Rep. Donna Howard

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the legal description of Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College in the Texas Education Code by removing the term "upper-level" from its official designation. It directly affects the university's Rio Grande College campuses in Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde, which are part of Sul Ross State University. The change takes effect September 1, 2025, and does not alter course offerings, funding, or academic programs. The bill is purely procedural, adjusting how the institution is formally referenced in state law.

Maddy summaryHR 1298 is a Texas House resolution recognizing November 8, 2025, as Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) Awareness Day. It does not create new laws or policies but formally designates this date to raise public awareness about PMDD, a hormone-based mood disorder affecting an estimated 5% of women of childbearing age in the U.S. The resolution encourages Texans to learn about PMDD, which can cause severe symptoms like depression, irritability, and physical pain, and to support research on the condition. This commemorative resolution directly affects women living with PMDD and the broader public by promoting education about the disorder.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (HR 1297) symbolically recognizes May 2025 as "Women's Health Month" in Texas. It does not create new laws or allocate funds, but aims to raise awareness about women's health challenges like reproductive disorders and certain cancers. The resolution highlights existing Texas health initiatives (such as the Family Planning Program and Healthy Texas Women) and encourages all women in Texas to prioritize their well-being. As a non-binding resolution, it directly affects public awareness and symbolic recognition, not policy implementation or specific populations.

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 21 amends Texas Local Government Code provisions affecting housing finance corporations that develop or manage low- and moderate-income housing. It defines qualifying residential developments as those where at least 90% of units are intended for households with adjusted gross income below state-defined moderate income levels. The bill also requires these corporations to follow open meetings and public records laws (Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code) and restricts their development to areas within the boundaries of their sponsoring local governments - unless approved by those governing bodies. These changes clarify operational rules and transparency requirements for housing finance corporations serving low- and moderate-income residents.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR 27) authorizes the burial of Guy Herman, a former Travis County probate judge, in the Texas State Cemetery. It follows existing law (Government Code §2165.256) requiring legislative approval for such burials, contingent on the State Cemetery Committee's separate approval of Herman's application. The resolution recognizes Herman's decades of service in probate law, mental health advocacy, and his role in establishing the Judge Guy Herman Center for Mental Health Crisis Care. It does not alter cemetery rules or create new legal requirements - only formally authorizes the burial process under current procedures.

Maddy summarySB 2058 requires the Texas Board of Nursing and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to post a prominent link on their websites to the most recent nursing education reports from the Texas Center for Nursing Workforce Studies. The bill mandates this publication to make existing nursing education data more accessible to the public. It applies directly to these two state boards and takes effect December 31, 2025. The bill focuses solely on the method of data dissemination, not on altering nursing education standards or data collection processes.

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 summaryThis bill authorizes the State of Texas to sell or lease two specific properties in Austin: 20.31 acres at 4400 Shoal Creek Boulevard (used by the Texas State Library and Archives Commission) and approximately 7.5 acres near Lamar Boulevard. Proceeds from these transactions must be deposited into a dedicated fund for capital improvements to the Sam Houston Regional Library and the Lorenzo de Zavala State Archives Building. The sale or lease is contingent on constructing a new state records facility to replace the current library/records site. The fund will also support making original historical materials more publicly accessible.

Maddy summaryHB 1939 creates a 4% credit for Texas school districts that prepay attendance credit costs under the public school finance system. Specifically, districts that elect to pay for attendance credit using a specified payment method and pay the full amount by February 15 each school year receive this credit. The bill directly affects all Texas public school districts required to purchase attendance credit under Chapter 49 of the Education Code. The credit applies after other applicable reductions and takes effect September 1, 2025.