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May 13, 2011

Major Milestones in the Texas Legislature

A bill’s journey from introduction to the Governor’s desk requires many steps and YOUR help to keep it moving. This week, we can celebrate two major steps to move our bills closer to becoming Texas law!

Banning Discretionary Clauses (HB 3017)

Wow! Activists demonstrated an amazing commitment to our legislative efforts this week! Last Friday, we sent an Action Alert urging you to ask your legislators to support HB 3017. Within 72 hours, nearly 150 activists responded from all across the state. Your emails reached the desks of legislators and on Monday evening, they unanimously voted HB 3017 out of the House.

What’s next? This bill has already been sent over to the Senate side, where the bill will be up for another vote. With the Senate’s approval, the bill will be sent to the Governor’s desk. We’ll need your support for these last two steps!

What does this mean for people with MS? We are one step closer to passing a law to keep unfair language out of YOUR insurance policies.

Prescription Drug Coverage: Preventing Unexpected Changes to Costs (HB 1405)

HB 1405 is officially through both chambers of the Texas Legislature! In early April, your response to our Action Alert ensured unanimous passage in the House. On Tuesday, the Senate voted 31-0 to pass the bill! 

What’s next? After a final “okay” from the House side, the bill is off to the Governor’s desk!

What does this mean for people with MS? We’re nearing the finish line in our effort to protect Texans from unexpected changes to their co-pays, as well provide notice prior to changes to their prescription drug benefits.

Many thanks to YOU for your ongoing outreach to legislators about issues that matter to people with MS. Your voice has helped us get this far.

A huge thank you also goes to Representative John Smithee for being our legislative champion on these issues! We’re also grateful to Rep. Craig Eiland, Rep. Rick Hardcastle, Rep. Barbara Nash, and Senator Deuell for their support of our bills.

Download our bill tracker for step-by-step information and discover the progress you and other MS activists have made this session.

World MS Day: May 25th

MS affects people worldwide—an estimated 2.5 million individuals. World MS Day is celebrated in over 65 countries.

In Texas, each office of the National MS Society will be organizing an MS World Day awareness event. We encourage you to contact your local office and join the festivities. There are also things YOU can do to help recognize this day in your community.

• Follow World MS Day on Twitter!
   
• Visit the Society’s World MS Day page for resources, logos, banners, and more.
   
• Check out the World MS Day blog and read about events taking place around the globe.
   
• Write a letter to your legislators telling them about World MS Day and thank them for representing you.

Got a story? Tell us!
As a person affected by MS, what other issues matter to you? Tell us here. http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/26GX23F

Keep your eye on your inbox! We’ll be requesting more action from you in the upcoming weeks as our bills move through the Texas Legislature.

For more information on the priority issues in this email, please visit our website.

Connect! Visit MS Activist Texas on Flickr to view photos of MS activists in action. You can also visit our Facebook and YouTube pages to share your experiences, photos, and videos.

Want to join our movement at the Texas Capitol? Your story can make a difference!
Contact your Government Affairs Coordinator, Linnea Nasman, at (512) 340-2711 or linnea.nasman@nmss.org