Back to All NewsUPDATE: Direct Insight from Senator’s Office Regarding Texas SB 2366
Posted By American Med Spa Association, Wednesday, March 20, 2019
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If you are in Texas and reading this, you probably are aware of Senate Bill 2366 (SB 2366). It sent shockwaves through the medical aesthetic community when it was filed earlier in March by Senator Brian Hughes of District 1. (You can read a synopsis of SB 2366 here.) As of March 20, the bill has not been assigned to a committee, which is the next step in the Senate legislative process. AmSpa spoke with Hughes’ office to learn more about SB 2366.
According to the office representative, the original idea for the bill was to strengthen the enforcement process against medical spas operating outside the law—not to affect practices as they currently stand. She made reference the recent medical spa-related arrests in Houston (see here) as a motivation for introducing the bill. The senator instructed the Texas Legislative Council to draft the language; the council is a non-partisan resource for the legislature that provides research and drafting services. The representative said that when SB 2366 came back from the council, it was much stricter and not at all what had been intended. However, the deadline to file new bills was rapidly approaching, and Hughes was faced with the choice of filing it and then amending it or not addressing the issue at all during this session. Therefore, Hughes’ office filed it on March 8—the last day it could have been filed.
SB 2366 was not intended to advance in its current form, and the responses from the industry were significantly greater than Hughes’ office had anticipated. Hughes’ representative expects the senator to decide in the next several days whether to move forward and amend the bill or to leave it as is and let it die at the end of this session. She stressed that the senator is very pro-small business does not intend to disrupt people’s livelihoods.
Although it is not a guarantee, we don’t believe at this point that the bill will become law in its current form. Nevertheless, the fact that it was even filed shows the need for us to continue to come together, be 100% compliant and be safe. AmSpa is actively involved in discussions with the senator and will continue to gather information and ensure everyone is informed. Remember, #ComplianceIsCool.
According to the office representative, the original idea for the bill was to strengthen the enforcement process against medical spas operating outside the law—not to affect practices as they currently stand. She made reference the recent medical spa-related arrests in Houston (see here) as a motivation for introducing the bill. The senator instructed the Texas Legislative Council to draft the language; the council is a non-partisan resource for the legislature that provides research and drafting services. The representative said that when SB 2366 came back from the council, it was much stricter and not at all what had been intended. However, the deadline to file new bills was rapidly approaching, and Hughes was faced with the choice of filing it and then amending it or not addressing the issue at all during this session. Therefore, Hughes’ office filed it on March 8—the last day it could have been filed.
SB 2366 was not intended to advance in its current form, and the responses from the industry were significantly greater than Hughes’ office had anticipated. Hughes’ representative expects the senator to decide in the next several days whether to move forward and amend the bill or to leave it as is and let it die at the end of this session. She stressed that the senator is very pro-small business does not intend to disrupt people’s livelihoods.
Although it is not a guarantee, we don’t believe at this point that the bill will become law in its current form. Nevertheless, the fact that it was even filed shows the need for us to continue to come together, be 100% compliant and be safe. AmSpa is actively involved in discussions with the senator and will continue to gather information and ensure everyone is informed. Remember, #ComplianceIsCool.
