Legislative Update (3/17)
Last week was an insanely busy week at the Texas Capitol. The bill filing deadline has officially passed, meaning the deck is now set—no new bills can be introduced this session.
Final bill totals:
5,647 House Bills
3,028 Senate Bills
⏳ 76 days remain in the session.
SNAP Testimony & National Attention
Last week, we testified in favor of Senator Mayes Middleton’s bill to remove junk food like soda and candy from the SNAP program. The hearing made national news after the American Heart Association came out against the bill, drawing shock from Chairwoman Lois Kolkhorst, who said: "I often say that I can never be surprised in this building, but for the American Heart Association to be against this bill, that might be the surprise of the session so far."
📺 Watch coverage on Fox Business (where I cameo) and hear Sen. Kolkhorst’s full interview:
Calley Means wrote an excellent editorial in USA Today about why reforming SNAP is critical to improving public health and reducing healthcare costs. Read it here.
This Week’s Hearings
Senate Health & Human Services will hear bills this week on insurance and drug price transparency, reforms to how complaints against doctors are handled, and expanding Right to Try legislation. House Public Health will consider bills on physician licensing and Chairwoman Lacey Hull will also present the House companion to Sen. Kolkhorst’s SB 25, which includes nutrition education for doctors, protecting PE in schools, and improving food labeling standards.
📍 Click here to learn more about these hearings & how to get involved.
In the News
✍🏻 Bill Would Require Comprehensive Study on Chronic Disease & Insurance Costs
This study is set to analyze trends in chronic disease, nutrition, and healthcare spending over the past five decades in Texas. It will gather data on diet, lifestyle, and healthcare costs to provide lawmakers with information for future policy considerations.
📖 Read more: Lone Star Standard
🔎 Federal dietary guidelines are about to change. What does this mean for Americans?
The USDA and HHS are revising the federal Dietary Guidelines for Americans, a process that happens every five years. These guidelines influence school lunches, SNAP purchases, and more.
📖 Read more: Fox News
🛒 The FDA is redefining what “healthy” means on food packaging.
The FDA’s new proposal would tighten regulations on what products can be labeled “healthy,” limiting it to foods with meaningful nutritional benefits. This move could crack down on misleading marketing, but some argue it doesn’t go far enough.
📖 Read more: FDA Consumer Updates
⚠️ RFK Jr. pushes for stricter oversight of chemicals in food.
RFK Jr. is calling for more transparency on food additives, arguing that the U.S. allows chemicals that are banned in Europe. He met with food industry executives this week to discuss potential changes.
📖 Read more: U.S. News & World Report
🏭 Major food companies under fire for using banned additives.
Kraft Heinz, General Mills, and other food giants are under pressure for using dyes and preservatives that are banned in Europe but still legal in the U.S. The movement to align U.S. food safety standards with international best practices is gaining momentum.
📖 Read more: Fortune
That's all for this week, but I wanted to end with this—five years ago yesterday, we were told it would be “two weeks to flatten the curve,” kickstarting the COVID-19 response that reshaped our world overnight. It wasn’t just the loss of freedom—it was a wake-up call to how public health was weaponized and how little focus there was on true prevention. Many moments led me to start Make Texans Healthy Again, but COVID was a turning point. We need real health freedom in this country—not just the right to choose our care, but the right to stop being fed lies about what makes people sick in the first place.
Travis McCormick
Founder, Make Texans Healthy Again