Rep. Rhetta Bowers

Maddy summaryHB 824 requires Texas public high schools to include specific civics content in their government curriculum starting with the 2025-2026 school year. It mandates that the State Board of Education adopt standards covering the roles of elected officials (statewide, county, city), Texas voting processes and election laws, eligibility requirements for office, basic parliamentary procedures, and identifying local representatives. This directly affects all Texas public high school students and educators implementing the social studies curriculum. The bill became effective immediately upon the Governor's signature on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 300 increases the maximum Texas Armed Services Scholarship to $30,000 per academic year (up from $15,000), capping at the average cost of attendance at Texas colleges. It expands appointment authority, allowing the governor and lieutenant governor to each appoint two students annually, and each state senator or representative to appoint one student, with deadlines set for September 30. The bill directly affects Texas students enrolled in ROTC or similar military commissioning programs at Texas colleges, requiring proof of program enrollment or acceptance into the Texas State Guard. These changes are effective immediately after the bill was signed by the governor on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2282 increases the reimbursement fee for peace officers executing or processing arrest warrants, capias, or capias pro fine from $50 to $75 for defendants convicted of felonies or misdemeanors. The fee applies to either the law enforcement agency that executed the warrant (if requested within 15 days of execution) or the agency that processed it (if the warrant wasn't executed or the executing agency missed the deadline). This change only affects fees for offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025, with prior offenses still subject to the $50 fee under previous law. The bill modifies Texas Code of Criminal Procedure Section 102.011(a) and takes effect on September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill expands criminal penalties for cruelty to nonlivestock animals (such as pets and wildlife) by defining specific prohibited acts, including torture, abandonment, failure to provide care, cruel transport, and causing injury without consent. It creates a legal defense for veterinarians and their assistants acting within their professional duties, shielding them from prosecution for negligence during routine care. The law applies only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025, and does not affect existing penalties for cruelty involving livestock animals. This amendment clarifies prosecutable conduct while providing professional protection for veterinary staff.

Maddy summaryHB 102 requires Texas public universities to offer early registration for courses and programs to students in military-related programs who are in good standing. Specifically, it mandates this for students enrolled in ROTC programs, cadet corps (including at senior military colleges), or maritime academies. The law, effective for the 2026 spring semester, obligates institutions to provide this early registration opportunity on the same basis as other designated student groups. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board will develop rules to implement this requirement.

Maddy summaryHB 1734 requires courts transferring custody cases (suits affecting parent-child relationships) to electronically send specific court files within 10 working days of a transfer order. It mandates sending a transfer certificate, final orders, the transfer order itself, key pleadings, previous transfer records, and cost bills to the receiving court. The law applies only to cases where jurisdiction transfer orders are signed on or after September 1, 2025, leaving prior cases governed by older rules. This procedural change streamlines administrative handling of custody case transfers between courts.

Maddy summaryHB 3923 requires Texas state agencies to review and adjust job requirements to reduce reliance on bachelor's degrees for employment. Specifically, it directs classification officers to identify positions where educational requirements could be lowered, reduce the number of roles mandating a bachelor's degree, and explore career advancement paths for employees without one. The bill mandates agencies to report their findings to the governor's budget office and Legislative Budget Board by specified deadlines. This directly affects state hiring practices and employees who lack bachelor's degrees but possess relevant skills or experience. The policy change takes effect September 1, 2025, aiming to broaden state employment opportunities.

Maddy summaryThis bill designates a specific segment of U.S. Highway 67 in Dallas and Ellis Counties - between U.S. Highway 287 and Interstate 20 - as the "Eddie Bernice Johnson Memorial Highway." It requires the Texas Department of Transportation to install markers at each end of the highway and at intermediate sites along the route, in addition to any existing designations. The bill has no policy or operational changes beyond this ceremonial naming, which honors the late Congresswoman Eddie Bernice Johnson. It became law on June 20, 2025, and takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2492 modifies Texas law governing detention after bond for individuals arrested in family violence cases. It allows authorities to detain someone for up to 4 hours after bond is posted, with a potential 48-hour extension if a judge determines the violence would continue and the person has prior family violence arrests or used a deadly weapon in past offenses. The bill applies only to arrests occurring on or after September 1, 2025, leaving pre-existing cases under prior law. This creates a specific, time-bound process to prevent immediate release in high-risk family violence situations.

Maddy summarySB 31, titled the "Life of the Mother Act," amends Texas Health and Safety Code to create a specific exception allowing abortions when a physician determines in "reasonable medical judgment" that a pregnancy poses a life-threatening risk of death or serious risk of substantial impairment to a major bodily function. It directly affects pregnant individuals with pregnancy-related conditions that threaten life or major bodily function, removing prior requirements that risks be imminent or that physical damage already occur. The law permits physicians to act proactively to address such risks before symptoms manifest, without needing to wait for documented harm. Signed by the governor on June 20, 2025, it became effective immediately.