Rep. Eddie Morales

Maddy summarySB 1198 designates spaceports as "critical infrastructure facilities" under Texas law, specifically covering properties used for spacecraft launch, landing, recovery, or testing that are FAA-licensed or operated by spaceport development corporations. This change directly affects spaceport operators, contractors, and related facilities by modifying criminal and civil liability standards for incidents occurring at these sites. The bill adds spaceports to the existing definition of critical infrastructure, which already includes pipelines, airports, and military installations, and applies to construction sites and equipment used during development. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, and governs liability for offenses or causes of action occurring on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 31, titled the "Life of the Mother Act," amends Texas Health and Safety Code to create a specific exception allowing abortions when a physician determines in "reasonable medical judgment" that a pregnancy poses a life-threatening risk of death or serious risk of substantial impairment to a major bodily function. It directly affects pregnant individuals with pregnancy-related conditions that threaten life or major bodily function, removing prior requirements that risks be imminent or that physical damage already occur. The law permits physicians to act proactively to address such risks before symptoms manifest, without needing to wait for documented harm. Signed by the governor on June 20, 2025, it became effective immediately.

Maddy summaryHB 2 amends Texas education law to change how public school districts and charter schools compensate teachers. It requires schools to implement performance-based pay systems where teacher salaries differentiate based on appraisals, prohibits routine across-the-board raises, and mandates that all teachers be eligible for designations like "master" or "exemplary" based on evaluations. The bill also establishes criteria for districts to qualify for enhanced teacher incentive funding, including strategic evaluation systems for principals and placing highly effective teachers at high-need campuses. This directly affects school districts, charter schools, and classroom teachers by restructuring compensation and evaluation practices.

Maddy summaryHB 107 establishes a statewide sickle cell disease registry under Texas Health and Safety Code Chapter 52B. It requires hospitals and other treatment facilities to submit patient data to the state health department, creating a centralized database of all sickle cell disease cases in Texas. The registry must include case records and additional relevant information to aid in treatment and research, with strict confidentiality protections for patients under federal privacy laws. The department will analyze the data, publish findings for medical professionals and the public, and submit annual reports to the legislature. This affects all Texas healthcare facilities treating sickle cell disease patients and ensures patient data is securely managed for medical advancement.

Maddy summarySB 23 increases the school district homestead tax exemption for elderly (65+) or disabled homeowners from $10,000 to $60,000 of their home's appraised value. This directly affects eligible homeowners who qualify for the exemption and school districts that may lose local tax revenue due to the change. The bill requires the state to provide additional aid to school districts to offset revenue losses from the higher exemption, starting with the 2025-2026 school year. The state aid calculation compares current revenue to what would have been collected under the previous exemption amount. The bill was signed into law on June 16, 2025, and is now effective.

Maddy summaryThis Texas bill (SB 4) increases the homestead exemption for school district property taxes from $100,000 to $140,000 per homeowner, directly affecting residential property owners. School districts will receive additional state aid to offset revenue losses from this exemption increase, calculated as the difference between current local revenue and what would have been available before the change. The compensation mechanism applies starting with the 2023-2024 school year for the initial exemption increase and will extend to future changes proposed for 2025. This ensures school districts maintain funding stability despite reduced local tax revenue from larger homestead exemptions.

Maddy summarySB 2308 establishes a Texas grant program to fund clinical trials of ibogaine with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for approval as a treatment for opioid use disorder, co-occurring substance use disorders, and other neurological or mental health conditions where ibogaine demonstrates efficacy. The program provides state funding to public-private partnerships conducting FDA drug development trials, targeting organizations with capacity to lead these trials and seek FDA approval. Eligible applicants must be for-profit, nonprofit, or public benefit entities capable of conducting the required trials and future research. This policy change directly supports the FDA approval process for ibogaine treatment, without authorizing its immediate use.

Maddy summaryHJR 7 proposes a constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of Texas' state sales and use tax revenue to the Texas Water Fund. It would require that this dedicated revenue be allocated exclusively to water infrastructure projects, with new rules allowing temporary suspension during declared disasters. The bill would amend the state constitution to establish this dedicated funding stream, replacing current flexible allocation methods for water fund money. This proposal was reported adversely by the Senate Finance Committee with a 14-0 vote against in May 2025.

Maddy summarySJR 59 proposes a constitutional amendment to create two dedicated funds for Texas State Technical College System campuses: a permanent infrastructure fund for long-term capital projects and an available workforce education fund for immediate equipment and facility needs. This bill repeals a current funding limitation, allowing the system to access annual appropriations meant for public higher education institutions without restrictions. The funds would be financed through existing state appropriations, investments, and donations, managed by the comptroller, to support campus buildings, equipment, and educational program infrastructure. The amendment would directly affect Texas State Technical College System campuses by providing a dedicated, stable funding source for their capital requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 2663 requires oil and gas operators applying to the Railroad Commission of Texas for an extension on plugging inactive wells to submit a written affirmation confirming specific actions. For wells inactive 5-10 years, operators must confirm they've emptied production fluids; for wells inactive 10+ years, they must remove all surface equipment and related materials (except utility-owned electric equipment). The Railroad Commission can impose a $25,000 administrative penalty per violation for false affirmations regarding electric service termination or equipment removal. This bill directly affects oil and gas operators managing inactive wells and takes immediate effect.