Texas Legislative Update

December 2023

Michael Grimes, Imperium Public Affairs (TCEP Lobbyist)

As the unusual legislative year of 2023 draws to a close, one cannot help but to look forward to 2024 and understand the need for the continued effort to promote and protect emergency medicine. Healthcare delivery is rapidly changing and the stark reality for physicians is that we must be engaged to ensure the best outcomes for our patients. Now, more than ever, TCEP members must make a commitment to support and pursue positive outcomes for our profession with policymakers in the statehouse and candidates for office who support emergency medicine. This is the time for you to step up and decide how you can contribute to maintain the momentum TCEP has created, and if interested, there are several opportunities where you can get involved.

Between the regularly scheduled legislative session and four called special sessions, the Texas Legislature was in Austin the majority of the 2023 year. This grueling legislative schedule has led many elected officials to reconsider their service and either step away from politics or run for a different office entirely. This turnover creates opportunities for TCEP to build new relationships, and the first place we must work to do this is during the 2024 campaign cycle to help candidates who support emergency medicine get elected to serve in 2025 and beyond.

WHAT YOU CAN DO – 2024 ELECTIONS
The deadline for a candidate to file for office was December 11, 2023, and you should have received a full list of who is running for which offices in Texas. Take a moment to look at who is running in your communities and across the state and see if there is someone you know or are willing to get to know better. Additionally, TCEP will use our resources with EMPACT (Emergency Medical PAC of Texas) to coordinate with TCEP staff and our consultants at Imperium Public Affairs (IPA) to let them know that you are willing to get involved directly in those races. Even if you don’t already have a relationship with a candidate, building one directly with your elected officials as a constituent is the most impactful way to contribute.

WHAT YOU CAN DO – 2025 LEGISLATIVE SESSION
The Texas Legislature typically only meets for 140 days every other year (remember, four special sessions in one year like 2023 is highly unusual), and the next regular session is scheduled to kick off in January of 2025. During the “interim” between the sessions in 2024, both the House of Representatives and the Texas Senate will study issues and make recommendations for policy items for the upcoming legislature to consider. TCEP will be formulating policy priorities through our Legislative Affairs Committee, and input from TCEP members with specific experience or expertise is always invited and appreciated. If there are certain policy issues you hold a specific interest in and a willingness to participate, please make TCEP staff aware so they can get you involved.

WHAT YOU CAN DO – IN THE FUTURE
If you are already involved in a role at TCEP or support EMPACT financially, thank you for all you do for emergency medicine. If you have the time, desire, or capacity to get more involved than you are currently, it is critical to our continued success to have support for our efforts from as many TCEP members as possible. No contribution is too small. Timing is everything, and the time to engage with stakeholders, policymakers, candidates for office as well as your incumbent legislators is now. TCEP has their attention and a compelling story to tell during the 2024 election cycle and the legislative interim that can have lasting impacts on our efforts for years. Donate to EMPACT today!