Rep. David Lowe

Maddy summaryHB 3739 requires Texas public schools to include specific fetal development instruction in health classes for students in grades 7 through 12 starting in the 2025-2026 school year. The bill mandates teaching about weekly fetal growth, medically assisted termination procedures (including abortion-inducing drugs), and other causes of fetal termination (such as drug/alcohol effects), alongside resources supporting pregnancy continuation through faith-based organizations. It does not require teaching about abortion access but specifies that recommended resources must not be linked to organizations providing or advocating for fetal termination. This policy directly affects Texas public school curricula and students in grades 7-12.

Maddy summaryHB 3734 amends Texas law to require public water systems to test for mifepristone and estrogen hormones in drinking water, in addition to existing testing requirements. This bill directly affects municipal and community water providers across Texas by adding these specific substances to mandatory water quality testing protocols. The key provision (Section 1) amends the Health and Safety Code to explicitly include mifepristone (a medication used in medical procedures) and estrogen hormones in required testing under Section 341.033(c). The law takes effect on September 1, 2025, but does not establish new testing standards or penalties for non-compliance.

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 3640 changes how police officers' on-duty crimes are prosecuted in Texas. It requires local law enforcement agencies to report such offenses to the Texas Attorney General instead of their local prosecutor when the prosecutor serves the same city or county as the officer. The Attorney General can then prosecute directly or appoint a prosecutor from a different jurisdiction to avoid conflicts of interest. This law would apply only to offenses committed on or after January 1, 2026, but only if voters approve a related constitutional amendment.

Maddy summaryHB 3674 clarifies who can formally request legal opinions from Texas's Attorney General. It updates the law to specify that requests may be made by the governor, lieutenant governor, state department heads, leaders of penal or charitable institutions (like hospitals), state board heads, university regents, legislative committee members, county auditors, and river authority chairmen. The bill does not create new rights but streamlines the process by explicitly listing eligible requesters. This procedural change takes effect September 1, 2025, and directly affects state officials and institutions seeking official legal guidance.

Maddy summaryHB 3681 requires certain public and private employers in Texas to use the federal E-Verify system to confirm new employees' legal authorization to work in the U.S. Employers must notify the Texas Department of Public Safety within five days if E-Verify cannot verify an employee's work eligibility. The department then determines if the employee may be unauthorized and may report to federal immigration authorities. The bill also establishes criminal penalties for employers who fail to comply with these verification and notification requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 3601 modifies property tax rate rules for Texas school districts and other local taxing units like health districts. It requires school districts to lower their tax rates if state/local funding per student increases from the prior year, preventing them from using extra revenue without voter approval. For non-school taxing units, the bill allows tax rate increases approved by two-thirds of voters to bypass standard majority requirements in tax law, and prohibits governing bodies from rejecting such rates solely based on voter approval. These changes directly affect local governments managing property taxes and ensure tax rate adjustments align with funding changes or voter decisions.