Rep. Jared Patterson

Maddy summaryHB 2587 requires Texas hospitals to report costs of providing care to patients without legal immigration status. Hospitals must ask about immigration status during intake (without affecting care) and submit quarterly data on costs and financial impact to a state agency. The agency then compiles an annual report for lawmakers by November 1, detailing total costs and how these expenses affected hospitals. This applies to all Texas hospitals serving patients who were not lawfully present at the time of care, focusing on transparency about uncompensated care expenses.

Maddy summarySB 711 requires condominium associations with 60+ units or those using a management company to make their governing documents (like declarations and bylaws) available online on a member-accessible website. It also updates record-keeping rules to mandate that associations include their website address and transfer fee details in county-recorded management certificates. These changes apply to associations organized under Texas Property Code Chapter 82, effective September 1, 2025. The bill directly affects condominium owners and management companies by standardizing document access and transparency requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 497 requires Texas school staff to obtain written parental consent before providing students with behavioral or mental health services, including counseling, contraceptives, or materials on family planning, sexuality, or mental health. The bill directly affects students in Texas public schools and their parents, as it mandates consent for these specific services starting in the 2025-2026 school year. Key provisions include exceptions for special education requirements under existing law and prohibitions on school staff conducting psychological exams or recording students without parental permission. The law does not apply to general school counseling but specifically targets services involving sensitive health topics. It remains pending in committee as of the latest actions.

Maddy summaryHB 3458 bans pet stores from selling dogs or cats, with limited exceptions for animal control agencies and nonprofit adoption organizations that meet specific criteria. These exceptions require organizations to not obtain animals for compensation, breed them, or have ties to breeders or brokers, and pet stores cannot charge fees or claim ownership for adoption showcases. Violations carry a civil penalty of up to $500 per day per animal sold. The law applies only to animals obtained by pet stores on or after the effective date.

Maddy summaryHB 1128 amends Texas Penal Code Section 46.03 to create an exception allowing licensed election judges and certain early voting staff to carry concealed handguns while performing their duties at polling places. This directly affects election judges (as defined in Election Code Chapter 32) and early voting clerks/deputies serving as election judges at early voting locations. The bill modifies the existing prohibition on concealed carry at polling places to exclude these specific election personnel who hold valid handgun licenses. The change applies only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025, the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits late payment fees charged by municipal water utilities in Texas. It caps fees at $5 or 2% of the overdue amount before day 32, $5 or 5% between days 32-41, and $5 or 10% after day 41. Utilities cannot begin charging penalties before 21 days after billing a customer, and penalties end when the full amount is paid. The rules apply only to fees charged on or after the bill's effective date (September 1, 2025, unless passed by two-thirds vote).

Maddy summaryHB 3317 requires health benefit plans and pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to include a unique identifier on enrollee ID cards, allowing pharmacists to verify if a plan is regulated by the Texas Department of Insurance. It prohibits denying or reducing claim payments after adjudication unless claims were submitted fraudulently, involved duplicate payments, or resulted from significant non-clerical errors by the pharmacy. The bill also restricts recouping payments to only the dispensing fee, not drug costs or other claim-related amounts. These provisions directly affect pharmacies, pharmacists, and health benefit plans/PBMs operating in Texas, excluding Medicaid, Medicare, and other specified programs.

Maddy summaryHB 5083 requires Texas state agencies to conduct cost-benefit analyses before adopting new rules. The bill mandates that agencies must document expected public benefits and economic costs for the first six years of a rule’s implementation, including specific assumptions and data used. Agencies cannot adopt rules where compliance costs exceed public benefits, nor may they skip cheaper regulatory alternatives that achieve the same legislative goals. This directly affects state agencies creating regulations and the businesses or individuals required to comply with those rules. The law aims to ensure regulatory actions are economically justified before taking effect.

Maddy summaryHB 4688 modifies Texas law for civil liability cases involving commercial motor vehicle accidents. It restricts when evidence of regulatory violations (like safety rules) can be used in court, requiring such evidence to directly link the violation to the injury and show the rule specifically applied to the situation. The bill also limits claims against employers for driver negligence unless the employer first admits the driver was acting within their job duties at the time of the accident. These changes apply only to cases filed or tried after the bill becomes law.

Maddy summaryHJR 138 proposes amending the Texas Constitution to prohibit the state legislature from imposing taxes based on the carbon content of fuels or emissions of carbon dioxide from goods and services. If approved by voters, it would prevent Texas from enacting any carbon tax policy. The bill failed to pass the Texas Legislature on May 12, 2025, so it did not advance to a voter referendum. This would have directly affected all Texans by blocking a potential state-level carbon tax mechanism.