Rep. Salman Bhojani

Maddy summaryHB 1055 modifies Texas' Foundation School Program to adjust funding for school districts based on student readiness outcomes. It provides extra annual bonuses to districts for each graduate demonstrating college, career, or military readiness beyond minimum requirements: $5,000 for educationally disadvantaged students, $3,000 for others, and up to $4,000 for students in special education programs. The bill directly affects Texas public school districts and their funding allocations for student readiness achievements. The changes take effect September 1, 2025, and apply to annual graduates meeting specific readiness criteria under the Foundation School Program.

Maddy summaryHB 1046 ensures that relatives or designated caregivers who have a child placed with them by Texas child welfare authorities (the Department of Family and Protective Services) can receive the child’s support rights and government benefits on their behalf. The bill requires the department to assign these rights to the caregiver and designate them as the representative payee for programs like Supplemental Security Income (SSI). This change directly affects caregivers of children in state-placed foster care, streamlining access to financial support without requiring additional court orders. The law takes effect on September 1, 2025, and applies to all children placed with caregivers under the department’s supervision.

Maddy summaryHB 1066 allows certain workers' compensation medical examinations for musculoskeletal injuries (hand, foot, spine, or torso) to be conducted using telehealth or telemedicine services, with the commissioner able to order such exams to ensure timely access to a doctor. During these telehealth exams, a health care professional must be physically present in the room with the employee to assist, unless the doctor has determined the employee is not at maximum medical improvement or has certified maximum medical improvement without impairment. The bill requires the workers' compensation commissioner to adopt rules for implementing these telehealth examinations, which apply only to exams conducted on or after the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryHB 1051 requires Texas health insurance plans to cover telemedicine, teledentistry, and telehealth services delivered via audio-only (such as phone calls) on the same terms as in-person care. It prohibits plans from denying coverage or reducing benefits solely because a service uses audio instead of video or other platforms. The law applies to new or renewed health plans on or after September 1, 2025, directly affecting insurers, healthcare providers offering these services, and patients seeking audio-based telehealth options. It repeals a previous provision (Section 1455.004(c)) that had allowed such coverage limitations.

Maddy summaryHB 1059 establishes that healthcare providers may presume advance directives (like living wills) are valid unless they know otherwise, protecting providers from liability for following them. It also sets specific requirements for valid medical power of attorney documents, requiring them to be in plain language, allow for health care instructions, designate primary/alternate agents, and be accepted in at least 40 other states. The bill mandates that the executive commissioner designate acceptable forms meeting these criteria, which must be posted online. This directly affects patients creating healthcare directives, their designated agents, and healthcare providers who must follow these documents.

Maddy summaryHB 1042 requires Texas state and local officials to issue certified birth records and driver's licenses or personal ID certificates to homeless individuals without fees upon request. It defines "homeless individual" as someone lacking a fixed nighttime residence (including shelter stays or temporary accommodations) and prohibits requiring a physical address for verification. The bill mandates that verification can be provided through letters from HUD-funded shelters, homeless shelters, transitional programs, or local law enforcement. This removes bureaucratic barriers for homeless residents to obtain essential identification documents, directly affecting unhoused individuals across Texas.

Maddy summaryHB 1047 expands the list of optional holidays for Texas state employees to include specific religious observances. The bill adds Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, Good Friday, All Saints' Day, Lunar New Year, Dashera, Vaisakhi, Vesak, Eid al-Fitr, Eid al-Adha, and allows one day each for Diwali and Passover. State employees observing these holidays can take them as paid optional days off. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, and directly affects state employees who observe these religious holidays.

Maddy summaryHR 256 is a symbolic resolution commemorating the 25th anniversary of Harmony Public Schools, a Texas charter school system founded in 2000. It recognizes the system's 60+ campuses across seven districts, its STEM-focused education, and its national awards for academic excellence and school communications. The resolution expresses the Texas House of Representatives' "sincere best wishes" for the school system's continued success and directs a formal copy be presented to Harmony Public Schools as a gesture of recognition. This is a non-binding, commemorative resolution with no new policy or funding changes.

Maddy summaryHR 401 is a ceremonial resolution recognizing April 15, 2025, as "Ismaili Day" at the Texas State Capitol. It honors the Shia Imami Ismaili Muslim community, which has 15 million members globally, for their community service through schools, hospitals, and social programs. The resolution specifically acknowledges their planned visit to the Capitol that day and extends goodwill to their delegation, with no policy changes or legal effects. As a procedural recognition, it does not impact laws or direct funding.

Maddy summaryHCR 85 is a symbolic concurrent resolution designating March 15 as "Day to Combat Islamophobia" in Texas for a 10-year period ending in 2035. It does not create new laws or funding but formally recognizes the need to address Islamophobia through annual observance. The resolution cites incidents like the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, a 2017 Victoria mosque arson, and a 2024 hate crime in Euless to emphasize the importance of promoting interfaith understanding. It serves as a non-binding statement of legislative commitment to combating religious discrimination.