Rep. Sam Harless

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 requires Texas to collect de-identified data on veteran deaths from death certificates and submit it to the Texas Veterans Commission. Specifically, it mandates that the state registrar provide details like age, race, cause of death (if suicide or homicide), and occupation, but not medical history unless available. The commission must then produce annual reports by December 1 each year, containing aggregated data, analysis, and policy recommendations for veterans' affairs committees. The first report is due December 1, 2027, with annual reports starting in 2026. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 663 requires county community supervision and corrections departments to submit their budget and strategic plan to the state division for approval. The bill mandates that district judges (who established the department) must first review and approve these documents before the department submits them to the state division. Departments must submit the budget and strategic plan annually by March 1st for the upcoming state fiscal biennium. This policy change directly affects county-level community supervision departments and the judges responsible for overseeing them.

Maddy summaryHB 3441 creates legal liability for vaccine manufacturers who advertise a harmful vaccine within Texas. It defines "advertise" broadly to include paid promotions across media (TV, internet, influencers), but excludes doctor-patient discussions or clinic materials. If a manufacturer's advertised vaccine causes injury, victims can sue within three years for actual damages, attorney fees, and court costs. The law applies only to cases where harm occurs on or after its effective date of September 1, 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 summarySB 370 amends Texas public records law to protect the home address, phone number, and social security number of spouses, children, or surviving spouses of current or former employees in the Attorney General's office or Public Defender's office from public disclosure. It adds these family members to an existing exemption list that already covers law enforcement personnel, ensuring their personal information remains confidential. The bill directly affects family members of these specific government employees by preventing their sensitive details from being accessible through public records requests. This change became effective September 1, 2025, after Governor's signature on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires vision insurance companies to create online applications for optometrists and therapeutic optometrists to join their plans. It mandates that insurers provide contracts within 10 business days of receiving a complete application and make credentialing decisions within 30 days. The bill ensures all applicants face identical application requirements and processing timelines, prohibiting insurers from considering extra information beyond the submitted application. It also requires insurers to include approved providers in their plans within 20 business days of contract acceptance. The law applies to all vision care plans serving Texas residents.

Maddy summaryHB 4076 prohibits health care providers from denying organ transplants or related services (like evaluations, surgery, or waiting list placement) solely based on a patient's vaccination status. It allows providers to consider vaccination status only if medically significant to the transplant, following individualized assessment - such as if unvaccinated patients face higher infection risks. The law covers all transplant stages and protects providers who comply with it from penalties, while permitting alternatives like antibody testing instead of vaccination requirements. It takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies to all organ transplant candidates in Texas.

Maddy summaryHB 2688 amends Texas law governing public retirement systems for firefighters in large municipalities. It lowers the population threshold for municipalities to establish such a fund from 2 million to 1.6 million residents. The bill clarifies "normal retirement age" as either 20 years of service (for pre-2017 hires) or age 50 with 10 years of service (for post-2017 hires). It also updates terminology related to actuarial cost methods used to calculate pension funding requirements. The bill became law on September 1, 2025, affecting firefighters in qualifying Texas cities.

Maddy summaryHB 3788 modifies rules for municipal hospital authorities in Texas. It requires that city councils cannot shorten the terms of current directors when reducing the board size, and limits how often the method for selecting directors or their terms can be changed. The bill also allows authorities without a hospital to use assets for public health initiatives like free clinics, medical training facilities, or financial aid to nonprofit health providers. These changes directly affect municipal hospital authorities and their governing city councils.