Rep. Joanne Shofner

Maddy summaryHB 3396 allows foster children's medical consenters (such as foster parents or guardians) to pay for out-of-network medical care - including behavioral health services - for foster children, rather than relying solely on Medicaid. This applies when the consenter engages an out-of-network provider directly, and the state (Texas Department of Family and Protective Services) is not liable for these costs. The bill clarifies that this does not restrict foster children's access to standard Medicaid benefits or in-network care. It also requires medical consenters to notify caseworkers within 10 business days of providing such care, ensuring records are added to the child's health passport.

Maddy summaryHB 817 clarifies how majority votes are determined in Texas elections for public office. It states that a candidate must receive more than half of the votes as originally cast, prohibiting the use of preferential voting systems (where voters rank candidates) to reassign votes and calculate a majority. This bill directly affects local and state elections requiring a majority vote to win, ensuring results are based solely on initial vote counts. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, and amends the Election Code to prioritize original vote totals over ranked-choice reassignment methods.

Maddy summaryHB 5337 requires Texas voters to submit proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. Applicants must provide documents like a U.S. passport, birth certificate, or citizenship papers to county registrars. If proof isn't submitted, voters would only qualify for a limited federal ballot under Chapter 115. The bill creates criminal penalties for failing to provide required documentation and amends election code sections to implement these requirements. This directly affects all new voter registrants in Texas seeking full voting rights.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Texas public universities to disregard undergraduate applicants' academic records older than 10 years when evaluating admission, but requires them to retain the most recent 5 years of grades and credits. Colleges must publicly post their specific policies on this practice and cannot selectively ignore only parts of the 10-year window - they must disregard all records from that period if they choose to apply the policy. The law applies to admissions for the 2025 fall semester and affects how institutions count credits toward degree requirements for students using this "academic fresh start" option. It also ties state funding for relevant credits to this policy starting in 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 5085 requires the Texas Department of Agriculture to study how seed banks and seed preservation impact food access and the environment. The study will focus on counties with populations over 2 million and conservation facilities, examining food availability (including seed bank capacity and limitations) and environmental effects (like disaster recovery and climate mitigation). The department must submit a report with findings and recommendations by December 1, 2026. This is a procedural bill that mandates research but does not change existing laws or regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 342 allows Texas counties with populations under 1.2 million (that don't use countywide polling) to combine election precincts under specific conditions. It permits combining precincts with fewer than 500 registered voters to reduce election costs, or for larger counties (250,000+ population) to combine precincts with 500-750 voters. Combined precincts must not exceed 10,000 voters and cannot dilute voting rights for protected groups under federal law. The bill affects county election administrators in smaller Texas counties managing precinct boundaries.

Maddy summaryHB 952 requires all mail-in early voting ballots to include a unique electronic code that election officials can scan to verify authenticity. It mandates that clerks and ballot boards use electronic devices to check these codes against issued ballots before counting, rejecting any ballot with a mismatched code. The bill explicitly prohibits creating records linking individual voters to these codes, ensuring voter anonymity. This change applies to all mail-in ballots processed under Texas election law, taking effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHJR 203 proposes a constitutional amendment to create the Texas Health Care Workforce Education Fund, which would provide dedicated funding to eligible Texas state universities for training health care workers. The fund would be financed through legislative appropriations, gifts, grants, and investment earnings, with distributions limited to 7% of the fund’s average value annually to preserve long-term purchasing power. Eligible universities would use these funds to address workforce shortages in health care fields, with allocations determined by a formula established by the legislature. This amendment requires voter approval after legislative passage and does not change current funding mechanisms for higher education.

Maddy summaryHB 1482 changes eligibility for community supervision (probation) for certain repeat offenders convicted of intoxication-related offenses. It removes community supervision options for individuals convicted of 19 specific offenses, including repeat DWI-related crimes, sexual assault, trafficking offenses, and drug offenses involving children or drug-free zones. The bill applies only to offenses committed on or after its effective date. This policy change directly affects repeat offenders who would previously have qualified for probation under community supervision rules. The law does not alter sentencing levels but restricts probation eligibility for these specific repeat intoxication offenses.

Maddy summaryHCR 72 is a symbolic resolution designating Newton County as Texas' "Official Forest Capital" for 10 years (ending in 2035). It recognizes the county's natural assets - including the Sabine National Forest, Big Thicket National Preserve, and fishing waters - through a non-binding legislative declaration. The resolution has no policy impact or funding provisions, serving only as a commemorative title under Texas Government Code Section 391.003(e). It does not affect residents, businesses, or state policy.