Rep. Penny Morales Shaw

Maddy summaryHB 5061, the Texas Integrity in State Contracting and Privacy Protection Act, prohibits state agency contractors and vendors from engaging in specific harmful activities. It bans surveillance targeting legislators, their families, state employees, or whistleblowers; intimidation or coercion to silence concerns; and misuse of private information to influence contracting decisions. Contractors violating these rules face administrative penalties enforced by the state auditor’s office. The law applies to all state agency contracts, including those managed by the comptroller or universities, and takes effect on September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis is a memorial resolution (HR 247), not a policy bill. It honors the late U.S. Representative Sheila Jackson Lee of Houston following her death on July 19, 2024. The resolution recognizes her decades of service in Congress, including her work as a champion for social justice, her authorship of the Juneteenth National Independence Day Act, and her leadership roles in the House. It was adopted by the House on May 23, 2025, and reported enrolled on May 28, 2025, as a formal tribute to her legacy.

Maddy summaryHB 1593 creates an advisory committee to study suicide prevention and peer support programs specifically for fire departments across Texas. The committee, composed of 8 members including firefighters, fire chiefs, and licensed mental health professionals, will examine existing programs, licensing requirements, and confidentiality issues. It must submit a detailed report to the governor and legislature by September 1, 2026, with recommendations on implementing such programs. This bill does not create new programs but directs a formal study to inform future policy decisions affecting Texas fire departments and their personnel.

Maddy summaryHB 37 requires hospitals with maternal care designations to provide bereavement counseling options and perinatal bereavement devices (which delay tissue deterioration for up to 72 hours after pregnancy loss or infant death) to families following intrauterine fetal demise, neonatal death, or stillbirth. The Texas Department of State Health Services must establish a perinatal bereavement care initiative offering hospitals training for staff on compassionate communication and resources like devices with maintenance support. This law directly affects designated hospitals and families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss in Texas. The initiative aims to improve access to supportive care during this difficult time, with the law taking effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 3336 creates a tax credit for Texas breweries and distilleries that donate spent grain (a byproduct of brewing liquor or malt beverages) for agricultural use. Eligible taxpayers can claim a credit of $0.08 per pound of dry weight donated for purposes like animal feed or composting, within 100 miles of where the grain was used. The credit is capped at $30,000 per year or the total taxes paid under the Alcoholic Beverage Code, whichever is lower. This applies only to donations made on or after the bill's effective date for taxes due after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 748, known as Trey's Law, prohibits the enforcement of confidentiality clauses in agreements that prevent disclosure of sexual abuse. The bill makes any provision in settlement, employment, or other agreements that blocks someone from sharing details about sexual abuse (including the act itself, identity of victims/perpetrators, or related facts) void and unenforceable. However, it does not restrict confidentiality around other settlement terms, such as payment amounts. For agreements signed before the law's effective date (September 1, 2025), parties must first obtain a court declaration confirming the clause's enforceability to avoid being voided.

Maddy summarySB 1080 requires Texas licensing authorities to issue either a full occupational license or a provisional license (valid for six months) to otherwise qualified applicants who have been convicted of certain offenses, instead of automatically denying their applications. The provisional license begins on the date an applicant is released from prison if they were incarcerated in the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. This bill directly affects individuals with criminal convictions seeking occupational licenses (such as for nursing, contracting, or other licensed professions) who meet all other qualification requirements. It aims to reduce barriers to employment by providing a temporary licensing pathway for these applicants.

Maddy summaryHB 3385 creates a new "farm winery permit" for Texas wineries that produce at least 75% of their wine from grapes or fruit grown in Texas, or that produce at least 50,000 gallons of Texas wine annually if they also make non-Texas wine. Permit holders can operate up to five off-premises locations for on-site wine sales and sell up to 250,000 gallons annually in unbroken packages for off-site consumption. The bill requires the state alcohol commission to adopt rules for notifying about off-site locations and verifying their status, including wet/dry county compliance. This permit expands sales opportunities for Texas wine producers while maintaining regulatory oversight for local wine production.

Maddy summaryHB 186 prohibits children under 18 from using social media platforms in Texas, subject to federal law. The bill defines "social media platform" to exclude email, internet service providers, news websites, and interactive gaming platforms. Social media platforms must verify users are 18 or older before account creation using a reasonable method relying on public or private data, then delete all verification information immediately. This law directly affects children under 18 and social media companies operating in Texas.

Maddy summarySB 455 requires that surplus lines insurance contracts (for risks wholly located in Texas) include arbitration agreements conducted in Texas under Texas law, unless both insurer and policyholder agree to change the venue after the insurer provides written notice and a premium credit for added costs. This applies to new or renewed contracts on or after January 1, 2026, affecting insurers and policyholders purchasing specialized insurance for high-risk properties in Texas. The bill ensures arbitration venues and legal interpretations remain tied to Texas, preventing out-of-state arbitration without financial compensation to policyholders. It becomes effective September 1, 2025, but the new rules apply to contracts delivered after 2025.