Rep. Ben Bumgarner

Maddy summaryHB 125 creates the Tarleton State University College of Osteopathic Medicine as a new academic unit within Tarleton State University. The bill establishes that the college will operate under the oversight of the Texas A&M University System Board of Regents, offer osteopathic medicine degrees under Tarleton's authority, and partner with public or private teaching hospitals. This legislation directly affects Tarleton State University students seeking osteopathic medicine degrees and expands Texas' network of medical education institutions. The bill amends Texas Education Code to formally include the new college in the state's list of authorized medical and dental programs.

Maddy summaryHB 3356 modifies reliability requirements for specific electric generation facilities in Texas' ERCOT power grid. It applies to facilities with a standard interconnection agreement that have operated for at least one year and are not self-generators. The bill changes the deadline for the first reliability demonstration from the original date to January 1, 2027, while repealing prior provisions related to this requirement. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, directly affecting owners and operators of qualifying power plants in ERCOT.

Maddy summaryHB 2618 requires 15 major Texas state agencies - including the Department of Transportation, Public Utility Commission, Texas Division of Emergency Management, and Texas Water Development Board - to develop and publish severe weather adaptation plans every even-numbered year. Each plan must include a vulnerability assessment, specific operational steps for severe weather, budget impact analysis for 2/5/10 years, funding sources, and a statewide monitoring strategy based on current climate science. The bill mandates consultation with the Houston Advanced Research Center and Texas State Climatologist during plan development. This procedural law focuses on preparing state agencies for increased severe weather impacts, not on direct funding or policy changes.

Maddy summaryHB 2207 prevents cities, counties, or school districts from asking voters to approve bonds for a specific project if that same project was rejected in a bond election within the past two years. It prohibits re-submitting identical bond proposals for voter approval during this two-year window. The rule applies only to bond elections ordered on or after September 1, 2025, and does not affect proposals for new projects or those never previously voted on. This is a procedural change to local government bond election rules.

Maddy summaryHB 176 establishes requirements for future interstate compacts focused on border security between Texas and other states. It defines "illegal alien" using federal immigration terms and mandates that any new compact must include provisions for sharing law enforcement intelligence, resources for physical barriers or surveillance systems, and mutual support for personnel and infrastructure along the Texas-Mexico border. The bill specifies that compacts must aim to detect, apprehend, or deflect unauthorized border crossings and enforce federal immigration laws. It applies only to compacts entered into on or after the bill’s effective date (September 1, 2025), leaving existing compacts governed by prior law.

Maddy summaryThis is a commemorative resolution (HR 945), not a legislative bill with policy provisions. It formally honors Pope Francis following his death on April 21, 2025, recognizing his life, leadership as the first Latin American pope, and global efforts to serve the vulnerable. The resolution memorializes his legacy, including his work during Argentina's economic crisis, interfaith initiatives, and pandemic-era outreach. It does not create new laws or affect any specific group through policy changes. As a procedural resolution, it serves only to express collective remembrance.

Maddy summaryHB 2210 updates Texas law to explicitly include the United States Space Force in military and veteran definitions across multiple statutes. It adds "Space Force" to Education Code provisions granting in-state tuition benefits for active-duty military members and their families, revises the definition of "veteran" to include Space Force service, and incorporates the Space Force into Election Code and Government Code references to "armed forces" and "agency of the United States armed forces." This directly affects current and former Space Force members, their spouses, and children who may now qualify for Texas in-state tuition and veteran benefits. The bill makes no new policy changes but ensures existing benefits apply to Space Force personnel as the military branch has been established.

Maddy summaryHJR 165 proposes amending the Texas Constitution to explicitly include the U.S. Space Force in references to military service. It updates two constitutional sections: Section 40(a) adds "Space Force" to lists of military personnel (like Army, Navy, and Air Force), and Section 72(h) defines "armed forces" to include the Space Force. This change directly affects how military service is referenced in state law, ensuring the Space Force is recognized alongside other military branches. The amendment requires voter approval in a 2025 election. The bill does not create new benefits or policies - only adjusts constitutional wording to reflect the Space Force's status as a military branch.

Maddy summaryHB 4086 allows counties without municipalities requiring food waste diversion to prohibit composting facilities within 3,281 feet of water sources like streams, drains, or recharge areas. It specifically applies to counties that don’t already mandate restaurants to divert food scraps from landfills. The bill defines "composting facilities" as operations handling yard waste, food scraps, and other organic materials from businesses or institutions. This restriction aims to protect water supplies by limiting facility locations near critical water resources. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 14, titled the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act, creates the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the governor's office to streamline how state agencies develop and review regulations. The office will help agencies identify unnecessary rules, reduce costs for businesses and individuals, and establish a public online portal for searching regulatory information. This bill directly affects state agencies that create regulations and the public who interact with those regulations. The new office will operate until 2037 unless extended under the Sunset Act, with its work focused on improving regulatory efficiency and transparency.