04/11/2025
IMPORTANT!
IS THERE A DR. IN THE HOUSE??
PLEASE TESTIFY OR PHONE/EMAIL TO PREVENT NP SCOPE EXPANSION!!!
Texas House of Representatives' Public Health Committee Hearing:
Monday, April 14 at 8:00 AM, Austin, TX!
If you can't attend to testify, please contact either by phone or email, each of the TX House of Representative legislators sitting on the House's Public Health Committee, especially, newly elected Representative Katrina Pierson-R, Collin & Rockwall, and simply state your opposition to this bill in one or two sentences.
Follow this link to make contact:
https://house.texas.gov/committees/committee/410
gary.vandeaver@house.texas.gov; elizabeth.campos@house.texas.gov ; john.bucy@house.texas.gov;
nicole.collier@house.texas.gov; charles.cunningham@house.texas.gov; james.frank@house.texas.gov;
ann.johnson@house.texas.gov;
jolanda.jones@house.texas.gov;
mike.olcott@house.texas.gov;
katrina.pierson@house.texas.gov; mike.schofield@house.texas.gov; joanne.shofner@house.texas.gov; lauren.simmons@house.texas.gov
OR, use the following letter and send to each of the email addresses, above:
Dear Representative [Last Name],
I am a licensed physician, concerned constituent and health care advocate respectfully expressing my strong opposition to H.R. Bill 3794, which proposes to expand the scope of practice for nurse practitioners in Texas, granting them independent authority to diagnose, treat, and prescribe without physician oversight.
Nurse practitioners play a vital role in healthcare; however, granting full practice authority without physician collaboration poses significant risks to patient safety and the overall quality of care. Please consider a few reasons why H.R. Bill 3794 should not be supported:
1. Difference in Training and Education: Nurse practitioners typically complete 2–3 years of graduate-level education, whereas physicians undergo 7–12 years of rigorous medical training, including medical school, residency, and often specialty fellowships. The depth and scope of physician training ensures a more comprehensive understanding of complex medical conditions and nuanced clinical decision-making.
2. Patient Safety Risks: Numerous studies have shown that physician-led care reduces errors and improves outcomes, particularly in complex or high-acuity cases. Independent practice by NPs may lead to delayed diagnoses, inappropriate prescribing, and fragmented care, especially without the depth of diagnostic training that physicians receive.
3. Fragmentation of Care: Expanding independent authority to NPs can create silos in care delivery and reduce the level of collaboration between healthcare professionals. Integrated, team-based care with physician leadership ensures cohesive and evidence-based treatment plans for patients.
4. Existing Solutions Can Address Access Gaps: While proponents of H.R. 3794 often cite increased access to care in rural or underserved areas, research shows that nurse practitioners tend to cluster in the same urban areas as physicians. Instead of lowering standards, Texas should invest in innovative models that extend physician-led care through telemedicine and mobile health units.
In conclusion, patient safety and quality of care must remain Texas' top priority. Nurse practitioners remain a valuable part of the historic, collaborative model of medicine. I respectfully urge you to preserve physician-led healthcare in Texas by opposing H.R. Bill 3794 and voting NO if this bill comes up for an executive session vote.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
[Your Name, MD]
House Bill #3794, filed and sponsored by Representative Drew Darby-R, San Angelo, would grant full practice authority to advanced practice nurses, including nurse practitioners, midwives, anesthetists, and clinical nurse specialists. This cheapens your profession and the years and finances required to get where you are today, and, it threatens patient safety as well as their quality of care.
Will you testify? Do you have a good story to tell that supports opposition to this piece of legislation?
Committee testimony is critical.
Physicians are needed to:
Attend Monday's hearing...wear white coats;
Testify in opposition to this reckless legislation; and,
Share real life, clinical stories validating opposition to this expansive and damaging legislation, to both physicians, patients...and yes, even the nurses pushing this legislation.
If you can participate in the hearing, please contact Clayton Stewart, TMA Chief Lobbyist, via text, email, or phone at (512) 217-0744 or clayton.stewart@texmed.org.
Here are some Myths vs. Facts:
https://www.texmed.org/uploadedFiles/Current/2016_Advocacy/Scope_of_Practice/313705_Scope_One_Pager_Fact_vs_Myth.pdf
House Bill 3794's current language:
https://capitol.texas.gov/tlodocs/89R/billtext/html/HB03794I.htm
