Rep. Donna Howard

Maddy summaryHB 4119 requires the Texas Medicaid Commission to share the name and contact information of individuals losing Medicaid coverage (with their written consent) with the Texas Department of Insurance. This allows the Insurance Department to proactively reach out to help these individuals apply for alternative health coverage. The bill mandates that information sharing complies with federal and state privacy laws and requires explicit individual consent before any data is transferred. It directly affects Medicaid disenrollees who choose to consent and the Texas Department of Insurance, which will use the information for outreach efforts. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 4121 requires Texas health officials to assess Medicaid and child health program eligibility for youth in juvenile facilities or foster care before their release. If eligible, they must be enrolled immediately and receive services like telehealth mental health care. The bill mandates that juvenile justice departments create release plans to ensure continuous health coverage after leaving custody, or document barriers if plans cannot be made. This applies specifically to youth under Title 3 of the Family Code, which governs juvenile justice and foster care placements.

Maddy summaryHB 3814 requires most health benefit plans in Texas to cover prescription medications treating perimenopause and menopause. This applies to private insurance plans, health maintenance organizations, Medicaid, and other covered health plans that provide prescription drug benefits. The law mandates this coverage for plans delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, with the bill taking effect September 1, 2025. It does not specify particular medications but requires coverage for any prescription drug used to treat these conditions.

Maddy summaryHB 3767 amends Texas law to change how state funds for family planning services are distributed, removing previous restrictions that limited funding eligibility. It repeals Chapter 2273 of the Government Code and Section 32.024(c-1) of the Human Resources Code, which previously prohibited certain service providers from receiving funds. The bill establishes a new priority system for awarding funds based on providers' historical capability to meet service goals, with a requirement to ensure equitable access across all regions. It takes effect September 1, 2025, directly affecting providers of women's health and family planning services receiving state funding.

Maddy summaryHB 3668 would authorize a non-binding statewide referendum for Texas voters to express preference on whether new abortion restrictions enacted by the 89th Legislature in 2025 should be repealed. If passed, voters would cast a ballot vote in the November 2025 general election specifically on whether each additional restriction should be repealed, with the ballot clearly stating it has "no binding effect as law." The bill applies only to restrictions passed during the 2025 legislative session and does not change current abortion laws or create new restrictions. This is a procedural mechanism to gauge public opinion, not a policy change.

Maddy summaryHB 3355 allows Texas Medicaid providers to use an approved alternative electronic system to verify in-person care visits (instead of the state's system) if it meets Texas Health and Human Services Commission standards for data, privacy, and reporting. Providers must document visits using either the state system or an approved alternative, and the Commission must let providers select an approved system via a signed form and approve these choices quickly. The bill also requires the Commission to ensure vendors of approved systems can be reimbursed for transaction costs, if feasible under federal law, while protecting patient confidentiality. This directly affects Medicaid home care providers and the Commission, streamlining documentation requirements under Medicaid.

Maddy summaryHB 3030 creates a new program offering student loan repayment assistance to eligible Texas state employees. It directly affects employees working for state agencies, courts, or legislative bodies (excluding state officers) who have worked for five years, earn at or below 80% of the statewide median family income, and apply through the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. The program provides up to five years of assistance for eligible undergraduate loans from accredited institutions (public, private, or out-of-state), excluding defaulted loans, with repayments made as a lump sum directly to lenders or shared with employees. The board must use all allocated funds each biennium to cover these payments.

Maddy summaryHB 3264 requires Texas public schools to include firearm safety instruction in the mandatory health curriculum for students. The bill mandates that this instruction must focus on accident prevention, student safety and protection, and appropriate responses when encountering a firearm. These requirements apply to all public school health classes starting with the 2025-2026 school year. The legislation specifies concrete content areas rather than prescribing specific teaching methods or materials. This change directly affects public school students and curriculum developers across Texas.

Maddy summaryHB 3020 requires Texas schools to have statewide standing orders for three emergency medications: epinephrine auto-injectors (for severe allergic reactions), respiratory distress medication, and opioid antagonists (to reverse overdoses). The bill directs the Texas Department of State Health Services to issue these pre-approved protocols to all public school districts, charter schools, and private schools, eliminating the need for individual doctor-patient relationships. Schools can administer these medications immediately during emergencies without prior medical authorization for the specific student. This policy directly affects all Texas schools by standardizing access to life-saving treatments during health crises.

Maddy summaryHB 3031 establishes specific rules for Texas' independent redistricting commission, which redraws state legislative, congressional, and judicial districts after each census. The bill requires the commission to include population data, map visuals, and cost estimates in its reports, while prohibiting consideration of political factors like incumbents' residences or party affiliation when creating district maps. It also mandates commission funding, access to census data, and technical support from the Texas Legislative Council. This bill directly affects how Texas districts are drawn, impacting all voters whose voting districts are reconfigured every decade. The commission must comply with constitutional standards while following these new procedural requirements.