HB 218 is Rep. Moody’s penalty reduction bill and HB 1805 is Rep. Klick’s medical expansion bill.
Both have been sent to the Senate and assigned committees, but both have not been scheduled for hearing in the respective committees. The end of this week could be the death knell for both bills if they are not heard in those committees by then. There has to be enough time for the bills to be heard, get review, go to the Senate floor, make it back to the House if any amendments are made to the bills and schedule a conference committee.
HB 218 will make possession of one ounce or less of marijuana (flower and concentrate) a class c misdemeanor cite and release offense. The bill also allows expungement of the charge after a designated period of time for a $30 administrative fee. Penalty reduction for possession of marijuana has not been enacted in Texas in nearly 50 years.
HB 1805 amends the Texas Compassionate Use Program so that physicians may recommend certain products containing fixed more potent forms of THC to patients by replacing the current THC cap with a max volumetric dose of 10mg. It will add any conditions that cause chronic pain, for which a physician would otherwise prescribe an opioid. It also empowers DSHS to add conditions under a review process by allowing for a review board to evaluate data between Legislative Sessions.
Here is how you can help!
- You can call you senator and tell them that you want them to show support for HB 218 and HB 1805 to get committee hearings and to be heard on the floor with their current bill language. Below is a script you can use to tell your senator over the phone. The phone numbers are listed below for your convenience.
- Hello, my name is (Your Name) and I am one of the Senator’s constituents. I am calling today to ask (Your Senator) to support HB 1805 and HB 218 as they are currently written. HB 1805 is waiting to be reviewed by the Senate’s Water, Agriculture & Rural Affair Committee and HB 218 is waiting on a State Affairs hearing. I ask that the Senator show the support needed to get these bills heard in their respective committees and heard on the Senate floor. These bills are important to the people of our state and they need action to move forward. Please take action and help move HB 218 and 1805 forward.”
- You can also email you senator using the following action alert links to send a message for each of the bills and ask for support. Even if you have sent a letter via another organization, you can send another as a reminder of importance to your Senator.
If you do decide to call, make sure you speak in a clear and calm manner, enunciate when you speak, and be polite. It may be busy in the office and you want the staff to understand every word that you say and take you seriously.
Find out who your Senator is here-> OPENS IN NEW TAB
SENATOR PHONE #’s
| Senator | Dist | Room # | (512) Phone / Fax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carol Alvarado (D) | 6 | 1E.9 | (512) 463-0106 |
| Paul Bettencourt (R) | 7 | 3E.16 | (512) 463-0107 / (512) 463-8810 |
| Brian Birdwell (R) | 22 | 1E.3 | (512) 463-0122 / (512) 475-3729 |
| César Blanco (D) | 29 | GE.7 | (512) 463-0129 |
| Donna Campbell (R) | 25 | 3E.18 | (512) 463-0125 / (512) 463-7794 |
| Brandon Creighton (R) | 4 | E1.606 | (512) 463-0104 / (512) 463-6373 |
| Sarah Eckhardt (D) | 14 | E1.804 | (512) 463-0114 |
| Pete Flores (R) | 24 | E1.808 | (512) 463-0124 / (512) 475-3732 |
| Roland Gutierrez (D) | 19 | 3S.3 | (512) 463-0119 / (512) 463-1017 |
| Bob Hall (R) | 2 | 4E.2 | (512) 463-0102 / (512) 463-7202 |
| Kelly G. Hancock (R) | 9 | 1E.12 | (512) 463-0109 / (512) 463-7003 |
| Juan “Chuy” Hinojosa (D) | 20 | 3E.6 | (512) 463-0120 / (512) 463-0229 |
| Joan Huffman (R) | 17 | 1E.15 | (512) 463-0117 / (512) 463-0639 |
| Bryan Hughes (R) | 1 | 3E.8 | (512) 463-0101 / (512) 475-3751 |
| Nathan Johnson (D) | 16 | 3E.10 | (512) 463-0116 / (512) 463-3135 |
| Phil S. King (R) | 10 | GE.5 | (512) 463-0110 / (512) 475-3745 |
| Lois W. Kolkhorst (R) | 18 | GE.4 | (512) 463-0118 / (512) 475-3736 |
| Morgan LaMantia (D) | 27 | E1.712 | (512) 463-0127 / (512) 463-0061 |
| José Menéndez (D) | 26 | E1.610 | (512) 463-0126 / (512) 463-2114 |
| Mayes Middleton (R) | 11 | E1.708 | (512) 463-0111 / (512) 475-3727 |
| Borris L. Miles (D) | 13 | 3E.12 | (512) 463-0113 / (512) 463-0006 |
| Robert Nichols (R) | 3 | E1.704 | (512) 463-0103 / (512) 463-1526 |
| Tan Parker (R) | 12 | E1.608 | (512) 463-0112 / (512) 463-0923 |
| Angela Paxton (R) | 8 | 3E.2 | (512) 463-0108 / (512) 463-7579 |
| Charles Perry (R) | 28 | E1.806 | (512) 463-0128 / (512) 463-2424 |
| Charles Schwertner (R) | 5 | 3S.5 | (512) 463-0105 / (512) 463-5713 |
| Kevin Sparks (R) | 31 | E1.810 | (512) 463-0131 / (512) 475-3733 |
| Drew Springer (R) | 30 | E1.706 | (512) 463-0130 |
| Royce West (D) | 23 | 1E.5 | (512) 463-0123 / (512) 463-0299 |
| John Whitmire (D) | 15 | 1E.13 | (512) 463-0115 / (512) 475-3737 |
| Judith Zaffirini (D) | 21 | 1E.14 | (512) 463-0121 / (512) 475-3738 |