Earlier this month, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick announced the Senate interim charges. The interim charges, which are selected by the Speaker of the House and the Lieutenant Governor, are policy areas to further explore and research in between the regular legislative sessions. Oftentimes, the interim charges give a preview of some of the issues that will be taken up during the next session and the policy priorities of leadership.
We’re happy to report that the Senate interim charge list included an access to care charge on exploring regulatory and licensing flexibilities for providers to increase access to primary and mental health care. TNP has advocated for this charge since the conclusion of the last legislative session, and interim charge hearings will provide a valuable opportunity to further educate the Senate Health and Human Services Committee on the need to advance full practice authority legislation in Texas.
In the report, the charge language reads:
Access to Health Care: Evaluate current access to primary and mental health care. Examine whether regulatory and licensing flexibilities could improve access to care, particularly in medically underserved areas of Texas. Make recommendations, if any, to improve access to care while maintaining patient safety.
TNP will be monitoring the interim charge process, and opportunities for invited and written testimony, in the upcoming weeks and months.
