Page 7 - Layout 1

87TH LEGISLATIVE 87TH LEGISLATIVE
SESSION SESSION

seat formerly held by Senator Pete Flores. visits at the Capitol. Since the start of the pandemic over a year ago,
Rules adopted by the Senate introduced COVID-19 protocols to Zoom meetings became the norm and replaced all in-person meetings.
be implemented for everyone during the first 60 days of the session. During the interim, TMA and BCMS joined forces with the TMA
As stated, any person, including members of the Senate, entering the Alliance to participate in First Tuesdays in the District. These were
Senate Chamber, the Senate gallery or attending a Senate committee visits with our state representatives from Bexar County, in their district
hearing, must first test negative for COVID-19. Members of the pub- offices. We were fortunate to visit with a couple of our legislators in
lic are not required to take a COVID-19 test prior to entering the person just before the pandemic hit. After that, BCMS and TMA
Capitol. Free testing is available, however, and individuals who test held several visits with our legislators last Fall in preparation for the
negative are given a wristband in order to enter the Senate gallery or start of the 87th Legislative Session. Presently, we are actively partic-
Senate committee hearing. Additionally, wristbands will be given to ipating in virtual meetings with our legislators and their staffs to advise
individuals showing proof of vaccination. Adjustments to these rules them of medicine’s issues. Another change this Session is that the First
could be considered in March. Tuesdays visits are scheduled anytime and not held strictly on the ac-
The adopted rules of the House of Representatives do not call for tual First Tuesday of each month between February and May.
strict testing protocols as outlined in the Senate. Basically, discretion As with each legislative session, TMA prepares a legislative agenda
on testing is left to the individual House members and to the public. which highlights key items of importance to medicine (the full agenda
All visitors to the Capitol may get tested, if they wish, at no expense is available in this issue of San Antonio Medicine). Among the key
to them. The state representatives have the right to require testing of items on TMA’s radar are: coverage expansion for the uninsured and
anyone that comes into their personal office. underinsured; improve access to telemedicine services for patients;
As with every legislative session, the only bill that must pass is the support of telemedicine payment parity; reduce health insurance prior
state budget. At the time of this writing, both the Senate and House authorization red tape; strengthen the state’s public health infrastruc-
have filed budget bills and committee hearings are underway. ture; preserve health care funding in the state budget; ensure patient
A number of issues are being tackled this session. One committee safety through team-based care (scope of practice); prevent taxation
that started working right out of the gate is the Committee on Redis- of medical billing services; preserve funding for medical residency and
The 87th Session of the Texas Legislature: tricting. Normally, the work of this committee is conducted during rural loan repayment programs; increase the Texas tobacco tax and
the interim, but due to the COVID-19 pandemic, earlier in-person
create a tax for vape products; and retain Texas’ landmark medical li-
How the COVID-19 Pandemic Has Affected hearings around the state had to be postponed. The Committee on ability reforms.
As your lobbyist and representative with our elected officials, I also
Redistricting has been holding regional, public hearings virtually via
The 2021 Legislative Session videoconference. In addition, members of this Committee await the work with the TMA lobby team, led by Dan Finch, VP of Advocacy,
data from the 2020 Census, also delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic, along with associate directors of advocacy, Troy Alexander, Michelle
By Mary E. Nava, MBA, BCMS Chief Government Affairs Officer which is critical to the work of the Redistricting Committee. The Romero and Clayton Stewart to keep our physicians informed on the
Census data will show how the population of Texas has changed over status of medicine’s issues as key legislation on these items moves
the last decade. This information identifies changes in the number of through the legislative process. In addition, as staff liaison to the
congressional seats for the state, thereby providing key data for law- BCMS Legislative and Socioeconomics Committee, I assist the physi-
Never before experienced in the Texas Legislature’s 175-year history, as state representative for House District 21. Congratulations to makers to assess as they work to redraw house, senate and congres- cian members of the committee to track and monitor important leg-
the 87th Legislative Session is the first ever to require social distancing Speaker Phelan, who becomes the 76th Speaker of the Texas House. sional district lines. islation, coordinate visits with legislators and provide key details and
protocols, the wearing of masks and in some cases, a negative test result We also congratulate a new State Representative from San Antonio, Among the issues prioritized as emergency items by Governor Ab- alerts as information becomes available. Members of this committee
for COVID-19. Rep. Elizabeth “Liz” Campos, representing Bexar County’s House Dis- bott for the 87th Legislative Session, as presented during his State of are active participants in visits with our legislators.
This Session kicked off at noon on Tuesday, January 12 with the trict 119, the seat formerly held by now Senator Roland Gutierrez. the State address last month, are: 1) the expansion of broadband ac-
Texas House and Senate chambers conducting the swearing-in of the On the Senate-side, senate members elected Senator Brian Birdwell cess; 2) funding police; 3) fixing our flawed bail system; 4) election Mary Nava is the Chief Government Affairs Officer at
elected members of both chambers. During previous sessions of the of Granbury as Senate president pro tempore. The president pro tem- integrity; and 5) civil liability protections for businesses, individuals BCMS. To learn more about how you can participate in the
Legislature, both Chamber floors and galleries were packed with fam- pore will act as acting governor when Governor Greg Abbott and Lt. and healthcare providers during a pandemic. Emergency items are First Tuesdays visits with our legislators, register at
ily and visitors to mark the occasion, but for this session, only a limited Governor Dan Patrick are out of the state at the same time. Congrat- fast-tracked during the first 60 days of the Session. www.texmed.org/firsttuesdays and consider joining the
number of guests joined in the ceremonies. In addition, as is custom- ulations to Senator Birdwell as well as to a new member of the Senate At the time of this writing, the February 2 First Tuesdays visits with BCMS Legislative and Socioeconomics Committee by contacting Mary
ary, members of the House of Representatives elected a new speaker, from San Antonio, former Rep. Roland Gutierrez, now Senator our legislators are behind us and what has been different this session Nava at mary.nava@bcms.org.
Rep. Dade Phelan from Beaumont, currently serving his fourth term Gutierrez, who represents the sprawling area of Senate District 19, the is that there are no trips planned to Austin for in-person First Tuesdays

12 SAN ANTONIO MEDICINE • March 2021 Visit us at www.bcms.org 13