When the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 268, stripping the Texas Medical Board (TMB) of its ability to stop the unlicensed practice of medicine by health professionals licensed by other Texas agencies, the Texas Medical Association mobilized to reach the last person able to stop it from becoming law – Gov. Greg Abbott.
That effort, involving a deluge of more than 2,500 messages from TMA physicians, alliance members, and supporters, swayed the governor to veto the bill on the last possible day. In his proclamation accompanying the veto, he noted the bill “would inadvertently raise hurdles to protecting public health and safety” – indicating he heard and understood TMA’s warning.
“We’re grateful Governor Abbott vetoed SB 268 – a bill that would have undermined the Texas Medical Board’s ability to protect patients,” TMA President Jayesh “Jay” Shah, MD, said. “This is a clear win for patient safety and a recognition that health care must be led by physicians.
“The veto of SB 268 reinforces our commitment to ensuring every Texan receives care that meets the highest medical standards. TMA will continue to stand firm for physician-led, team-based care.”
Responding to an ongoing call to protect physician-led health care and patient safety, TMA similarly brought a battalion of doctors in white coats to testify against two bills, Senate Bill 3055 and House Bill 3794.
Both bills aimed to give advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) independent practice authority – despite having less education and experience than physicians – creating what Sen. Charles Schwertner, MD (R-Georgetown), criticized as “a two-tiered system of health care” during the SB 3055 hearing.
“This is probably the paramount issue of my generation of physicians,” said Temple internist Jimmy Widmer, MD, who, with nearly 100 fellow physicians, trekked to the Capitol from around the state to testify against both bills. “It was quite empowering [for so many physicians] to stand up for our profession.”
G. Ray Callas, MD, TMA’s immediate past president, called stoppage of the pair of bills “the biggest win for TMA” this session, and credits physician testimony as essential in garnering critical support.
Other notable scope bills TMA helped stop among the dozens filed:
- House Bill 997, which would have expanded telemedicine so health professionals in other states could practice without a Texas license.
- Senate Bill 1373, which would have undermined hospital medical staff’s ability to grant, deny, renew, or modify privileges.
But TMA wasn’t just active in stopping harmful scope bills; it came to the table with sustainable solutions increasing access to care.
“What was really important about the strategy in this session was coming up with what we can do to try to help,” Dr. Widmer said. “There’s something to be said for returning to your roots and the community you were raised in,” noting he’s relocating this year from Temple to the North Texas exurb of Prosper, near where he grew up.
One of those solutions, Senate Bill 2695 championed by Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R-Brenham), sought to meet the legislature’s own priority of improving access to care for rural patients with new approaches including: 1) a new Rural Admission Medical Program to financially support rural students interested in pursuing medical school and then returning to practicing in their communities; and 2) a plan to create a new rural APRN delegation and supervision program to promote the availability of physicians to enter into such agreements with certain APRNs practicing in counties of 30,000 or less.
Dr. Callas is optimistic about the bill’s prospects in 2027, and complimentary of the TMA lobbying team’s work in halting scope creep.
TMA does expect that fight to continue, Dr. Widmer added, anticipating bringing back physicians to let legislators know “this is a red line for us. We have a lot of people who are trying to do what we do, without doing what we’ve done.”
Last Updated On
August 27, 2025
Originally Published On
August 27, 2025
Phil West
Associate Editor
(512) 370-1394
phil.west[at]texmed[dot]org
Phil West is a writer and editor whose publications include the Los Angeles Times, Seattle Times, Austin American-Statesman, and San Antonio Express-News. He earned a BA in journalism from the University of Washington and an MFA from the University of Texas at Austin’s James A. Michener Center for Writers. He lives in Austin with his wife, children, and a trio of free-spirited dogs.