Rep. Aicha Davis

Maddy summaryHB 1368 requires Texas public schools (with 10,000+ students) to notify parents in writing if they lack a full-time nurse, school counselor, or librarian for more than 30 consecutive instructional days. Schools must send this notice within 30 days of the absence starting, offering bilingual options for non-English speaking families. The law applies beginning with the 2025-2026 school year and allows schools to post notices on their websites if accessible via three clicks. It does not apply to schools with fewer than 10,000 students.

Maddy summaryHB 2545 establishes the Rural Workforce Training Grant Program to provide targeted funding for job-specific training in Texas rural counties (population under 200,000). The Texas Workforce Commission will award grants to public, private, or nonprofit entities - including businesses, educational institutions, and workforce boards - that offer on-the-job training, apprenticeships, or workforce education courses in qualifying areas. Grant funds can cover training materials, instructor fees, participant support services, and related costs, but not general operations. Recipients must report on fund usage and participant outcomes annually, with the Commission submitting program effectiveness reports to the legislature each December.

Maddy summaryHB 4336 allows hospital employees to take custody of newborns without a court order under specific conditions. It applies to infants 60 days old or younger who are voluntarily left with hospital staff immediately after birth (e.g., handed to an employee or placed in a designated safety device) and where the parent does not express intent to return. The bill amends Texas Family Code Section 262.302(a) to formalize this process, removing the need for judicial oversight in these emergency situations. The law will take effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2046 requires courts to formally record family violence findings when sentencing defendants convicted of certain offenses under Texas Penal Code. It mandates a $100 fine for defendants on community supervision for family violence offenses, with funds directed to county-based family violence centers receiving state/federal funding. The bill also establishes a legal presumption of family violence in custody cases if a parent was convicted of family violence-related offenses or had parental rights terminated. These changes apply only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025, with prior cases governed by existing law.

Maddy summaryHB 5396 establishes a new regulatory framework for inpatient rehabilitation facilities (IRFs) in Texas by adding Chapter 260E to the Health and Safety Code. The bill defines IRFs, sets licensing requirements, imposes fees, and creates civil, administrative, and criminal penalties for violations. It directly affects IRFs operating in Texas, requiring them to comply with these new standards, and impacts patients receiving care at these facilities by establishing oversight through the Health and Human Services Commission. The legislation does not reference ombudsman oversight as implied in the title, instead focusing on licensing, regulation, and enforcement mechanisms for IRFs.

Maddy summaryHB 3134 establishes a regulatory framework for "advanced air mobility" in Texas, primarily affecting electric aircraft and vertiports (landing/takeoff sites for air taxis). The bill requires the Texas Department of Transportation to create an office for technical support, develop a statewide strategic plan, identify uniform planning standards for vertiports, estimate electric grid capacity needs, and provide guidebooks to local governments. It specifically applies to aircraft over 300 pounds capable of carrying passengers or cargo, focusing on electric vertical takeoff aircraft and urban air mobility infrastructure. The law aims to enable future air taxi services by standardizing planning and infrastructure requirements across the state.

Maddy summaryHCR 64 is a ceremonial resolution designating the first full week in April as "Gifted and Talented Students Week" in Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035. It does not create new laws, funding, or requirements - it simply recognizes and celebrates gifted and talented students, their achievements, and the educators who support them. The resolution applies to all Texas students and schools identified under state gifted education programs, which currently serve over 450,000 students. It remains effective until April 2035 per Texas Government Code Section 391.004(d). This is a symbolic gesture with no direct policy or financial impact.

Maddy summaryHB 4813 requires Texas to automatically align its controlled substance schedules with federal changes made by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for certain drugs. Specifically, if a substance in Texas' Schedule I is FDA-approved for medical use (under Section 505 of the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act), gets rescheduled federally to a lower category, or is deleted from federal schedules, Texas must delete or reschedule it "as soon as practicable" after notice. This applies only to substances affected by federal actions on or after the bill's effective date (September 1, 2025). The bill ensures Texas law follows federal medical approvals without requiring new state hearings for these specific changes, directly affecting the Texas Health and Safety Code commissioner and entities handling these substances.

Maddy summaryHB 4670 strengthens protections for nursing facilities in disputes with Texas health regulators. It makes dispute resolution decisions binding (preventing the commission from overturning them), prohibits the commission from retaliating against facilities that appeal decisions or file counteractions, and prevents double fines for the same violation by limiting penalties under both state and federal law. The bill directly affects nursing facilities by ensuring their good-faith appeals cannot trigger adverse commission actions and clarifies that facilities won't face duplicate penalties for the same issue. These changes apply only to violations occurring on or after September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 5064 would designate a specific segment of U.S. Highway 67 in Dallas and Ellis Counties - between its intersection with U.S. Highway 287 and Interstate 20 - as the "Eddie Bernice Johnson Memorial Highway." The bill requires the Texas Department of Transportation to install markers at both ends of the highway and at intermediate locations along the route. This is a ceremonial designation with no impact on highway operations, funding, or regulations. It directly affects the geographic corridor in Dallas and Ellis Counties but does not alter existing transportation policies.