Dr Suleman Lalani: From Sindh Medical College to Texas State House

Dr Suleman Lalani is the first Muslim and South Asian legislator elected to the Texas House of Representatives. In 2022, he was elected to serve House District 76, representing the cities of Sugar Land, Stafford, Richmond, and Meadows Place for the 88th Legislative Session. 

In 2024, he was re-elected for a second term to serve in the 89th Legislative Session. Dr Lalani is the only primary care physician in the entire Texas Legislature. He is quadruple board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in Geriatric Medicine, Hospice and Palliative Medicine, and Internal Medicine. Dr Lalani is also certified in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care.

Dr Lalani states that in his dual responsibilities as a doctor and lawmaker, he serves to aid both "ailing patients and ailing policies," and strives to help his patients and his constituents in their needs.

During his first term, Representative Lalani served on three House Committees: Higher Education, Natural Resources, and Resolutions Calendars. In addition to his committee assignments, Dr Lalani is a founding member of the Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Caucus. Dr. Lalani is also a member of the Texas Energy and Climate Caucus, the Texas Nuclear Caucus, and the Innovation & Technology (IT) Caucus.

How is Representative Lalani changing lives?

In the 88th Legislative Session, Dr Lalani authored, co-authored, and sponsored a total of 143 pieces of legislation. These bills covered a wide range of solutions, including improving healthcare access, providing mental health initiatives and awareness, advancing access to higher education, enhancing technology and infrastructure, supporting senior citizens, and strengthening animal welfare. Thirty-six of these bills were signed into law. According to Dr Lalani, "These 36 bills are more than just numbers. They represent life-changing moments for the everyday lives of millions of Texans."

Dr Lalani's legislative victories also include successfully adding funding riders to House Bill 1, the state's biennial budget. These include the Strategic National Stockpile for Health Emergency Preparedness, which enables the State of Texas to use federal funds to build a medical supply stockpile to prepare the state for public health crises, and the Family Practice Residency Program Budget Rider, which allocates an additional $5 million to retain Texas-trained physicians, addressing critical shortages in the state's healthcare workforce.

Significant legislative advancements were made in education. The Community College Finance Bill, House Bill 8, improved transparency and affordability for students. House Bills 1212 and 1883 ensured that religious observances were properly accommodated in academic schedules.

Initiatives for mental healthcare were also a top priority for Dr Lalani. Through Senate Bill 26, the Behavioral Health Innovation Grant Program expanded capacity for mental health beds and improved care provided by local authorities. The Mental Health Loan Repayment Assistance Program, in Senate Bill 532, reduced service obligations for mental health professionals, encouraging them to remain in Texas. Also within Senate Bill 532, Dr Lalani authored the amendment that requires Texas' public universities to include a visit to mental health clinics and other resources on their campus tours to newly enrolled students, thereby expanding access to these mental health resources.

As Texas' first Muslim legislator, Dr Lalani also took care to highlight and celebrate Muslim Americans during the 88th Legislative Session. With House Resolution 313, Dr Lalani recognized March 7, 2023, as Texas Muslim Capitol Day. During the 88th Legislative Session, Dr Lalani also filed bills to mandate that the state's public schools provide halal options for breakfast and lunch meals, as well as to recognize May as Muslim Heritage Month. Additionally, for the very first time in Texas' history, Dr Lalani hosted the First Iftar at the Capitol on March 22, 2023, and recognized the month of Ramadan in House Resolution 532. In celebrating Ramadan and the First Iftar with his House colleagues, Dr Lalani notes: "Muslims across the world celebrate and fast during Ramadan in the same way that Christians around the world participate in Lent and Jews across the globe fast during Yom Kippur. While the specific rituals may differ, the essence is the same."

As Texas' first South Asian legislator, Dr Lalani also helped uplift the South Asian communities of Texas. Through House Resolution 2117, Dr Lalani celebrated Sindhi Saqafat at the Capitol for the first time in the state's history.

He marked several religious and cultural observances for the first time in the state's history: Nowruz (House Resolution 596, March 21), Sikh Baisakhi (House Resolution 1068), and Eid ul Fitr (House Resolution 1069). Dr Lalani also honoured South Asian communities by recognising Bangladesh Day (House Resolution 201, February 21, 2023), Pakistan Day of Action (House Resolution 600, March 20, 2023), and Pakistan Day (House Resolution 531, March 23, 2023) at the State Capitol. As a Pakistani American, Dr Lalani's political career serves as an inspiration for the next generation of South Asian Americans, both in Texas and across the nation.

Dr Lalani's action and advocacy are embodied in his message for peace, and he has made multiple efforts both nationally and statewide to advocate for peace. With House Resolution 122, Dr Lalani called for a ceasefire in Palestine and for the United States to facilitate negotiations to end the conflict. Beyond this resolution, Dr Lalani has also made multiple visits to Washington, DC to speak with federal lawmakers and senior White House officials to voice his own and his constituents' demand for a ceasefire in the region. Dr Lalani was bold enough to be the first to demand that sanctions be placed on the current Israeli government in response to their numerous atrocities and human rights violations. 

Dr Lalani continues to advocate on behalf of his constituents to the federal government and uses diplomatic channels and regular communication with members of the United States Congress to amplify Muslim and allied voices on the national stage. To his constituents and to voters across the nation, Dr Lalani asks for them to use their voices to advocate for themselves and for others, and states: "Staying at home and staying silent is the worst possible option -- because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu."

For his work during the 88th Legislative Session, Dr Lalani was celebrated and recognised with a number of awards. The AAPI Caucus named Dr Lalani as Freshman Legislator of the Year, for his work in uplifting Asian American communities across Texas. For his dedication to promoting and improving healthcare access for all Texans, Dr Lalani was awarded the 2023 Texas Academy of Family Physicians Patient Advocacy Award and the 2024 Snyder/Chumley Advocate of The Year by the Texas Chapter of the American College of Physicians. For his commitment to civil rights activism, Dr Lalani was awarded the 2024 Sugar Land 95 Civil Rights Community Service Award. For his dedication to Texas public schools, public school teachers, and public school students, Dr Lalani was named a Texas PTA Champion for Children.

For the upcoming 89th Legislative Session, which will begin in January 2025, Dr Lalani has six main priorities: advancing healthcare initiatives, promoting public safety and responsible gun ownership, increasing consumer protections, supporting education and inclusivity, strengthening environmental and infrastructure resilience, and increasing support for seniors. Dr Lalani has already pre-filed more than fifty bills to be considered during the 89th Legislative Session. These bills include House Bill 1467, which focuses on improving the emergency preparedness of assisted living facilities for senior citizens; House Bill 842, which requests research to be conducted to investigate whether power lines can be effectively buried underground in the Gulf Coast region; and House Bill 783, which creates civil liabilities and consequences for individuals that commit online impersonation. In regards to increasing access to healthcare, Dr Lalani has filed House Bill 895, which develops and implements the Live Well Texas programme, an initiative aimed at expanding Texans' access to healthcare. Dr Lalani is also filing a rider to House Bill 1, the state's biennial budget, asking for a $200 million grant to be given to community clinics for underserved communities for the purposes of chronic disease management. Additionally, Dr Lalani has re-filed his previous bills mandating that the state's public schools provide halal options for breakfast and lunch meals as House Bills 625 and 667, and House Concurrent Resolution 18 to recognise May as Muslim Heritage Month.

Who Is Suleman Lalani?

A physician and politician, Suleman Lalani was born in Pakistan. He graduated from Sindh Medical College. In the 1990s, he arrived in the United States of America to continue his medical training, completing his fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, Texas. Currently, Dr Lalani practices in the Greater Houston area, with a special focus on patients in long-term senior care.