The 88th Regular Legislative Session adjourned sine die May 29. Gov. Greg Abbott (R) immediately called the first 30-day special session to address property tax cuts, which ended with no bills advancing to the Governor’s desk. The Governor called a second special session to address property tax cuts. Speaker Dade Phelan (R) and Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) finally reached an agreement on a property tax relief package, it passed and was signed by the Governor.
Also in Texas, Gov. Abbott signed into law several bills of interest to pharmacies:
- SB 2173 creates a voluntary prescription drug safe disposal pilot program to be developed by the Board of Pharmacy;
- HB 1283, legislation that makes permanent the single statewide drug formulary and preferred drug list for Medicaid managed care organizations; and
- HB 999, the copay accumulator bill requiring health plans and PBMs, not pharmacies, to apply any coupon or other reduction in out-of-pocket expenses made by or on behalf of an enrollee to the enrollee’s deductible copayment, cost sharing responsibility or out-of-pocket maximum applicable to prescription drug benefits.
Also in Texas, with Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) still suspended from office as he awaits his September impeachment trial in the Senate, Gov. Abbott appointed Angela Colmenero as the new Interim Attorney General, replacing the short-term Interim Attorney General John Scott.
Also in Texas, Vaccines for Children (TVFC) Program provider manual is now on-line. TVFC IQIP providers are responsible for understanding program policies and requirements for 2022-2023 TVFC re-enrollment. The 2023-2024 Texas Vaccines for Children (TVFC)/Adult Safety Net (ASN) Program re-enrollment will open in October 2023 and close November 2023.
Finally in Texas, the agenda for the Drug Utilization Board July 21 meeting was posted.
For more information, contact NACDS’ Mary Staples at 817-442-1155.