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TRENDING TOPICS
83rd Legislature Update:
BCMS resolution becomes
filed legislation
Resolution adopted
during TMA HOD in 2012
By Mary E. Nava, MBA
BCMS Chief Governmental and
Community Relations Officer
If you ever
wonder whether your ideas get heard, well, here's a perfect example
of an idea suggesting a change in policy, going full circle and now
becoming pending legislation during this 83rd Session of the Texas
Legislature.
In March 2012, the BCMS Delegation to TMA was
hard at work reviewing the resolutions submitted by BCMS members that,
if approved, would move up for consideration during the House of
Delegates (HOD) business meeting during TEXMED 2012. One of
those resolutions, submitted by Richard Benedikt, MD, was a
suggestion to simplify and modernize the controlled substances registration
(CSR) program. This resolution, among others, was approved by
the members of the BCMS Delegation to TMA and submitted to the TMA
HOD for consideration. The resolution was adopted during
discussion and vote of the HOD, and this "idea"
eventually went on to become part of TMA's 2013 Legislative
Agenda. Click here to
see BCMS Resolution 302.
Now, fast
forward to the 83rd Legislative Session ... Last Wednesday, Feb.
27, HB 1803, a TMA-supported bill, was filed by Rep. Bill Callegari
(R-Katy). House Bill 1803 would streamline and improve the
process used by the Department of Public Safety (DPS) to renew
physicians' controlled substance permits. Physicians must have a
DPS controlled substance permit to maintain a valid federal Drug
Enforcement Administration license. The legislation would
accomplish the following:
- Extend
the now annual renewal period of the DPS controlled substance
permit to two years,
- Sync
the renewal of the DPS permit to the physician's license
renewal, and
- Allow
the renewal process to start with the Texas Medical Board and
the physician's license renewal.
As part of TMA's legislative agenda is to reduce red
tape and increase efficiency for physicians and their practices, HB
1803 is one way to begin tackling this issue. So, yes, BCMS members,
your ideas and voices are definitely heard.
Stay tuned to
this column for more updates on the status of bills and other
activities as the 83rd Legislative Session continues.
For local
discussion on the 83rd Legislative Session, First Tuesdays trips to
the Capitol and other legislative and socioeconomics topics,
consider joining the BCMS Legislative and Socioeconomics Committee
by contacting Mary Nava at mary.nava@bcms.org.
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