Rep. Valoree Swanson

Maddy summaryHB 745 creates a new exemption from jury service for crime victims or close relatives of deceased crime victims who testified in court about the offense. It adds this category to existing exemptions in Texas law, requiring the person to have provided testimony in a court proceeding related to the crime. The exemption applies only to those summoned for jury duty on or after September 1, 2025, the bill's effective date. This change modifies Section 62.106(a)(10) of the Government Code to specifically include qualified crime victims and their close relatives.

Maddy summaryHB 125 creates the Tarleton State University College of Osteopathic Medicine as a new academic unit within Tarleton State University. The bill establishes that the college will operate under the oversight of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, offer osteopathic medicine degrees under Tarleton's authority, and partner with public or private teaching hospitals. This legislation directly affects Tarleton State University students seeking osteopathic medicine degrees and expands Texas' network of medical education institutions. The bill amends Texas Education Code to formally include the new college in the state's list of authorized medical and dental programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1477 amends Texas election law to increase criminal penalties for election officials who fail to deliver precinct election returns on time. It raises the offense from a Class B to a Class A misdemeanor under Section 65.014(e) of the Election Code. The bill also clarifies that if records aren't delivered by the deadline, the Secretary of State or a judge may step in to complete the count and distribute records. This change applies to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 787 allows Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) ferry employees to restart a vehicle battery for passengers traveling on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry, at the driver’s request. It requires ferry staff to confirm no hazardous gas is present before attempting a restart and mandates TxDOT to train employees and provide safety equipment for detecting gas and restarting batteries. TxDOT may charge a fee to cover costs, set at a reasonable amount. The bill directly affects vehicle operators using this specific ferry route who experience dead batteries during transport. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, after TxDOT adopts necessary rules by December 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1088 modifies Texas law to extend the deadline for minors to file lawsuits about medical malpractice involving gender transition care. Specifically, it sets a deadline of the claimant's 25th birthday for claims related to puberty suppression drugs, cross-sex hormones, or surgery performed on minors for gender transitioning or reassignment. This provision applies only when the minor was under 12 at the time of treatment (per existing law) and the claim involves malpractice in the provision of these specific treatments. The change takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies only to claims accruing after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 2207 prevents cities, counties, or school districts from asking voters to approve bonds for a specific project if that same project was rejected in a bond election within the past two years. It prohibits re-submitting identical bond proposals for voter approval during this two-year window. The rule applies only to bond elections ordered on or after September 1, 2025, and does not affect proposals for new projects or those never previously voted on. This is a procedural change to local government bond election rules.

Maddy summaryHB 5510, titled the Women and Child Protection Act, creates civil liability for distributing abortion-inducing drugs and establishes a private civil right of action against individuals or organizations that facilitate access to elective abortions. The bill directly affects abortion assistance organizations - defined as entities providing financial support, travel arrangements, childcare, or logistical services to enable abortions - as well as those distributing abortion-inducing drugs. Key provisions include authorizing private lawsuits for damages related to these activities and creating criminal offenses for certain violations. The law harmonizes existing abortion-related provisions in Texas law while focusing on civil enforcement mechanisms rather than criminal penalties for patients.

Maddy summaryHB 307 updates Texas law to increase credit toward fines and costs for misdemeanor defendants who cannot pay immediately. It raises the daily credit rate from $100 to $150 for work in county jail programs, confinement, or community service (8 hours = $150 credit). Defendants can apply this earned credit toward their remaining fine balance instead of paying the full amount. This directly affects low-income misdemeanor offenders facing financial barriers to court-ordered payments.

Maddy summarySB 14, titled the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act, creates the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the governor's office to streamline how state agencies develop and review regulations. The office will help agencies identify unnecessary rules, reduce costs for businesses and individuals, and establish a public online portal for searching regulatory information. This bill directly affects state agencies that create regulations and the public who interact with those regulations. The new office will operate until 2037 unless extended under the Sunset Act, with its work focused on improving regulatory efficiency and transparency.

Maddy summaryHB 2424 updates Texas voter ID requirements by specifying five acceptable photo ID types for in-person voting: standard driver's licenses (excluding certain temporary licenses), U.S. military IDs, citizenship certificates, passports, and handgun carry licenses. All must not have expired more than four years before presentation. The bill directly affects voters needing ID at polling places in Texas, clarifying which documents meet requirements under the Election Code. It does not change existing voting procedures beyond defining acceptable ID forms.