The THA 10: Legislation Driving Texas Hospitals’ State Agenda in 2025

Occasionally – with bad legislation littering the agenda of the Texas Legislature and requiring staunch hospital opposition – the Texas Hospital Association finds itself needled about repeatedly standing against bills, and not being “for” policy initiatives being dissected and deliberated on at the Capitol.

In fact, THA is “for” plenty of promising, worthwhile and necessary legislation. And in the 2025 legislative session, that goes especially for the 10 bills briefly summarized below, which represent a snapshot of THA’s policy aims to push to the governor’s desk before the Legislature adjourns on June 2. These 10 bills are a mix of House and Senate legislation, ordered by bill number with any companion measures (if available) and the bill’s current status in the march toward becoming law.

House Bill 37 – Perinatal palliative care

Primary author: Rep. Mihaela Plesa (D-Dallas)
Companion: House Bill 2058, also by Rep. Plesa

What it does: Establishes a state perinatal bereavement care initiative to improve access and quality of perinatal palliative care for parents and family members after the death of a baby before, during or after childbirth; authorizes the state to award grants to increase access to this type of care.

Status: HB 37 passed out of the House Committee on Public Health on March 31, making it eligible for consideration by the full House. It has been placed on the House’s General State Calendar for April 23.

House Bill 44 – Life of the Mother Act

Primary author: Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth)
Companion: Senate Bill 31 Sen. Bryan Hughes (R-Mineola)

What it does: Clarifies the medical emergency exception to Texas’ abortion ban to clarify when a physician may legally terminate a pregnancy to address a threat to the mother’s life or major bodily functions.

Status: HB 44 was heard in the House Committee on Public Health on April 7 with THA testifying in support. The committee left the bill pending.

Senate Bill 1018 – Increased EMS/trauma funds

Primary author: Sen. Joan Huffman (R-Houston)
Companion: House Bill 3459 by Rep. Greg Bonnen, MD (R-Friendswood)

What it does: Increases the percentage of state traffic fund revenue allocated to the state’s trauma and emergency medical services account from 30% to 50%.

Status: SB 1018 passed the full Senate on March 26. It has been referred to the House Committee on Appropriations.

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House Bill 1621 – Tech grants for mental health

Primary author: Rep. John Lujan (R-San Antonio)
Companion: Senate Bill 151 by Sen. José Menéndez (D-San Antonio)

What it does: Creates a matching grant program to improve technological capabilities at mental health hospitals in which the hospital matches 25% of the state’s grant.

Status: HB 1621 was scheduled for a hearing today (April 21) in the House Committee on Public Health.

House Bill 1635 – Prudent layperson standard

Primary author: Rep. Tom Oliverson, MD (R-Cypress)
Companion: Senate Bill 622 by Sen. Schwertner

What it does: Reinforces the existing standard for coverage of emergency care so that insurers must base their ultimate coverage decision on whether a “prudent layperson” with an average knowledge of medicine would believe that the medical event was an emergency – not on the final diagnosis.

Status: HB 1635 was heard on April 17 in the House Committee on Insurance and left pending.

House Bill 2036 – Partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient therapy

Primary author: Rep. Oliverson

What it does: Requires Medicaid coverage for partial hospitalization programs and intensive outpatient therapy, which would give Texas patients access to a full continuum of behavioral health services akin to what patients receive for physical care.

Status: HB 2036 was heard on April 17 in the House Subcommittee on Disease Prevention & Women & Children’s Health and left pending.

Senate Bill 2457 – Medicaid OIG statute of limitations

Primary author: Sen. Hughes
Companion: House Bill 2531 by Rep. Christian Manuel (D-Port Arthur)

What it does: Protects Medicaid providers from the office of the inspector general recovering payments made as a result of waste or abuse if the payment was discovered four years or more after the date the provider received the payment.

Status: SB 2457 has been referred to the Senate Health & Human Services Committee and is awaiting a hearing.

House Bill 2854 – Notice of monitored parolee visit

Primary author: Rep. Rafael Anchía (D-Dallas)

What it does: Requires notification to hospitals before visitation by a parolee under electronic monitoring.

Status: HB 2854 was heard April 17 in the House Committee on Corrections and was left pending.

House Bill 3163 – Orders of protective custody

Primary author: Rep. Jeff Leach (R-Plano)
Companion: Senate Bill 643 by Sen. Nathan Johnson (D-Dallas)

What it does: Clarifies that a hospital can obtain an order of protective custody by obtaining it where the patient is located when the application is filed.

Status: HB 3163 was voted out of the House Committee on Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence on April 3 and is eligible for consideration on the House floor.

House Bill 3265 – Pharma Overreach in 340B

Primary author: Rep. Drew Darby (R-San Angelo)

What it does: Prevents pharmaceutical makers from treating safety-net hospitals in the 340B Drug Pricing Program differently than other hospitals, in part by prohibiting administrative hurdles and contract pharmacy restrictions.

Status: HB 3265 was heard on April 9 in the House Committee on Insurance and left pending.