The legislature adjourned sine die at 6:00 p.m. on May 29. Prior to adjournment, the Senate and the House finalized the $321.3 billion state budget for the two-year cycle beginning on September 1, 2023. They also passed and sent Gov. Greg Abbott (R) several bills of interest to pharmacies, including: 

  • HB 25, creates the Canadian Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Act to provide lower cost prescription drugs for consumers; 
  • HB 4990, establishes the Texas Pharmaceutical Initiative governing board and advisory council, a Texas State PBM; 
  • HB 1283, retains the single Medicaid managed care organizations formulary and preferred drug list; 
  • SB 2173 requires the Texas State Board of Pharmacy (TSBP) to develop and implement a prescription drug safe disposal pilot program. 

Also in Texas, unfortunately on day 138 of the 140-day Texas legislative session, HB 1105, the PREP Act permanent immunization legislation that passed both houses with more than a 2/3’s vote, died at midnight because Sen. Lois Kolkhorst (R) refused to appoint Senate conferees to negotiate with House conferees on the anti-COVID mandate amendments the Senator added to the bill before it passed the Senate on May 23. 

Finally in Texas, on May 24, the House General Investigating Committee released information regarding its investigation of Attorney General Ken Paxton (R). Paxton had met with legislators early in session requesting $3.3 million of taxpayer’s money in the state budget to settle a lawsuit between the Attorney General and former staff members. The lawsuit revealed the four former executives were fired in retaliation for reporting the Attorney General to authorities which violated the Texas Whistleblower Act. On May 27, the full House debated HR 2377, the 20 articles of impeachment. The resolution passed with a vote of 121 to 23 and was delivered to the Senate where the trial will begin by August 28. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) appointed John Scott to serve as the short-term interim Attorney General until a decision in the impeachment trial is reached. 

For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.