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Sen. Cesar Blanco, backers push HEAL Texans Act (Senate Bill 911) to expand nurse practitioner authority
Summary
Sen. Cesar Blanco, senator for District 29, refiled the HEAL Texans Act (Senate Bill 911) and urged lawmakers to remove contractual and supervisory requirements that supporters say keep nurse practitioners from providing primary care in underserved Texas communities.
Sen. Cesar Blanco, senator for District 29, on Thursday refiled the HEAL Texans Act (Senate Bill 911) and urged lawmakers to remove what he called “unnecessary barriers” that prevent advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs), including nurse practitioners, from providing primary care in underserved parts of Texas.
Blanco said the bill is intended to expand access to primary care in rural and urban areas facing provider shortages. “This is not just a problem. This is a crisis,” he said, calling out long travel times, limited appointment availability and contractual requirements that he said keep APRNs from practicing to the full extent of their training.
The bill’s supporters described the proposal as a workforce and access measure, not a change to surgical or specialty practice. At the event, Vice Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee Sen. Charles Perry joined Blanco in endorsing the bill, stressing the role of APRNs in…
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