Texas House bill by Rep. Garcia Hernandez revises governance of medical disclosure panel

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Cassandra Garcia Hernandez seeks to revise the governance structure of the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel and assign administrative duties to the Health and Human Services Commission, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 54 Democrats and 55 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while two Democrats and 27 Republicans opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, 10 Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, while one Democrat voted against it.

Cassandra Garcia Hernandez introduced the bill in the Texas House on Tuesday, Nov. 12, 2024, ahead of the official start of the 89th regular legislative session on Jan. 14, 2025.

Hernandez graduated from the University of Houston with a BA.

Hernandez, a Democrat, was elected to the Texas State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 115th House district, replacing previous state representative Julie Johnson.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill revises the structure and governance of the Texas Medical Disclosure Panel, administratively attaching it to the Health and Human Services Commission, which will provide administrative assistance and manage its budget submissions to the legislature. The amended panel will consist of 11 members: six licensed medical practitioners, three licensed lawyers, and two public representatives with an emphasis on health literacy. Specific exclusions are placed on public member appointments, barring registered lobbyists, health care providers or their spouses, and individuals in health care-related fields. The bill also clarifies that the panel cannot alter the scope of practice authority for any medical professional. The executive commissioner is tasked with appointing new members by Jan. 1, 2026, aligning with the bill’s provisions, which take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Jeff Leach (Republican – District 67).

The bill received its final legislative approval on Tuesday, May 20, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.