Consumers come out ahead in TexPIRG Legislative Scorecard
Texans won't have to worry so much about surprise medical bills and telemarketing tricks.
Texans won’t have to worry so much about surprise medical bills and telemarketing tricks.
The state’s legislative session adjourned on May 27, and TexPIRG’s Legislative Scorecard found reasons for consumers to celebrate. Sen. Kelly Hancock’s bill to send eligible surprise medical bills to arbitration, instead of straight to consumers, passed with bipartisan support. Another new law aims to prevent hidden fees at freestanding emergency rooms. And telemarketers will no longer be able to “spoof” their calls by making it appear as if they originate in the recipient’s zip code.
The Legislature also stopped plenty of bad bills from becoming law. Efforts to make it harder to register to vote and to block the construction of a high-speed bullet train connecting Houston and Dallas all failed.
“We were pleased with how the legislative session turned out for consumers,” said Bay Scoggin, TexPIRG’s state director. “Consumers benefit from more transparency in government, businesses and markets.”
Photo: Texas’ 86th legislative session adjourned on May 27, 2019, with good news for Texas consumers. Credit: Daniel Mayer via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0
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