Rep. Senfronia Thompson

Maddy summaryHB 2294 changes how Texas reimburses child-care providers in the Texas Rising Star Program. It allows providers to receive reimbursement at the state's maximum rate based on their program rating level - not their own published rates - provided this doesn't reduce the commission's target for daily children served in subsidized care. The bill directly affects child-care providers participating in the program and the state commission managing subsidy targets. The key provision ensures providers can be paid more fairly without undermining existing daily child care targets. This law took effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 754 requires Texas health care facilities to post bilingual signs (in English, Spanish, and other languages spoken by 10%+ of staff) displaying human trafficking indicators, reporting resources, and a statement that medical assistants must complete trafficking prevention training. It mandates training for medical assistants through the Health and Human Services Commission and prohibits facilities from disciplining employees who report suspected trafficking in good faith. The law also requires facilities to disclose trafficking information to authorities as specified. This bill affects all Texas health care facilities and their medical assistant staff, taking effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2761 amends Texas Penal Code sections to clarify that in trafficking cases involving children or disabled individuals, defendants cannot claim the victim "lacked mental capacity" or "did not complete prostitution" as a defense. It specifically targets prosecutions under Sections 20A.02(a)(7)-(8) (trafficking for prostitution) and 43.01 (prostitution), directly affecting prosecutors and defendants in these cases. The law removes two common defense arguments, ensuring traffickers cannot avoid accountability based on the victim’s mental state or whether prostitution was completed. This change applies only to offenses committed on or after its effective date (September 1, 2025). The bill does not create new crimes but strengthens prosecution pathways for vulnerable victims.

Maddy summaryHB 35 creates a state-mandated peer support network for Texas first responders, directly affecting emergency medical services personnel and firefighters. The law requires the state agency to develop peer-to-peer support programs, provide suicide prevention training for peer coordinators, and ensure confidential access to mental health resources at no cost to responders. It also mandates annual reports tracking participation numbers, peer training outcomes, regional facility locations, and program evaluations. The network aims to improve mental health support across both urban and rural communities while protecting participant privacy under confidentiality rules.

Maddy summaryHB 793 protects the personal information of individuals seeking or receiving protective orders in Texas. It allows applicants and protected persons to request that their mailing address, county of residence, workplace, school, or child-care facility details be kept confidential from public records and the respondent. Courts must then maintain these details in a private file, exclude them from protective orders, and specifically ask affected individuals at hearings if they want this confidentiality. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, applying to all new and existing protective orders under the Family Code.

Maddy summaryHB 109 designates the Waco Center for Youth as a state residential treatment facility for emotionally disturbed juveniles under state custody. It requires the Department of Family and Protective Services to provide free education services at this facility, with non-local students needing school district approval for services. The bill also allows one-time state grants for constructing or expanding specific inpatient mental health facilities, funded through legislative appropriations. This affects juveniles admitted to state facilities under certain conditions and impacts how education services are delivered at designated treatment centers.

Maddy summaryHB 33, titled the "Uvalde Strong Act," requires Texas public and charter schools to comply with additional safety and operational requirements related to active shooter incidents and emergencies. It amends the Education Code to mandate adherence to existing rules covering student data systems, criminal background checks, discipline practices, health/safety protocols, bullying prevention, and staff reporting obligations. The bill directly affects all public and charter schools by expanding their compliance obligations under current safety frameworks. It does not create new rules but requires schools to follow more existing provisions related to emergency preparedness and student safety. The law took effect on September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor.

Maddy summaryHB 3928 allows vehicle storage facilities in Texas to provide notice of a towed vehicle to the owner and primary lender via a third-party internet website (instead of only a newspaper) under specific circumstances. This applies when the vehicle is registered in another state, the owner's address is missing, the vehicle lacks visible registration plates, or the facility cannot identify the owner or lender. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles must link to these approved third-party websites on its own website. The bill directly affects vehicle storage facilities (who must use this method when conditions apply) and vehicle owners (who may receive notice online instead of in print). It takes effect September 1, 2025.

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 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.