HB 163

"✅ HB 163 – Finally, a Law That Lets More Texans Be Ready for Allergy Emergencies

Here’s something rare in Texas politics: a bill that makes sense, does what it says, and actually helps people without creating new red tape or sweetheart deals.

HB 163 lets any organization...schools, churches, local governments, daycares, summer camps, stadiums...choose to keep epinephrine (like EpiPens) on hand in case someone has a life-threatening allergic reaction. Before this bill, that privilege was limited to certain public spaces, and weirdly, government agencies weren’t even allowed to opt in.

Now? Any entity that wants to create a policy for storing and administering epinephrine delivery systems can do so, voluntarily.

This bill does three big things:

Removes the outdated restriction that said only some public spaces could carry these life-saving tools.

Modernizes the language...instead of just “auto-injectors,” it allows for all FDA-approved epinephrine systems.

Lets local governments participate...something they were weirdly banned from doing before.

No mandates. No new spending. No complicated red tape. Just a clean opening for more public spaces to be ready to save a life.

Who benefits?
✅ Texans with severe allergies who might go into anaphylactic shock in public.
✅ Community groups and facilities that want to step up without being blocked by state law.
✅ Healthcare providers and emergency responders who’ve been asking for more flexibility in high-risk environments.

Who pushed for it?
Medical professionals. Allergy and immunology advocates. Even the Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops signed on. No big PACs or corporate carveouts here.

What to watch:
This is a good bill...but like all good things, it needs follow-through. There’s no statewide system to track who adopts these policies, and no clear training or reporting standards yet. Without that, we could end up with patchy protection...great in some areas, nonexistent in others.

But that’s not on the bill. That’s on what we do next.

If you or your kids have allergies, or you’ve ever witnessed someone fighting to breathe while help is minutes away...this is the kind of policy that matters.

Bottom line:
HB 163 gives public spaces the green light to be part of the solution. It’s voluntary. It’s common sense. And it’s the kind of quiet win we don’t see often enough in Austin.

Let’s just make sure it gets used.

Quick ask, y’all...likes help the algorithm, but shares are what get the truth out.

If this bill affects you, your kids, your patients, your neighbors...please share it.

Too many Texans don’t know what’s being signed into law. And if we don’t share it, they won’t hear it. These bills move quietly. The consequences don’t.

It’s not about going viral. It’s about making sure the people who need to know...do know.

So if this post made you pause, think, or get fired up… don’t just like it. Send it. Share it. Say something.

✅ #HB163 #EpinephrineAccess #TexasPolicy #EveryMinuteMatters"