Doctors certified by listed boards can advertise it.
The bill stops the Texas Medical Board from writing rules that limit when a doctor may advertise as "board certified," as long as the doctor was first certified by one of the listed specialty boards or by another qualifying certifying group. It touches Texas physicians, the certifying organizations, and patients who read doctor ads. On the ground, doctors who passed initial board certification can call themselves "board certified" without staying in an ongoing recertification program, if their ads name the certifying group, and the board cannot charge those groups a fee or make them file an application.
Labels
Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 24, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Public Health committee 9-1, no floor vote.
relating to prohibiting the Texas Medical Board from regulating
certain physician advertising.
WHAT IT DOES
Doctors certified by listed boards can advertise it.
The bill stops the Texas Medical Board from writing rules that limit when a doctor may advertise as "board certified," as long as the doctor was first certified by one of the listed specialty boards or by another qualifying certifying group. It touches Texas physicians, the certifying organizations, and patients who read doctor ads. On the ground, doctors who passed initial board certification can call themselves "board certified" without staying in an ongoing recertification program, if their ads name the certifying group, and the board cannot charge those groups a fee or make them file an application.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records final passage. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Sources
SB 2207 (Hall) Relating to prohibiting the Texas Medical Board from regulating certain physician advertising. (viva voce vote) (29-2) "Nays" Eckhardt, West (29-2) "Nays" Eckhardt, West
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 29 (published)
Nay: 2 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records suspension of the three-day rule. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Sources
SB 2207 (Hall) Relating to prohibiting the Texas Medical Board from regulating certain physician advertising. (viva voce vote) (29-2) "Nays" Eckhardt, West (29-2) "Nays" Eckhardt, West
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 29 (published)
Nay: 2 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records passage to engrossment. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.
Sources
SB 2207 (Hall) Relating to prohibiting the Texas Medical Board from regulating certain physician advertising. (viva voce vote) (29-2) "Nays" Eckhardt, West (29-2) "Nays" Eckhardt, West
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Witnesses15
For
6
Against
8
On
1
Names
For
National Board of Physicians and Surgeons2 registrations
Self1 registration
Self; Austin Cardiology Clinic1 registration
Self; NAtional Board of Physicians & Surgeons1 registration
House committee · Public Health · Committee vote 9 aye, 1 nay, 3 absent · Out of committee
Senate committee · Health & Human Services · Committee vote 9 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee
Subjects
Health Care Providers
Occupational Regulation--Health Occupations
ADVERTISING
PHYSICIANS
MEDICAL BOARD, TEXAS
Text
The text as introduced · 336 words
89R14178 GP-F
By: Hall
S.B. No. 2207
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to prohibiting the Texas Medical Board from regulating
certain physician advertising.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 153.002, Occupations Code, is amended by
adding Subsections (c) and (d) to read as follows:
(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the board may not adopt
rules that regulate the advertising of physicians as "board
certified" if the physician:
(1) was initially certified by:
(A) a medical specialty member board of the
American Board of Medical Specialties;
(B) a medical specialty member board of the
American Osteopathic Association Bureau of Osteopathic
Specialists;
(C) the American Board of Oral and Maxillofacial
Surgery; or
(D) any other certifying organization if the
organization submits to the board documentation that the certifying
organization:
(i) has certification requirements that are
substantially equivalent to the requirements of the medical
specialty member boards under Paragraph (A) or (B);
(ii) requires members to complete an
examination that has been psychometrically evaluated for
validation and administered by a testing organization that tests
knowledge and skills in the applicable specialty or subspecialty;
(iii) requires members to have successfully
completed postgraduate training accredited by the Accreditation
Council for Graduate Medical Education or the American Osteopathic
Association in the applicable specialty or subspecialty;
(iv) uses appropriate peer-review
processes;
(v) has a total membership of at least 100
licensed members, fellows, diplomates, or certificate holders from
at least one-third of the states in the United States;
(vi) is exempt from the payment of federal
income taxes under Section 501(a), Internal Revenue Code of 1986,
by being listed as an exempt entity under Section 501(c) of that
code; and
(vii) has a permanent headquarters and
staff; and
(2) in the advertising identifies the certifying
organization by which the physician is certified.
(d) The board may not charge a fee or require submission of
an application by a certifying organization described by Subsection
(c)(1)(D).
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Monitoring 