Rep. Liz Campos

Maddy summarySB 1141 requires Texas courts to confirm in writing and in open court that the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) provided two specific notices to parents or caregivers before a full adversary hearing in a child welfare case. The court must verify that DFPS informed the person of their right to record the interview (under Section 261.3027) and request an administrative review of DFPS findings (under Section 261.3091), as well as that DFPS provided required information when first contacting them after an investigation began. This requirement applies only to cases filed on or after September 1, 2025. The bill directly affects parents and caregivers involved in DFPS child welfare cases filed under Texas law.

Maddy summaryHB 1866 clarifies that federal National Park Service (NPS) law enforcement officers are not considered Texas peace officers but retain specific enforcement powers within Texas national parks and recreation areas. The bill grants NPS officers the authority to arrest, search, and seize for state law violations committed in these parks, execute Texas-issued warrants there, and use powers from Texas Health and Safety Codes within park boundaries. It directly affects NPS officers working in Texas national parks (like Big Bend or Guadalupe Mountains) by defining their jurisdiction without making them state law enforcement personnel. The law took effect immediately upon the governor's signature on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 20 establishes Texas' Applied Sciences Pathway program, allowing high school students to earn both diplomas and industry certificates through school-college partnerships. It requires courses in 20 specific high-wage, high-growth fields like plumbing, welding, IT, and oil/gas exploration, with a focus on successful job placement rates. Partnerships must offer non-duplicative, progressive coursework leading to both diplomas and certificates in these sectors. The program begins for the 2027-2028 school year, with industries reviewed every five years to match labor market needs.

Maddy summaryHB 4144 creates supplemental benefits for retired firefighters and peace officers diagnosed with specific illnesses (cancer, heart attack, or stroke) within three years of retirement. It requires governmental entities to provide a benefit capped at $100,000 (or the retiree's final annual salary, whichever is lower), payable as a lump sum or over three months, with annual adjustments tied to inflation. The benefit does not apply to entities already offering comparable health coverage to retirees. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies only to retirements occurring on or after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summaryHB 4795 requires Texas' vital statistics unit (part of the Department of State Health Services) to create an electronic system for sharing specific information in child custody or parentage cases. This system allows the Department of Family and Protective Services, courts, attorneys, and parties to request details about court jurisdiction or the absence of prior cases electronically, using existing resources. The bill mandates that electronic requests must be processed, with responses including confirmation of searches and whether required records were found. These changes apply only to requests received on or after January 1, 2026, while older requests follow previous rules. The bill became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor.

Maddy summaryHB 3260 creates a Texas grant program to support industry-recognized apprenticeship programs. It provides partial reimbursement to participants for on-the-job training milestones as they complete training and secure employment. The law requires the Texas Workforce Commission to establish rules defining eligible occupations, certification standards for programs, and performance metrics like completion rates. Grant recipients must report this data annually, with aggregated results made publicly available. The program directly affects apprenticeship providers and trainees in Texas occupations requiring structured on-the-job training.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 107 establishes a statewide sickle cell disease registry under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 52B. It requires hospitals and other treatment facilities to submit patient data to the state health department, creating a centralized database of all sickle cell disease cases in Texas. The registry must include case records and additional relevant information to aid in treatment and research, with strict confidentiality protections for patients under federal privacy laws. The department will analyze the data, publish findings for medical professionals and the public, and submit annual reports to the legislature. This affects all Texas healthcare facilities treating sickle cell disease patients and ensures patient data is securely managed for medical advancement.

Maddy summarySB 23 increases the school district homestead tax exemption for elderly (65+) or disabled homeowners from $10,000 to $60,000 of their home's appraised value. This directly affects eligible homeowners who qualify for the exemption and school districts that may lose local tax revenue due to the change. The bill requires the state to provide additional aid to school districts to offset revenue losses from the higher exemption, starting with the 2025-2026 school year. The state aid calculation compares current revenue to what would have been collected under the previous exemption amount. The bill was signed into law on June 16, 2025, and is now effective.

Maddy summaryThis Texas bill (SB 4) increases the homestead exemption for school district property taxes from $100,000 to $140,000 per homeowner, directly affecting residential property owners. School districts will receive additional state aid to offset revenue losses from this exemption increase, calculated as the difference between current local revenue and what would have been available before the change. The compensation mechanism applies starting with the 2023-2024 school year for the initial exemption increase and will extend to future changes proposed for 2025. This ensures school districts maintain funding stability despite reduced local tax revenue from larger homestead exemptions.