Sen. Schwertner Receives Legislative Achievement Award

In recognition of his work during the 2017 Regular Texas Legislative Session, state Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown) was presented a Legislative Achievement Award from AARP Texas on Wednesday.

With Senator Schwertner’s support, House Bill 2025 was signed into law and will ensure that nursing homes will be held accountable for harming residents. The legislation establishes broader protections against mistreatment of residents of long-term care facilities and will provide stiff penalties for repeat offenses. The legislation is seen by AARP as a major victory in Texas, where nursing homes have been ranked as among the worst in the nation in terms of quality of care.

Senator Schwertner also fought this year for family caregivers by helping to ensure needed funding for the Lifespan Respite Program was included in the state budget.

As chairman of the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, Senator Schwertner, a physician, also sponsored Senate Bill 1107, a telehealth and telemedicine bill that was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott and which will make it easier to use technology to be treated by a doctor.

“Senator Schwertner appreciates the importance of protecting older Texans and providing help for family caregivers,” said AARP Texas Director Bob Jackson. “We are pleased to recognize him again this year with a much-deserved AARP Texas Legislative Achievement Award.”

The award was presented to Senator Schwertner on Wednesday at Cowan Creek Amenity Center in Georgetown. Jon Weizenbaum of the AARP Texas Executive Council and Amanda Fredriksen of the AARP Texas advocacy team were among the presenters.

Senator Schwertner represents Texas Senate District 5, which includes 10 counties in central and east Texas.