Rep. Caroline Harris Davila

Maddy summaryHB 3735 requires health insurance plans in Texas to cover prenatal care, childbirth, and postnatal care provided in hospitals, birthing centers, or home settings. It specifically mandates coverage for nurse midwife services, prenatal visits (including ultrasounds), related blood/urine tests, childbirth in all three settings, and prescription drugs for pain management during labor. This applies to all health benefit plans offering maternity coverage, including those from traditional insurers, HMOs, health maintenance organizations, and state health exchanges. The bill aims to standardize coverage for essential pregnancy-related services regardless of where care is delivered.

Maddy summaryHB 3740 requires that any chemical or technique used for weather modification and control in Texas must first be approved by the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). TDLR cannot approve a chemical or technique if it is known to cause harm to human health, including to the endocrine, nervous, respiratory, or reproductive systems. The department may seek input from other agencies like the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality or the Department of Agriculture when reviewing approvals. TDLR must adopt implementing rules as soon as practicable after the bill takes effect, which would be September 1, 2025, unless it receives a two-thirds legislative vote for immediate implementation.

Maddy summaryHB 3738 requires the Texas Department of Agriculture (with Texas Education Agency assistance) to conduct an annual study measuring PFAS levels in school lunches served through the state's school lunch program. The study must test representative samples of all foods distributed to schools under the program and other foods commonly purchased using program subsidies. Results must be reported annually to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker of the house, and all legislators by December 31 each year, with the first report due December 31, 2026. This bill directly affects Texas public school lunch programs and the agencies managing food safety compliance.

Maddy summaryHB 3742 prohibits public universities and colleges in Texas from providing instruction that promotes the use of gender pronouns inconsistent with a person's biological sex. The bill directly affects all public higher education institutions in Texas, banning classroom instruction that encourages pronouns not aligned with biological sex. It requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to create implementing rules and takes effect for the 2025-2026 academic year. The law does not restrict students or faculty from using any pronouns privately but prohibits institutions from teaching or promoting specific pronoun usage in educational settings.

Maddy summaryHB 3737 prohibits healthcare providers from prescribing, delivering, administering, or using any COVID-19 vaccine containing mRNA material (defined as vaccines introducing mRNA corresponding to viral protein) for prevention of the 2019 novel coronavirus disease. It also bans advertising or soliciting patients for such vaccines. The bill directly affects medical professionals, clinics, and entities involved in vaccine distribution or promotion. If enacted, these prohibitions would take effect on September 1, 2025. (Note: This is proposed legislation; it has not yet passed.)

Maddy summaryHB 1511 establishes rules for enforcing juvenile curfew ordinances in Texas cities and counties. It requires police officers to either release children under 17 to parents/guardians, take them to court, or transport them to a designated juvenile curfew processing office within six hours. Processing offices must be non-secure, unlocked spaces with constant visual supervision, prohibiting physical restraints or holding children longer than necessary for basic processing like identification or court transport. The bill explicitly states that curfew violations do not constitute "secured custody" under other laws.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires wind and solar power facilities to certify that purchases of critical grid equipment from designated companies (as defined in Texas law) won't grant those companies access to facility systems. It applies directly to renewable energy projects using such equipment and mandates written attestations before interconnection. The key mechanism requires facilities to confirm no unauthorized access will occur, excluding warranty support. This aligns with Texas laws restricting foreign entities from influencing critical infrastructure, as referenced in Chapter 117 of the Business & Commerce Code.

Maddy summaryHB 1490 would create a new criminal offense for specific unauthorized uses of vehicles, targeting conduct like driving a vehicle without permission in certain circumstances. The bill aims to address unauthorized vehicle use through defined legal penalties, though the exact scope of prohibited conduct isn't detailed in the available information. Currently in committee, the bill's full text is not accessible, so precise mechanisms or who would be directly affected cannot be confirmed from the provided context. For complete details, the full bill text would need to be reviewed when available.

Maddy summaryHB 387 increases criminal penalties for producing or distributing sexually explicit images or videos created using deep fake technology. The bill directly affects individuals who create or share such content without legal authorization, typically involving non-consensual use of someone's likeness. Key provisions raise the severity of penalties for these offenses, though specific changes to fines or imprisonment are not detailed in the title. The bill is currently under review in the Criminal Jurisprudence committee.

Maddy summaryHB 3535 requires operators of small wastewater treatment facilities (defined as "package plants" with capacity under 500,000 gallons per day) to create and submit emergency plans for extended power outages lasting over 24 hours. The bill mandates that these plans must include specific backup solutions like auxiliary generators, mutual aid agreements with other facilities, or on-site power systems. Operators must demonstrate their ability to maintain wastewater treatment during outages, with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality reviewing and approving these plans within 90 days. The law directly affects small wastewater plant operators across Texas, aiming to ensure continued service during power disruptions.