Chuck Hopson: Texas State Representative

East Texas Legislators’ Bills Pass In House, Senate

Two local legislators authored bills passed Thursday in the Texas House and Senate. The bills deal with toll roads and the state’s vaccination supply.

Sen. Robert Nichols, R-Jacksonville, and Rep. Chuck Hopson, R-Jacksonville, both had legislation passed in their respective legislative bodies. Each legislator believes the bills will help their constituents and the rest of the state.

Nichols’ Senate Bill (SB) 220 would effectively prevent Texas Department of Transportation from setting toll booths on non-tolled Texas roadways. Nichols said he spoke to each of the 30 state senators about the bill prior to the vote and that the 31-0 vote in favor of the legislation should send a resounding message and build public trust.

He said there has been a “real fear” among the public about tolling on existing roadways and that SB 220 will address those fears.

“We wanted to remove that fear,” he said. “We wanted to let (the public) know that the roads they drive on this year will not have toll booths on them next year.”

Nichols said the measure will take an option from TxDOT in regard to road maintenance funding but that tolling existing roads is “an option that I don’t think 30 other senators believe should be there.”

He said there was 100 percent agreement from urban districts, including Dallas, where tolling has been a controversial subject.

Nichols said the legislation will not hinder expansion of existing roads with tolled lanes but will ensure that movement is not impeded on free thoroughfares to increase toll use.

Hopson’s House Bill 448 addresses child vaccination shortages by making more vaccine manufacturers viable and gives local doctors increased options under the Federal Vaccination of Children program.

He said for the past decade, there have been significant decreases in the availability of child vaccines for common viral infections such as mumps, chicken pox and measles. Hopson said there are only five manufacturers of the vaccines worldwide and that losing a batch of vaccinations during a viral outbreak can strain supply.

“This bill gives us more flexibility to get the products that we need,” Hopson said. “But it also allows the state to buy from another vendor.”

Hopson believes this choice will ensure certain supplies are not limited to one or two manufacturers and that shortages, as the state suffered during the flu season two years ago, do not occur or that at a minimum place limited strain on federal and state supplies.

The program also would allow health care providers to select licensed vaccines that are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and are on the approved vaccine list.

HB 448 also would require the Texas Department of State Health Services to distribute the lowest-price equivalent vaccine that meets the CDC requirements and costs no more than 15 percent above that price.

Hopson said the bill met very little resistance as it moved through the first and second readings and passed local consent in the House on Thursday. The bill will not financially impact taxpayers, Hopson said.