Rep. Christian Manuel

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 3171 amends Texas Local Government Code provisions to clarify how municipal employers and unions resolve labor disputes. It requires arbitrators to consider specific factors like job hazards, physical/educational qualifications, and skills when settling compensation and working conditions during impasses in collective bargaining. The bill ensures arbitration awards satisfy employment standard requirements for the duration of the bargaining period. It directly affects municipal employees (e.g., police, firefighters, city workers) and their employers in cities with collective bargaining agreements. The changes aim to standardize impasse resolution processes for public sector labor negotiations.

Maddy summaryTexas bill SB 1777 prohibits health care providers (including their employees or contractors) from accepting any payment for referring potential residents to group homes that lack a valid license. The law specifically targets unlicensed group homes, including those operating under state waiver programs. Violating this prohibition is a Class B misdemeanor offense. The bill aims to prevent financial incentives for referrals to facilities not meeting licensing standards, directly affecting health care providers who make such referrals.

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 123 amends Texas Education Code Section 12.104(b) to require open-enrollment charter schools to comply with existing state standards for early literacy, numeracy, and kindergarten readiness. Specifically, it mandates that charter schools follow established requirements related to reading/math assessments (Sections 28.006, 28.0063, 28.0064), accelerated instruction (Section 28.0211), and prekindergarten programs (Chapter 29). The bill directly affects charter schools by extending these K-3 educational standards to their operations, ensuring alignment with public school accountability measures. It does not create new funding but clarifies that charter schools must implement existing state-mandated early learning frameworks.

Maddy summarySB 2306 requires licensed child-placing agencies in Texas to post an itemized list of all adoption costs on their public website. This applies directly to adoption agencies, making cost transparency mandatory for prospective adoptive families. The law mandates that agencies display every cost associated with an adoption, such as fees, legal expenses, or agency charges, in a clear, itemized format. It takes effect on September 1, 2025, and is now law after being signed by the Governor on May 27, 2025.

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.

Maddy summarySB 2269 modifies dispute resolution and enforcement procedures for Texas long-term care facilities, specifically nursing facilities. It requires that decisions from informal dispute resolution processes between facilities and the state commission are binding on the commission, preventing the commission from overturning them. The bill also prohibits the commission from taking adverse actions against facilities that appeal decisions or take good-faith actions to counter commission actions, defining "retaliation" as such adverse responses. Additionally, it clarifies that the commission cannot impose multiple penalties for the same violation under state or federal law. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1681 requires counties and municipalities that regulate boarding home facilities (including those needing permits under Health and Safety Code §260.004) to submit annual reports to the commission by September 30 each year. The reports must include their current standards, policies for reasonable accommodation requests, statistics on accommodation approvals/rejections, fair housing complaints, facility closures with reasons, and support activities for facility operators. Counties/municipalities must also report updates to their regulations after submission. The first report is due September 30, 2026, with the law taking effect September 1, 2025. This bill directly affects local governments managing boarding homes, focusing on transparency and compliance with housing regulations.

Maddy summaryHB 554 creates a new window for fireworks sales in Texas counties that approve it, specifically allowing sales from June 14 through June 19 (Juneteenth). This directly affects retail fireworks sellers in counties where commissioners courts have approved the sale period. The bill amends existing law to add this Juneteenth window to the list of authorized seasonal sale periods, alongside existing dates like Independence Day and July 4. It became effective immediately after the governor signed it on May 26, 2025.