RFS Member Comments 2026-27 Proposed Resolutions

Review the proposed resolutions requesting authorship from the Resident and Fellow Section (RFS). Submit comments by Friday, Oct. 30. 

Please note: This is a comment and feedback period only. Voting to advance the following resolutions to the TMA House of Delegates will begin the week of Dec. 14, 2026.

When providing feedback, remember the TMA Six Principles of Professional Decorum.

RESOLVED, that our TMA encourage the consideration of environmental and health repercussions of data centers when incorporating and selecting AI interventions for clinical practice and health education; and be it

RESOLVED, that our TMA prioritize sustainability and lower environmental impact AI technologies for their administrative AI applications and educational offerings.

Note: A complete draft of this resolution has been submitted. View the full draft text.

 

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association support the ability of physicians to use a professional name that differs from the name under which they are licensed in professional and clinical settings, provided that the professional name is clearly linked to the physician’s licensed identity and does not obscure the physician’s credentials or licensure status; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association advocate for revision of Texas Medical Board policies to permit physicians to use professional names that differ from the names under which they are licensed, provided that professional names remain clearly linked to physicians’ licensed identities and credentials.

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association affirms that intramuscular and intravenous ketamine, because of their rapid onset, high bioavailability, and risk of respiratory depression, airway compromise, hemodynamic instability, and emergence reactions, should be administered only in a supervised medical setting by, or under the direct supervision of, an appropriately trained and credentialed clinician with immediate access to resuscitation and airway management equipment; and be it further

 

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association opposes the prescribing, dispensing, or distribution of intramuscular or intravenous ketamine for unsupervised self-administration by patients in the home; and be it further

 

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association opposes the authorization of intramuscular or intravenous ketamine for home use when the prescribing decision is based solely on an asynchronous encounter or an online questionnaire without real-time, interactive audiovisual clinical evaluation by an appropriately licensed medical professional with commensurate prescribing authority.

RESOLVED, that our TMA support policies that preserve the ability of parents or primary caregivers who are detained or deported to participate in decisions regarding their child’s health and wellbeing, including designation of an appropriate caregiver, consistent with the child’s safety and applicable law

 

RESOLVED, that our AMA advocate for safe, timely, culturally and linguistically appropriate, and trauma-informed processes to ensure continuity of health care for children experiencing immigration enforcement-related separation from a parent or primary caregiver

 

RESOLVED, that our AMA support privacy-protective mechanisms for secure communication between detained or deported parents and designated caregivers to facilitate continuity of care and health care decision-making as well as documentation of where children are relocated

Note: A complete draft of this resolution has been submitted. View the full draft text.

 

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association adopt as policy that medicine is practiced only by licensed physicians; and be it further

RESOLVED, That TMA support amending Tex. Occ. Code §151.052 to state that professionals exempted under Subsections (a)(1) through (7) practice their own professions, not medicine.

 

Note: A complete draft of this resolution has been submitted. View the full draft text.

 

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association amend Policy 30.045, Protecting Physician Specialty Titles from Misuse, by adding: A medical specialty is a practice by a licensed physician (MD or DO) who has completed an ACGME or AOA accredited residency in that specialty; and be it further

RESOLVED, That our Texas Delegation to the American Medical Association take a similar resolution to the AMA House of Delegates to define medical specialty as a practice by physicians who have completed an ACGME or AOA accredited residency in that specialty.

Note: A complete draft of this resolution has been submitted. View the full draft text.

 

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association, consistent with its policy supporting
statewide interoperable care coordination established through Resolution 421, support the development and implementation of a statewide maternal–infant dyad data dashboard that appropriately links existing maternal and infant health data to provide timely, actionable information to improve clinical care, care coordination, population health surveillance, resource allocation, and maternal and infant health outcomes; and be it further

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association support collaboration among the Texas Department of State Health Services, Texas Health and Human Services Commission, physicians, hospitals and health systems, health plans, local health departments, academic institutions, community organizations, and other appropriate stakeholders in the design and implementation of the statewide maternal–infant dyad data dashboard; and be it further

 

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association support development of the dashboard using interoperable data standards and existing data infrastructure whenever feasible, with appropriate privacy, confidentiality, security, data governance, and patient protections and without creating unnecessary administrative burdens for physicians; and be it further

 

RESOLVED, That the statewide maternal–infant dyad data dashboard support analysis across the continuum from pregnancy through at least the first year postpartum and infancy, including, when available and appropriate, maternal morbidity and mortality, prenatal and postpartum care, pregnancy complications, delivery outcomes, infant mortality and morbidity, preterm birth, low birthweight, health care utilization, and other relevant clinical and population health indicators; and be it further

 

RESOLVED, That the Texas Medical Association, consistent with its policy supporting statewide interoperable care coordination established through Resolution 421, support the development and implementation of a statewide maternal–infant dyad data infrastructure and dashboard that appropriately links existing maternal and infant health data to provide timely, actionable information to improve clinical care, care coordination, population health surveillance, resource allocation, and maternal and infant health outcomes.

Note: A complete draft of this resolution has been submitted. View the full draft text.

 

RESOLVED, the Texas Medical Association (TMA) supports the lowering of the minimum age requirement of ECT from 16 to 13 years in Texas by amending Texas Health and Safety Code Section 578.002.

RESOLVED, that our TMA define moral injury as the harm that occurs when healthcare professionals are compelled by systemic constraints to act in ways that transgress their moral beliefs and professional obligations, including the inability to deliver evidence-based, equitable, and patient-centered care due to institutional, financial, or administrative barriers.

 

RESOLVED, that our TMA recognizes moral injury as a distinct and significant threat to the wellbeing of medical students, residents, and physicians

 

RESOLVED, that our TMA study the prevalence, drivers, and impact of moral injury across the continuum of medical training and practice, including medical students, residents, and practicing physicians, and report back with recommendations for systemic interventions