- House Bill 25 by Republican State Representative Joanne Shofner will permit Texans to obtain Ivermectin from a pharmacist without a prescription
- Democrats mocked the legislation, with one attempting to name the bill the “Darwin Awards Act”
- The passage of House Bill 25 came as HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. joined Governor Abbott and lawmakers to highlight “Make Texas Healthy Again” legislation
A bill that would permit the over-the-counter sale of Ivermectin in Texas is headed to Governor Abbott’s desk after being passed by lawmakers.
House Bill 25, by State Representative Joanne Shofner, passed the Texas House on Wednesday afternoon and was quickly sent over to the Texas Senate. The Senate passed the legislation later that evening.
Governor Abbott, who added the Ivermectin legislation to the call of the current Special Session last week, is expected to sign the bill into law.
Upon the Senate’s passage of House Bill 25, Shofner wrote, “Ivermectin OTC is not just a medically safe and reliable medicine, it’s a symbol of political freedom from medical tyranny and oppressive random “rules” and protocols created during the reaction to the lab leaked Coronavirus. Redemption. It just passed the Senate!”
House Democrats mocked the legislation and its supporters. One amendment, offered by Democrat State Representative Rafael Anchia, sought to call House Bill 25 the “Darwin Awards Act.” After a lengthy debate, Anchia’s proposed amendment was killed by a vote of 86-51.
Lt. Governor Dan Patrick also praised the passage of House Bill 25.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has emphasized the need for increased medical freedom in Texas. Today, the Texas Senate passed HB 25 to make Ivermectin available over the counter in our state, with emphasis on rural areas. Senators Donna Campbell and Charles Schwertner, both medical doctors, spoke in favor of this legislation on the floor, highlighting the need for access to this drug. The Texas Senate is committed to increasing medical freedom and ensuring Texans have access to the medical drugs they need,” said Patrick.
The passage of House Bill 25 coincided with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. joining Governor Abbott and lawmakers for a ceremonial bill signing event for the “Make Texas Healthy Again” legislation that passed during the regular legislative session earlier this year.
The legislation highlighted during the ceremony includes initiatives to promote healthy living, impose new requirements for certain food labeling, and prohibit government food assistance benefits from being used for sweetened drinks and candy.
“Every legislator in Texas wants to see Texas be put on a pathway to be healthier,” said Governor Abbott. “These bills that I am signing today put Texas on that pathway. Taxpayer dollars will no longer be used to fund chronic health problems in our state. These bills were truly a bipartisan effort, and I am proud to sign them into effect.”
“Thank you, Governor Abbott, for your leadership in uniting Texans to confront chronic disease,” said Secretary Kennedy. “I also commend the state’s legislators for coming together across party lines to pass these bipartisan bills. Texas has chosen a bold new course for public health—one I urge other states to follow.”
