TAFEC President Swapan Dubey provides a recap of the 84th Texas Legislature at the annual TAFEC Membership Meeting.
As the 84th Texas Legislature comes to a close, I want to take a moment to thank everyone who made this session so successful for our industry. This association’s primary purpose is to promote growth and protect freestanding emergency centers from unfair regulation, and I believe we have achieved that mission this session.
To recap, there were two pieces of legislation that impacted FECs directly. The first was Senate Bill 425 by Sen. Schwertner and Rep. Bonnen pertaining to disclosures and signage at FEC facilities. After working closely with Dr. Schwertner, Dr. Bonnen, and their staffs, TAFEC was able to have harmful language that would hinder FECs from doing business removed from the bill. The result was a revised bill that bolsters the industry’s transparency.
The second piece of legislation was Senate Bill 1279 by Rep. Geanie Morrison, Sen. Donna Campbell, and Sen. Jane Nelson, more commonly referred to as the “Baby Moses” bill. This bill added FECs to the list of options available for a mother to drop off her newborn, which further contributes to the legitimacy of FECs as viable emergency care providers.
I would like to personally highlight all of those who testified on short notice against Senate Bill 425 and on TAFEC’s behalf. Their testimony was instrumental in highlighting some of TAFEC’s concerns with the bill language, and ultimately in starting the revision process. TAFEC’s Legislative Committee, member testimony, and visits to Austin all made an impact this session.
Our lobby and communications efforts were critical in TAFEC’s success and helping to ensure TAFEC had a seat at the table for this important legislative process. So, many thanks to Brad Shields and the TAFEC lobby team for doing great work at the Capitol this session. Also, thank you to Influence Opinions, TAFEC’s marketing and communications agency, for effectively supporting our legislative efforts and spreading awareness about the FEC industry.
Regards,
Swapan Dubey, MD
President of TAFEC 2014-2015
SPHIER Emergency Room
President/CEO