Dear Texas AAPS Members and Friends,

The Texas Sunset Advisory Commission will soon be voting on its recommendations to the legislature as it considers reauthorizing the Texas Medical Board in the 2019 session.

Several helpful recommendations have been made by members of the Commission, some of which were advocated by the Texas chapter of AAPS. We are hopeful that the Commission will approve these changes to benefit the good doctors of Texas and their patients.

Please let your voice be heard by sending a message to the Commission encouraging them to adopt helpful improvements that have been recommended.

This needs to be done before Thursday! The Commission meets to consider these changes on Thursday, May 24.

The following helpful recommended proposals should be adopted:

1. The right to Trial de Novo in appeals of medical board discipline. Current law restrains the court’s review of facts as decided by the TMB.
2. Texas must not adopt the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. In lieu of joining the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact, consider adoption of a Texas-governed expedited licensing process for qualified out of-state physicians.
3. Allow expanded access to expert reviewer reports for informal settlement conferences.
4. Additional flexibility in nondisciplinary actions for less serious violations.
5. Audit requirements for the Texas Physician Health Program and rules regarding its interactions with the Board.

The full list of recommendations can be found at this link: Sunset Decision Meeting Material (pg. 12) https://www.sunset.texas.gov/public/uploads/u97/Decision%20Meeting%20Materials_May.pdf

Please send a simple statement to the Commission members asking for the items listed above, and any others you may want to add.

Below is a sample letter:

Dear Chair Birdwell, Vice Chair Paddie and Members of the Sunset Commission,

Thank you for your dedication to seeking improvements to the Texas Medical Board that will benefit Texas patients and their doctors.

We ask you to approve the following recommended reforms under consideration at the May 24 decision meeting:

1) The right to trial de novo in appeals of medical board discipline. Current law restrains the court’s review of facts as decided by the TMB.

2) Texas must not adopt the Interstate Medical Licensure Compact. In lieu of joining the flawed Compact, consider adoption of a Texas-governed expedited licensing process for out of-state physicians.

3) Allow expanded access to expert reviewer reports for informal settlement conferences.

4) Additional flexibility in nondisciplinary actions for less serious violations.

5) Audit requirements for the Texas Physician Health Program and rules regarding its interactions with the Board.

Thank you for considering approval of the above needed reforms.

Sincerely,

For some email apps, clicking here will launch a new message with the above text and commission email addresses filled in.

If the link doesn’t work for you, here is a list of addresses you can copy and paste into a new email message:

Brian.Birdwell@senate.texas.gov,dawn.buckingham@senate.texas.gov,bob.hall@senate.texas.gov,robert.nichols@senate.texas.gov,kirk.watson@senate.texas.gov,Chris.Paddie@house.state.tx.us,dan.flynn@house.state.tx.us,stan.lambert@house.texas.gov,Poncho.Nevarez@house.texas.gov,senfronia.thompson@house.texas.gov,sunset@sunset.texas.gov

If you have time to make a few phone calls, to quickly access phone numbers, click here and then on the names of commission members (particularly members representing your district).

Thank you for speaking out! Your input does make a difference.