More legislators and organizations support SB188 as it moves to House Calendars Committee

With two weeks left in session, SB188 is on its way to the Calendars Committee. The new bill language, fiscal note and bill analysis is available here. The list of bill authors, sponsors and cosponsors has grown and now includes:

• Sponsor County Affairs Chair Garnet Coleman;
• Joint Sponsors Rules and Resolutions Chair Ruth Jones McClendon,
• Representative Solomon Ortiz, Jr.,
• Appropriations Health & Human Services Subcommittee Chair (and Doctor) John Zerwas,
• SB188 Public Health Subcommittee Chair Susan King; and
• Cosponsors Public Health Vice-Chair Elliott Naishtat, and
• Technology, Economic Development and Workforce Chair Mark Strama.

These House members join a strong list of authors in the Senate:

• Primary Authors Health & Human Services Vice-Chair and Senate Republican Caucus Chair (and Doctor) Robert "Bob" Deuell,
• Veterans Affairs & Military Installations Chair and Senate Democratic Caucus Chair Leticia Van de Putte; and
• Coauthors Finance Vice-Chair Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa,
• Jurisprudence Chair Jeff Wenworth,
• Intergovernmental Relations Chair Royce West, and
• Higher Education Chair Judith Zaffarini.

The official witness list for the House Public Health Committee hearing is available here. Organizations testifying or registering in favor of SB188 include:

• Texas Medical Association
• Texas Hospital Association
• Texas Nurses Association
• Texas Pediatric Society
• Texas Academy of Family Physicians
• Coalition for Nurses in Advanced Practice
• Scott & White Center for Healthcare Policy
• Harris County Healthcare Alliance
• Houston Area Immunization Partnership
• CHRISTUS Santa Rosa Health Care
• Legacy Community Health Services
• Bexar Area Harm Reduction Coalition
• South Texas Substance Abuse Recovery Services (STSARS)
• County Judges & Commissioners Association of Texas
• Bexar County Commissioners Court
• Trinity County
• League of Women Voters
• Texas IMPACT
• James A. Baker Institute for Public Policy, Rice University
• Texas Advocacy Project
• Retired Bexar County Constable
  
• St. Mark's Episcopal Church

Organizations that could not attend the hearing but submitted letters and resolutions in support include:

• Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)
• Austin Police Chief
• Nueces County Sheriff
• Cameron County Sheriff
• Nueces County Constable Precinct 1
• Nueces County Constable Precinct 2
• Community Health Outreach Work to Prevent AIDS
• AIDS Services of Austin, Inc.
• American Civil Liberties Union of Texas
• Hepatitis C Advocate Network
• Latino HIV Task Force
• San Antonio AIDS Foundation
• Texas Academy of Internal Medicine

We will update you when the House Calendars Committee has acted. In the meantime, don't miss the excellent Grits for Breakfast coverage after the House hearing. Stay tuned!