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Earlier this year, Texas State Representative Joanne Shofner (R-Nacogdoches) filed House Bill 3219 (HB 3219) in the regular session of the 89th Texas Legislature. The bill would have allowed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to authorize pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without a prescription, paired with an annual reporting requirement on the number of doses sold. HB 3219 advanced out of the House Public Health Committee in late April and drew more than 600 public comments in support. Despite this momentum, the bill was never considered by the overall House before a key legislative deadline and effectively died without a vote.
Grassroots organizations such as Texans for Vaccine Choice (TFVC) immediately mobilized after the bill’s failure, launching a petition urging Governor Greg Abbott (R) to include ivermectin access in the first special session, collecting more than 7,000 signatures. Shofner, joined by nineteen Republican colleagues, also sent Abbott a letter requesting that he add the item to the call. However, Abbott declined to do so, and the issue remained sidelined as the first special session came and went. That session ended abruptly after House Democrats broke quorum, leaving unfinished business on multiple fronts.
HB 25 Emerges as a Newly Prioritized Bill
When Governor Abbott convened the second special session in mid-August, the issue was again not included on the agenda. On the opening day of the session, House Speaker Dustin Burrows acknowledged Shofner’s persistence and made clear that the House intended to prioritize the bill by assigning it a low bill number. Only a few days later, on August 20, Governor Abbott announced an amended special session agenda that included Ivermectin access. His proclamation stated that Texans should have increased access to the benefits of ivermectin, effectively placing the weight of the governor’s office behind the effort. This combination of legislative and executive backing transformed ivermectin access from a stalled proposal into a priority issue with genuine momentum. Representative Shofner refiled the measure as House Bill 25 (HB 25).
What HB 25 Would Do
HB 25 directs the Commissioner of State Health Services to issue a statewide standing order authorizing pharmacists to dispense Ivermectin without requiring a physician’s prescription. The bill requires standardized protocols to ensure that patients receive instructions on the proper use of the medication. Pharmacists who follow these procedures and act prudently are shielded from criminal or civil liability and protected from professional disciplinary action. The bill also mandates annual reports from pharmacists documenting the number of doses dispensed and empowers the Texas State Board of Pharmacy to adopt rules to implement the law.
Public Hearing Highlights Support and Opposition
The House Public Health Committee held a hearing on HB 25 on August 23. Shofner emphasized that Ivermectin has a long history of safe use worldwide as an anti-parasitic and argued that media narratives during the COVID-19 pandemic unfairly discredited it. Michelle Evans of Texans for Vaccine Choice testified that the bill would reassure pharmacists and allow them to meet public demand without fear of reprisal. She reminded lawmakers that more than 7,000 Texans had signed the petition supporting this legislation.
Opponents included representatives of the Texas Medical Association, who reiterated that while Ivermectin is FDA-approved for certain uses, it is not approved to prevent or treat COVID-19. Dr. Zeke Silva, speaking on behalf of the association, was pressed by State Rep. James Frank (R-Wichita Falls) on whether TMA had adequately defended physicians who wanted to prescribe Ivermectin during the pandemic. Silva replied that the organization stood by its members during that period, but the exchange highlighted ongoing tensions between lawmakers and medical associations regarding pandemic-era policies.
From Stalled Effort to Legislative Priority
The evolution of Ivermectin legislation in Texas illustrates how quickly a policy can move from obscurity to prominence. HB 3219 died quietly in the regular session after missing a deadline. Abbott initially declined to add it to the first special session call. Yet, persistent grassroots advocacy, a petition signed by thousands, and strategic support from leadership brought the issue back to life. With Abbott now on board and Speaker Burrows elevating the bill to priority status, HB 25 has become a central item of debate in the second special session.
If passed, Texas would become the fifth state to allow pharmacists to dispense Ivermectin over the counter. The legislation represents not only a change in drug accessibility but also a significant statement about medical liberty and the role of the Legislature in defining healthcare policy.
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