Rep. Christian Manuel

Maddy summaryHB 2343 requires restaurants serving shrimp caught outside Texas waters (defined as Gulf of Mexico shrimp outside state-owned lands) to clearly label the product and provide visible notices to customers about its importation. It also bans state agencies and school districts from serving imported shrimp or contracting with vendors who serve it, with penalties for violations. The bill mandates that food service establishments post notices in accessible locations or include them on menus, and directs health officials to create implementing rules. These provisions directly affect restaurants, school meal programs, and state food service contracts.

Maddy summaryHB 3695 limits copayments for physical therapy visits under certain health plans. It prohibits health maintenance organizations and preferred provider plans from charging enrollees a higher copayment for a physical therapist visit (without a referral) than for a primary care physician visit. The law applies to plans delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, and takes effect September 1, 2025. This directly affects Texas enrollees who use physical therapy services without needing a physician referral.

Maddy summaryHB 4442 would require Texas public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to offer an elective mindfulness course for all students in middle school, junior high school, and high school. The course must teach specific techniques to enhance focus, manage stress, improve emotional regulation, and build self-awareness and compassion. High school students would be able to count this course toward their elective credit requirements for graduation. The bill would take effect for the 2026-2027 school year, unless it receives a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers, in which case it would take effect immediately.

Maddy summaryHB 168 prohibits marriage for anyone under 18 in Texas, eliminating the previous exception that allowed minors to marry with a court order removing the disabilities of minority. The bill amends the Texas Family Code to require county clerks to deny marriage licenses to minors and declare any marriage entered into by a minor void. This change applies to all marriage applications filed and marriages entered into on or after September 1, 2025. The bill directly affects minors under 18 and their families by ending the ability to marry with court approval under prior law.

Maddy summaryHB 3174 authorizes pilot programs in seven Texas counties (Bexar, Dallas, El Paso, Harris, Nueces, Travis, and Webb) and their hospital districts to reduce the spread of infectious diseases like HIV, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C. The key provision allows anonymous needle and syringe exchange programs, where individuals can trade used equipment for sterile new supplies to prevent blood-borne disease transmission. These programs also require providing education on disease prevention and connecting participants to health and social services. The bill aims to improve public health outcomes while reducing needle-stick injuries to first responders and the public.

Maddy summaryHB 3134 establishes a regulatory framework for "advanced air mobility" in Texas, primarily affecting electric aircraft and vertiports (landing/takeoff sites for air taxis). The bill requires the Texas Department of Transportation to create an office for technical support, develop a statewide strategic plan, identify uniform planning standards for vertiports, estimate electric grid capacity needs, and provide guidebooks to local governments. It specifically applies to aircraft over 300 pounds capable of carrying passengers or cargo, focusing on electric vertical takeoff aircraft and urban air mobility infrastructure. The law aims to enable future air taxi services by standardizing planning and infrastructure requirements across the state.

Maddy summaryHB 5539 requires licensed child-placing agencies in Texas to post an itemized list of all adoption-related costs on their public websites. This directly affects adoption agencies, which must now disclose every fee associated with the adoption process (such as agency fees, legal costs, or travel expenses). The bill mandates that this information be clearly listed and accessible online, helping prospective adoptive parents understand full costs upfront. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 4820 allows specific water districts bordering the Gulf of America and an international border to issue short-term debt (notes) during disaster declarations without the usual three-year term limit. It directly affects districts in counties without cities over 750,000 population and not adjacent to such counties. The bill requires these districts to submit note authorizations to the attorney general for approval and makes issued notes "incontestable" in court during the declared disaster period. This change streamlines emergency funding access for affected water districts while maintaining oversight through attorney general review.

Maddy summaryHB 3675 prohibits most public employers in Texas from asking about or checking an applicant's criminal history before making a conditional job offer. It allows employers to inform applicants upfront about disqualifying convictions or ask limited questions about specific offenses that would disqualify someone under law. The bill applies to state agencies, local governments, and public universities (excluding independent school districts and licensed law enforcement roles). It takes effect September 1, 2025, and only affects applications submitted after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 4670 strengthens protections for nursing facilities in disputes with Texas health regulators. It makes dispute resolution decisions binding (preventing the commission from overturning them), prohibits the commission from retaliating against facilities that appeal decisions or file counteractions, and prevents double fines for the same violation by limiting penalties under both state and federal law. The bill directly affects nursing facilities by ensuring their good-faith appeals cannot trigger adverse commission actions and clarifies that facilities won't face duplicate penalties for the same issue. These changes apply only to violations occurring on or after September 1, 2025.