Rep. Jared Patterson

Maddy summarySB 14, titled the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act, creates the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the governor's office to streamline how state agencies develop and review regulations. The office will help agencies identify unnecessary rules, reduce costs for businesses and individuals, and establish a public online portal for searching regulatory information. This bill directly affects state agencies that create regulations and the public who interact with those regulations. The new office will operate until 2037 unless extended under the Sunset Act, with its work focused on improving regulatory efficiency and transparency.

Maddy summaryHB 2684 requires health care providers to inform pregnant women diagnosed with a life-threatening condition in their preborn child about available perinatal palliative care options. The bill mandates the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to create and maintain online informational materials describing palliative care services and a geographically indexed list of providers (excluding abortion providers). It directly affects pregnant women facing such diagnoses and their health care providers. The law aims to ensure access to supportive care focused on reducing suffering for both the pregnant woman and her preborn child. The bill also establishes an administrative penalty for noncompliance, though specific penalty details are not provided in the truncated text.

Maddy summaryBased on the provided context, no substantive bill text or summary is available for HB 2433. The bill title indicates it relates to hotel occupancy tax collection by accommodations intermediaries (like online booking platforms), but the actual provisions, mechanisms, or affected parties are not described in the materials provided. The "Bill Text" section states it is "not currently available" and directs users to a PDF that is also unavailable. Without the full text or a substantive summary, a factual description of the bill's policy changes cannot be generated.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SCR 47) grants the Texas legislature permission to adjourn for more than three days during the specific period of April 16-22, 2025. It addresses a constitutional requirement (Article III, Section 17) that normally limits adjournments to three days without consent from the other legislative chamber. The resolution allows both houses to bypass this restriction for the stated timeframe. As a procedural measure, it directly affects the Texas legislature’s scheduling flexibility during that week, with no substantive policy changes.

Maddy summaryHB 2895 amends Texas Penal Code sections to clarify when force or deadly force is legally justified in response to violent felonies. It defines "violent felony" as any felony involving intentional, attempted, or threatened use of force or deadly force against a person. The bill expands self-defense claims by presuming reasonable belief in needing force if a person enters/tries to enter a home, vehicle, or business unlawfully, or commits specific violent crimes like robbery or sexual assault. These changes apply only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025, and do not affect past cases.

Maddy summaryHB 3289 clarifies when disputes about construction contract payments are valid, preventing unrelated contract disagreements from delaying payments. It defines that a "good faith dispute" does not include disagreements about contracts or agreements unrelated to the specific construction work being paid for. This applies only to new construction contracts entered into on or after September 1, 2025, affecting government agencies and contractors working on public construction projects. The bill aims to streamline payments by limiting payment delays to disputes directly tied to the construction work itself.

Maddy summaryThis Texas bill (HB 4901) requires app stores (like Apple App Store or Google Play) operating in Texas to verify users' ages and categorize them into four groups: child (<13), younger teen (13-15), older teen (16-17), and adult (18+). For minors (under 18), it mandates parental consent by linking accounts to a parent or guardian aged 18 or older. App stores must use reasonable methods to confirm age during account creation. The law directly affects app platforms and users under 18 in Texas, with no voting record available as the bill remains pending in committee.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits large credit card issuers (with over $85 billion in assets) from colluding to set fees merchants pay for credit card processing. It specifically bans agreements that fix interchange fees - charges paid by businesses to process credit card transactions. The law applies only to major financial institutions meeting the asset threshold, excluding smaller issuers. Violations could result in civil penalties, aiming to prevent price-fixing in credit card networks.

Maddy summaryHB 4660 establishes that space flight activities in Texas fall under both federal and state jurisdiction, prohibiting counties, municipalities, or other local entities from banning or regulating these activities (except as specified in Section 61.132 of the Natural Resources Code). The bill specifically applies to counties bordering the Gulf of Mexico with FAA-approved spaceports and smaller municipalities (under 150,000 population) that have beach access plans. It requires advance notice to local governments for launch dates between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (to the municipality) or 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. (to the commissioners court), and allows temporary beach closures near launch sites for public safety during those dates. The bill does not create new regulations but clarifies local governments' limited authority over space flight activities near coastal areas.

Maddy summaryHB 2372 amends Texas Water Code Section 49.107(a) to explicitly allow water districts and similar special districts to use their existing operation and maintenance property tax funds to pay for contracting or employing peace officers. This directly affects water districts that collect ad valorem (property) taxes, enabling them to cover security costs within their current budget framework. The key provision adds "costs of contracting for or employing peace officers" to the list of allowable expenses for operation and maintenance funds. The bill does not create new taxes or funding streams but expands how existing district funds may be allocated. It takes effect September 1, 2025, unless approved for immediate effect by a two-thirds vote.