – Rep. Bonnen – The bill would add additional “teeth” to the state’s current law related to the unlawful termination of a physician from a health plan’s network.
HB 3558 – Rep. Munoz – The bill would prohibit a health plan from downgrading a payment if the suspected emergency is no longer determined to be an emergency following the fact.
SB 1296 – Sen. Nathan Johnson – The bill would give the TDI commissioner the ability to review and disapprove certain rate increases.
SB 1442 – Sen. Campbell – The bill relates to regulation of health care sharing ministries; providing civil penalties.
HB 3947 – Rep. Munoz – The bill would add additional cost estimate requirements that health plans must provide to insureds.
SB 2124 – Sen. Blanco – The bill relates to the authority of a health benefit plan sponsor to consent to electronic delivery of certain communications on behalf of a party enrolled in the plan.
Commercial Insurance – Anti-Competition
HB 4051 – Rep. Frank – The bill would add new standards to the state’s statute that prevents anti-competitive behavior between providers and insurance plans.
Commercial Health Insurance – Bundled Payments
HB 1527 – Rep. Gates – The bill would created bundled payment programs for the state’s employee health plans: ERS and TRS.
Commercial Health Insurance – Coverage
HB 3752 – Rep. Frank – The bill relates to the provision of health benefits coverage through the creation of the Texas Mutual Health Coverage Plan.
HB 3924 and SB 1973 – Rep. Oliverson and Sen. Springer – The bill would create a new insurance plan that avoids some of the Affordable Care Act requirements through the Texas Farm Bureau.
Commercial Health Insurance – Emergency Care
HB 2035 – Rep. Julie Johnson – The bill relates to the utilization review of emergency care claims under health plans.
HB 2241 and SB 1037 – Rep. Oliverson and Sen. Whitmire – The bill would update the state’s “prudent layperson” law to ensure that commercial health plans cannot deny a payment due to a non-emergent diagnosis following a surgery.
Commercial Insurance – Out-of-Network
SB 999 and HB 4115 – Sen. Hancock and Rep. Oliverson – The bill would prohibit ground EMS from balance billing for out-of-network emergency services. The bill would create an exception for non-emergent transport if the patient is provided with certain disclosures prior to the service.
Commercial Health Insurance – Price Transparency
HB 1907 and SB 1135 – Rep. Walle and Sen. Kolkhorst – The bill, which is pushed by the Texas Academy of Family Physicians, would create an all payor claims database for the state of Texas.
HB 2090 – Rep. Burrows – The bill relates to health care cost disclosures by third party administrators.
SB 914 and HB 2487 and SB 1137 – Sen. Hancock and Rep. Oliverson and Sen. Kolkhorst – The bill would require hospitals to disclose a certain set of standard charges and other prices.
SB 1845 – Sen. Schwertner – The bill relates to itemized billing for health care services and supplies provided by health care providers.
SB 2122 – Sen. Hughes – The bill relates to itemized billing for health care services and supplies provided by health care providers.
Commercial Health Insurance – Prior Authorization
HB 410 – Rep. Julie Johnson – Per the bill’s author, the bill “focuses on decreasing the barriers that health insurance companies put up in order to receive state mandated coverage. The Texas Insurance Code specifies certain mandated benefits that certain health plans must cover. However, barriers to patient care, such as prior authorization, can still occur even with state mandated coverage. In HB 410 the following mandated benefits, prior authorization may not be required: mammography, mastectomy and breast reconstruction or prosthesis, diabetes management, low bone mass test for osteoporosis prevention, and prostate cancer screenings.”
HB 907 and SB 2043 – Rep. Julie Johnson and Sen. Menendez – The bill relates to the prior authorization of drugs for autoimmune diseases.
HB 2142 – Rep. Vo – The bill would require the Texas Department of Insurance to perform regular examinations of health plans and HMOs to review their timelines for prior authorization requests.
HB 3459 and SB 1883 – Rep. Bonnen and Sen. Buckingham – The bill would create a “gold card” standard in which a physician who is approved for at least 80 percent of services (minimum of five) during a calendar year would not be subject to prior authorization.
Additionally, it would require commercial health plans to give a physician a reasonable opportunity to speak to a physician located and licensed in Texas who is of a same or similar specialty for a prior-authorization request.
HB 3542 and SB 2048 – Rep. Julie Johnson and Sen. Menendez – The bill would require health plans, HMOs and utilization review agents to be available 24/7 to respond to verification requests so that physicians are available.
HB 4012 – Rep. Bonnen – The bill would require health plans to disclose patient costs to patients for pre-authorized services.
HB 4531 – Rep. Oliverson – The bill would prohibit a health plan from denying care if a preauthorization was approved within the previous 31 days.
HB 1145 – Rep. Julie Johnson – The bill would eliminate pre-authorization requirements for physicians who have in-network status.
Commercial Health Insurance – Risk Pool
SB 745 – Sen. Johnson – The bill would create a high-risk pool for the state of Texas.
HB 2176 and SB 874 – Rep. Oliverson and Sen. Hancock – The bill would extend the state’s temporary high-risk pool.
Covid-19 Funding
SB 809 – Sen. Kolkhorst – The bill would require health care “providers” that receive federal funding related to Covid-19 (CARES Act, etc.) to compile a written report related to the funding’s use, and the report would be provided to Texas officials.
Health Insurance – Personal Injury/Auto Accidents/Liens
SB 207 and HB 1617 – Sens. Schwertner, Buckingham, and Campbell and Rep. Bonnen – The bill would make physicians’ commercial insurance rates available for the purposes of determining medical expenses in personal injury cases.
HB 621 – Rep. Julie Johnson – Per the bill’s author, the bill “proposes that health insurance companies may not delay or deny payment of a claim based on secondary coverage to third party liability. After a car wreck, the last thing that an individual should worry about is a denial or delay of payment of a health insurance claim when they thought they had coverage. Unfortunately, many doctors refuse to see patients who have been involved in a car wreck out of previous bad experiences with insurance companies who refuse to reimburse them for services rendered based on secondary coverage to third-party liability This bill will eliminate this issue.”
HB 2064 – Rep. Leach – The bill relates to the amount of physician or hospital liens on certain causes of action.
Facilities
HB 813 – Rep. Shaheen – The bill would create a criminal offense of harassment for obstructing access to a hospital.
HB 1491 – Rep. Dean – The bill would expand the tort claims cap of $100,000 to rural and community hospitals (even if they are not governmental).
HB 1089 – Rep. Reynolds – The bill would raise the cap on lawsuits related to governmental hospitals from $100,000 to $250,000. It would also allow for punitive damages and make insurance policies discoverable.
HB 2052 – Rep. Klick – The bill would give the public access to certain hospital records.
HB 3605 – Rep. John Turner – The bill would add a representative from the ambulatory surgery center industry to the state’s GETAC advisory council.
HB 3661 – Rep. Dean – The bill would require board members of rural hospitals located in counties with a population of 60,000 to complete training based on requirements and standards determined by the Center for Optimizing Rural Health of the Texas A&M Rural and Community Health Insitute or a successor organization.
SB 1073 – Sen. Hughes – The bill relates to Medicaid draw-down programs in Texas regions and the assessments levied on all hospitals in that region.
SB 1195 – Sen. Paxton – The bill relates to the right of certain hospital patients to designate an essential caregiver for in-person visitation.
HB 4118 and SB 429 – Rep. Rose and Sen. Miles – The bill would require ASCs and hospitals to develop a surgical smoke policy.
HB 4501 – Rep. Hinojosa – The bill relates to permissible uses of funds by a hospital district that receives a mandatory payment under Chapter 298E, Health & Safety Code.
SB 2031 – Sen. Eckhardt – The bill relates to permissible uses of funds by a hospital district that receives a mandatory payment under Chapter 298E, Health & Safety Code (Travis County).
SB 2038 – Sen. Menendez – The bill relates to fees and prices charged by freestanding emergency medical care facilities; providing administrative penalties.
Medicaid
HB 2603 – Rep. Shaheen – The bill would create a direct primary care pilot for Medicaid.
HB 2856 – Rep. Swanson – The bill relates to “provider discrimination against a Medicaid recipient or child health plan program enrollee based on immunization status.”
HB 290 – Rep. Cortez – The bill would provide continuity of care for some children on Medicaid. HB 290 is moving through the House. But the Senate companion has not been heard in its committee. The House announced in April that it was one of its top health priorities.
HB 133 – Rep. Rose – The bill would give pregnant women covered under Medicaid an additional 10 months of coverage. The bill is moving through the House. However, a Senate companion has yet to experience movement. The House announced in April that it was one of its top health priorities.
Medical Billing
HB 3031 – Rep. Klick – The bill would update the state’s egregious billing law for physicians and hospitals by adding the following language: “flagrantly overcharge a patient or third party payor for a treatment provided to the patient.”
HB 2797 – Rep. Dean – The bill targets freestanding ERs and would penalize them for charging “high prices” for testing during a pandemic.
HB 4045 and SB 1684 – Rep. Martinez and Sen. Powell – The bill would prohibit providers from reporting bad patient debt.
SB 2122 – Sen. Hughes – The bill would require physicians and other providers that are submitting medical bills to debt collection provide an itemized copy.
Medical Cannabis
HB 1535 – Rep. Klick – Numerous bills have been filed, but this bill represents the best attempt at passage in the Legislature. It would set up a tightly controlled system that would limit cannabis prescriptions to physicians affiliated with medical schools.
Medical Disclosure Panel
HB 2853 – Rep. Julie Johnson – The bill would update the makeup of the state’s Medical Disclosure Panel. Specifically, at least one of the lawyers on the panel would be required to represent patients in his or her practice.
Medical Imaging
HB 2541 – Rep. Meza – The bill would create a right-to-repair policy related to medical equipment, including advanced imaging.
Mid-Level Providers
SB 40 – Sen. Zaffirini – The bill relates to the use of telemedicine within professionals administered by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
HB 514 – Rep. Beckley – The bill would allow physician assistants to become governing officers in medical practices. A similar measure failed in 2019.
HB 982 – Rep. Howard – The bill relates to expedited licensing for out-of-state APRNs.
SB 497 – Sen. Buckingham – The bill would create a certificate for anesthesiologist assistants. The bill was defeated by CRNAs in the past.
SB 458 and HB 1903 – Sen. Lucio and Rep. Walle – The bill would create the Occupational Therapy Licensure Compact.
HB 2029 – Rep. Klick – The bill would give full practice authority and independent practice to APRNs.
HB 2093 – Rep. Cortez – The bill would add physician assistants to the definition of non-physician mental health professionals for the purpose of providing certain care.
HB 3254 – Rep. Morrison – The bill would clarify statute to indicate that an athletic trainer can work under a physician’s delegation in a setting other than the “athletic arena.”
HB 3327 – Rep. Jetton – The bill would create an anesthesiologist assistant license.
SB 1103 and HB 4159 – Sen. Seliger and Rep. John Turner – The bill relates to the regulation of nurse aides; requiring an occupational registration.
HB 4048 – Rep. Allison – The bill relates to the authority of an advanced practice registered nurse or physician assistant regarding death certificates.
Mid-Level Providers – Physician Assistants
HB 4352 – Rep. Beckley – The bill would remove physician delegation from a PA’s portfolio and replace it with “collaboration.” The bill would also allow a PA to “diagnose” a medical event and add “surgical services” to a PA’s portfolio.
SB 1752 – Sen. Nathan Johnson – The bill relates to the authority of an advanced practice registered nurse or physician assistant, or physician, regarding death certificates and certain do-not-resuscitate orders.
Mid-Level Providers – Physical Therapy
SB 455 and HB 1363 – Sen. Hughes and Rep. Minjarez – The bill would add board-certified physical therapists to the list of physical therapists (resident- and fellowship- trained) physical therapists who may have 15 business days of direct access. All other physical therapists have 10 business days.
SB 939 – Sen. Gutierrez – The bill relates to co-pays for physical therapy services.
SB 940 and HB 3755 – Sen. Gutierrez and Rep. Minjarez – The bill relates to co-pays for physical therapy services.
Mid-Level Providers – Podiatry
HB 2509 and SB 956 – Rep. Lucio III and Sen. Lucio – The bill would amend the state’s GME law to include the state’s new DPM law.
Military Medical
HB 2365 – Rep. Lopez – The bill relates to the participation and reimbursement of Texas military medical facilities in relation to Medicaid.
Pharmacy
HB 2049 – Rep. Howard – The bill would give pharmacists the ability to provide a prescription to a patient following a positive test, such as a flu test, under a physician’s supervision.
Pharmacy – PBMs
A number of bills related to PBMs have been filed.
Pharmacy – Physician Dispensing
HB 456 – Rep. Shaheen – The bill would allow physicians to dispense drugs.
HB 1778 and SB 1503 – Rep. Oliverson and Sen. Buckingham – According to the author, “the goal of the bill is to permit physicians to dispense drugs from their offices. This bill seeks to improve access to prescription medications through removing a barrier to care. It requires physicians to comply with state and federal laws relating to labeling, storage, packaging, and record keeping and to notify the Texas State Board of Pharmacy that they are dispensing drugs from their office. Interested parties contend that these regulations will prevent pharmaceutical abuse. Stakeholders assert that H.B. 1778 will provide patients with an option to access prescription drugs more quickly and conveniently.”
Physician Licensing
SB 284 – Sen. Seliger – The bill would direct the Texas Medical Board to study the number and geographic disbursement of out-of-state physicians who practiced in Texas during the pandemic.
HB 457 – Rep. Shaheen – The bill would seek a property tax exemption for physicians who provide Medicaid care.
HB 471 – Rep. Shaheen – The bill would direct the Texas Medical Board to recognize medical licenses offered in other states under certain circumstances.
HB 548 and SB 1909 – Rep. Frank and Sen. Blanco – The bill would direct the Texas Medical Board to recognize the license of certain military physicians for the purpose of practicing in underserved areas.
HB 651 – Rep. Raymond – The bill relates to the regulation of hyperbaric medical treatment in a physician’s office.
SB 145 – Sen. Powell – The bill relates to the licensing of military personnel and spouses.
HB 194 – Rep. Thierry – The bill would require physicians who practice in primary care to complete CME in implicit bias.
HB 197 – Rep. Thierry – Similar to HB 194, the bill would require medical school students to have coursework in implicit bias.
SB 517 – Sen. Huffman – The bill would add Texas to the Physician Interstate Licensure Compact. While most health care professions have been added to their respective interstate compacts in the past, indirect political issues killed past efforts for physicians.
HB 1424 – Rep. Oliverson – Current law allows physicians and providers to opt out of providing an abortion service if it conflicts with their religious or moral thinking. The bill would add “other medical services” to the exemption.
HB 2493 – Rep. Morales – The bill would provide certain loan repayments to physicians and providers who work in counties with a population of less than 100,000.
HB 3559 – Rep. Cook – The bill relates to Texas Medical Board complaints against a physician.
SB 961 – Sen. Hughes – The bill relates to physician complaints at the Texas Medical Board.
SB 963 and HB 1780 – Sen. Hughes and Rep. Jetton – The bill is in response to the pandemic and would allow a physician or nurse from another state to practice in Texas if their license is in good standing in their home state.
SB 1490 – Sen. Creighton – The bill relates to MD, DO, JD, DVM and DDS degrees and would prevent the Higher Education Coordinating Board from giving degree status to private institutions if the institutions cannot meet certain standards.
HB 3735 and SB 2115 – Rep. Howard and Sen. Lucio – The bill would require a licensing agency that receives a complaint for a physician or other clinician to forward it immediately to the correct licensing agency.
HB 4439 and SB 961 – Rep. Sanford and Sen. Hughes – The bill relates to complaint information and disciplinary procedures of the Texas Medical Board.
HB 4523 – Rep. Zwiener – The bill relates to license examination attempt limits for physicians.
SB 1502 – Sen. Buckingham – The bill would direct the Texas Medical Board to list a physician’s specialty as it is based on the physician’s initial specialty qualification and not on maintenance of certification.
SB 1674 – Sen. Hall – The bill relates to protection of individuals from participation in a health care service for reasons of conscience; providing a civil remedy; authorizing disciplinary action.
SB 1705 – Sen. Blanco – The bill would update the state’s human trafficking education requirement for physicians.
SB 1857 – Sen. Powell – The bill relates to the issuance of temporary licenses for certain out-of-state health care practitioners for a charitable purpose.
SB 1895 – Sen. Huffman – The bill relates to a Texas Medical Board complaint for a violation described by Section 22.011 (b) (12), Penal Code.
SB 1414 and HB 3434 – Sen. Huffman and Rep. Oliverson – The bill would give physicians who are also completing a PhD extra time to complete licensing requirements.
Prescription Drugs/Biologics
HB 1033 and SB 875 – Rep. Oliverson and Sen. Hancock – The bill addresses a 2019 law that creates disclosure requirements for drug companies that increase drug costs. This “clean-up bill” would add enforcement measure for cases in which a drug company fails to provide disclosure related to price increases.
HB 1584 – Rep. Lucio III – The bill would define the term “redispense” as it relates to compound drugs.
HB 1586 – Rep. Lucio III – The bill would require health plans to allow a patient to secure a specialty drug from a physician’s office or hospital outpatient infusion center.
HB 2185 – Rep. Parker – The bill would add protections for physicians for the off-label use of certain drugs.
SB 844 – Sen. Schwertner – The bill would repeal certain aspects of ERISA as they relate to pharmacy benefits.
SB 1142 – Sen. Zaffirini – The bill relates to modification of certain prescription drug benefits and coverage offered by certain health benefit plans.
SB 1820 – Sen. Bettencourt – The bill relates to the promotion of off-label uses of certain drugs, biological products, and devices.
HB 18 and HB 2981 – Rep. Oliverson – The bill relates to the establishment of the prescription drug savings program for certain uninsured individuals.
Prescription Drugs – Opioids
HB 847 – Rep. Thierry – The bill would require pharmacists to place a warning label on opioid prescriptions.
HB 848 – Rep. Thierry – The bill would require distinctive packaging for opioids.
HB 849 – Rep. Thierry – The bill would require the state of Texas to create a brochure about the risks of opioids and require pharmacists to secure an acknowledgement from the patient.
HB 1524 – Rep. Lucio III – The bill would give Schedule II authority to PAs and NPs.
HB 2117 – Rep. Price – The bill would create an informed consent mandate for physicians to prescribe opioids.
HB 3365 and SB 1794- Rep. Klick and Sen. West – The bill would create an opioid council to determine the distribution of the funds related to the attorney general’s settlement with opioid manufacturers.
HB 4284 – Rep. Holland – The bill would create the state’s opioid abatement account based on the attorney general’s settlement with opioid manufacturers.
HB 4408 and SB 2095 – Rep. Price and Sen. Powell – The bill would allow a pharmacist to provide an opioid antagonist under certain circumstances to a patient who has been prescribed an opioid.
SB 1827 – Sen. Huffman – The bill relates to the creation of the opioid abatement account.
Professional Liability Insurance
HB 501 – Rep. Wu – The bill would immediately raise the state’s cap on non-economic damages from $250,000 to $342,265. In addition, it would include an index for inflation to raise the cap in the future.
SB 232 – Sen. Johnson – The bill would allow plaintiffs to file a motion in personal injury cases to determine if the expert under Chapter 74 is required.
SB 493 – Sen. Johnson – The bill would require nursing homes to carry a minimum of $300,000/$1 million liability policy. Nursing homes that are owned and operated by governmental units would be required to maintain insurance coverage for the cap amounts specified by the Texas Tort Claims Act.
HB 2406 and SB 1106 – Rep. Davis and Sen. Hughes – The bill relates to the casual relationship under Texas Rules of Evidence as it relates to expert witnesses in physician and chiropractor cases.
HB 3747 – Rep. Smith – The bill relates to the liability of health care providers for certain claims arising during a disaster or emergency.
HB 3748 – Rep. Smith – The bill relates to the liability of health care providers for certain claims arising during a pandemic.
HB 3984 – Rep. Davis – The bill relates to service of expert reports for health care liability claims.
Professional Liability – Lawsuits – Covid-19
SB 6 – Sen. Hancock – The bill would create Covid-19 liability protections.
HB 4481 – Rep. Oliverson – The bill relates to civil liability arising from Covid-19.
Public Health – Advance Directives
HB 936 – Rep. Raymond – The bill would extend liability protections to physicians and providers related to following an advanced directive if they were not aware of questions related to the validity of the directive.
SB 917 and HB 2609 – Sen. Hughes and Rep. Parker – The bill relates to advance directives.
HB 2943 – Rep. Frank – The bill relates to DNR orders in hospitals.
HB 3099 – Rep. Coleman – The bill relates to advance directives.
SB 1381 – Sen. Creighton – The bill relates to advance directives.
HB 2810 and SB 1934 – Rep. Moody and Sen. Hughes – The bill relates to the authority granted under and form of a medical power of attorney.
Public Health – Child Abuse Pediatricians
SB 1578 – Sen. Kolkhorst – The bill would create a study related to the work of child abuse pediatricians in the state of Texas.
HB 3820 – Rep. Klick – The bill would add orthopaedic surgeons to the list of specialists to whom a referral is required by a child abuse pediatrician.
Scope of Practice
HB 70 – Rep. Swanson – The bill would give the Legislature additional authority to review regulatory rules created by state agencies by requiring a legislative committee to meet within 40 days and the full chamber to vote within 75 days.
HJR 6 – Rep. Swanson – The resolution would create a constitutional amendment related to additional authority for the Legislature to review regulatory rules created by state agencies.
SB 915 and HB 2029 – Sen. Hancock and Rep. Klick – The bill would give independent practice to APRNs and remove the need for physician supervision.
HB 2340 and SB 993 – Rep. Klick and Sen. Hancock – The bill would give optometrists the ability to perform surgery and manage glaucoma in Texas.
HB 2596 – Rep. Patterson – The bill would define “urgent care clinic” under Texas law and add it to the list of facilities that would require clinicians to wear name badges that clearly identify their professions: physician, nurse, etc.
HB 2960 – Rep. Sanford – The bill would prohibit a health plan from giving patients more information about the differences between ophthalmologists and optometrists, other than the professional degree.
HB 4362 – Rep. Klick – The bill is an omnibus bill that incorporates both APRN independence and surgery for optometrists.
Scope of Practice – Chiropractors
HB 943 – Rep. Raymond – The bill relates to a chiropractor’s ability to perform acupuncture.
SB 293 – Sen. Perry – The bill would amend the chiropractors’ practice to give them the ability to perform services related to the “neuromusculoskeletal system.” The issue was heard by the Texas Supreme Court in the fall of 2020.
Sports Medicine
SB 203 – Sen. Schwertner – The bill relates to statewide competition locations for UIL activities.
HB 2605 – Rep. Rosenthal – The bill would require student athletes to sign a sudden cardiac arrest acknowledgment form.
HB 3449 – Rep. Price – The bill would allow any licensed health care professional to be added to a school’s concussion oversight team.
Taxes
HB 1445 and SB 775 – Rep. Oliverson and Sen. Nichols – The bill would repeal the state’s tax on outsourced medical billing.
HB 1195 and SB 372 – Rep. Geren and Sen. Hancock – The bill would remove the state’s franchise tax on PPP loans.
HB 1389 – Rep. Guillen – The bill relates to prepayment tax amounts related to credit card payments.
SB 438 – Sen. Blanco – The bill would exempt disinfectant and certain face masks and disposable gloves from sales tax for a limited period of time.
SB 873 – Sen. Hancock – The bill relates to the disclosure by the comptroller to the purchaser of a business of the amount of tax due.
HB 2704 – Rep. Morrison – The bill relates to the treatment of certain LLCs as passive entities for purposes of the franchise tax.
SB 1203 and HB 3364 – Sen. Hancock and Rep. Chris Turner – The bill relates to LLCs and partnerships.
SB 1853 – Sen. Powell – The bill relates to a temporary exemption from sales and use taxes for certain personal protective equipment.
Telemedicine
HB 4 – Rep. Price – The bill is the House’s telemedicine priority bill. The bill is the same as HB 974 and SB 412.
HB 280 – Rep. Cortez – The bill relates to an action plan to expand telemedicine medical services and telehealth services and increase access to critical medical care and health care services in this state.
SB 228, HB 980 and HB 522 – Sen. Blanco, Rep. Fiero and Rep. Julie Johnson – The bill relates to the reimbursement and payment of claims by certain health benefit plan issuers for telemedicine medical services and telehealth services
HB 745 – Rep. Guerra – The bill relates to the establishment of telehealth programs by public schools.
HB 887 – Rep. Shaheen – The bill relates to telemedicine medical services and telehealth services covered by certain health benefit plans or provided by a pharmacist.
HB 974 and SB 412 – Rep. Price and Sen. Buckingham – The bill would extend telemedicine for certain Medicaid services.
HB 3499 and SB 992 – Rep. Frank and Sen. Hancock – The bill would allow a health care provider located outside of Texas to provide telemedicine services to Texans.
Workers’ Comp – Orthopaedics
HB 1860 – Rep. Cyrier – The bill would push the Texas Department of Insurance’s Sunset review from 2023 to 2025. It would also include Workers’ Comp.
HB 3042 – Rep. Patterson – The bill would give the Commissioner the authority to review and change the treatment and return-to-work guidelines at any time through the rule-making process.
HB 3098 – Rep. Cason – The bill would allow MMI exams to be conducted through telehealth.
HB 3517 – Rep. Cook – The bill would allow certain physicians who have been removed from the Workers’ Comp program to be reinstated.
HB 3622 and SB 1852 – Rep. Hefner and Sen Powell – The bill is similar to HB 3517.
HB 3818 – Rep. Guillen – The bill would direct TDI-DWC to pay physicians for injured employee no-show exams.
Workers’ Comp – Coverage
HB 776 and SB 305 – Rep. Walle and Sen. Eckhardt – The bill relates to Workers’ Comp coverage for additional employees in Texas.
HB 4469 – Rep. Cecil Bell – The bill relates to the provision of workers’ compensation insurance and group accident and health insurance together in a packaged plan.