Rep. David Spiller

Maddy summarySB 10 requires all Texas public elementary and secondary schools to display a specific, standardized version of the Ten Commandments in every classroom starting September 1, 2025. The law mandates a durable poster or framed copy meeting strict size (at least 16x20 inches) and content requirements, including only the exact text listed in the bill. Schools must display this unless they accept a privately donated version meeting the same specifications, and may optionally use district funds to purchase compliant displays. This directly affects every public school classroom in Texas, requiring a physical display of the specified religious text.

Maddy summaryHB 223 exempts Texas municipalities from standard competitive bidding requirements when procuring lobbying, government relations, or similar services intended to influence state or federal lawmakers. This change applies directly to cities, towns, and counties that hire firms for advocacy work with government officials. The bill amends the Local Government Code to explicitly exclude these services from mandatory competitive procurement rules, creating a specific exception in Section 252.022(a)(4). The policy change took effect September 1, 2025, after the governor signed it on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 379 prohibits SNAP (food stamp) benefits in Texas from being used to purchase energy drinks, sweetened beverages (like soda), carbonated drinks, candy, potato/corn chips, and pre-packaged cookies. It directly affects SNAP recipients who previously could buy these items with their benefits. The law includes exceptions for milk products, milk substitutes (like almond milk), unsweetened beverages, infant formula, weight-loss drinks, and health-recommended products. The bill became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor.

Maddy summaryHB 4535 requires healthcare providers to obtain written informed consent before administering any COVID-19 vaccine to patients, including parental or guardian consent for minors or individuals lacking decision-making capacity. The law mandates that consent forms include acknowledgment of receiving a standardized information sheet developed by the state health department. This sheet must detail vaccine benefits/risks, accelerated development timeline, availability of long-term studies, manufacturer liability status, and instructions for reporting adverse reactions through the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS). The law, effective September 1, 2025, applies directly to healthcare providers and patients receiving COVID-19 vaccinations in Texas.

Maddy summaryHB 24 establishes new procedures for Texas municipalities to adjust zoning regulations or district boundaries. It requires a public hearing with 15 days' notice published in a newspaper and online before any zoning change takes effect. For changes that do not allow more residential development (non-comprehensive changes), property owners can protest by signing a written protest if they own 20% of the affected area or 60% of adjacent land within 200 feet. The bill, effective September 1, 2025, applies to all Texas cities and aims to balance development decisions with community input.

Maddy summaryThis bill, the Rural Health Stabilization and Innovation Act, creates a State Office of Rural Hospital Finance to develop and implement a strategic plan for rural hospitals in Texas. The plan must include specific strategies to improve access to hospital services - such as enhanced Medicaid reimbursement, hospital rate enhancements, or reduced regulatory costs - and require annual financial vulnerability assessments to evaluate each hospital’s ability to maintain services, meet obligations, and remain operational. The office will submit annual reports to the legislature, governor, and budget board detailing progress on these goals. This law directly affects rural hospitals by mandating participation in this structured program to address financial challenges and sustain healthcare access in underserved communities.

Maddy summarySB 740 allows Texas water and sewer utilities to use new rate structures called "system improvement charges" to recover infrastructure investment costs more efficiently. It requires the Public Utility Commission of Texas (PUC) to approve these charges and sets rules for applications, including documentation like receipts and invoices to verify costs. Utilities must file periodic updates with the PUC to adjust base rates based on these charges. The bill directly affects water and sewer utilities in Texas by changing how they can recover infrastructure costs through PUC-approved rate mechanisms, effective September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 916 strengthens consumer protections for patients receiving emergency medical services in Texas by targeting billing misconduct. It allows the state health department to revoke, suspend, or refuse to renew an emergency medical services (EMS) provider’s license if they intentionally submit incorrect billing information or repeatedly violate specific insurance billing laws. The bill also establishes limits on how much providers can adjust their billing rates annually - capping increases at either the Medicare Ambulance Inflation Factor or 10% of prior rates, whichever is lower. These provisions apply directly to EMS providers and take effect September 1, 2025, with most rate-related sections expiring in 2027.

Maddy summarySB 840 establishes new rules for zoning certain mixed-use and multifamily residential developments in Texas. It defines "mixed-use residential" as projects with at least 65% residential space and "multifamily residential" as developments with three or more dwelling units. The law applies only to cities over 90,000 population located in counties over 300,000 population, limiting municipal authority to regulate these projects under Chapter 218 of the Local Government Code. It does not affect existing rules for short-term rentals or water quality protections.

Maddy summaryHB 229 defines key terms like "boy," "father," "female," and "woman" based on biological sex for government data collection. It specifies that individuals with intersex conditions or disorders of sex development are not considered a third sex and must receive accommodations under existing law. The bill amends the Government Code to require state agencies to use these biological sex definitions when gathering information. It directly affects how Texas government entities collect and categorize personal data in records, programs, and services. The law became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor.