Sen. Mayes Middleton

Maddy summarySJR 63 is a procedural bill proposing a constitutional amendment to replace "Gulf of Mexico" with "Gulf of America" in multiple sections of the Texas Constitution. It specifically amends Articles I, VIII, IX, and XI to update terminology related to coastal beaches, tax relief for offshore equipment, county beach regulations, and coastal county tax authority. This change affects only constitutional language - no new policies or rights are created. The bill was reported adversely by the Senate Committee on State Affairs with a 8-0 vote on April 14, 2025, meaning it did not advance.

Maddy summarySB 1069 requires public Texas universities to investigate and address allegations of religious discrimination against students by professors or instructors. If discrimination is found, the university must terminate the faculty member’s employment, and the department they worked in must be placed under the university president’s oversight for at least 90 days to prevent future discrimination. The law applies only to allegations submitted to a university on or after its effective date (September 1, 2025), regardless of when the alleged conduct occurred. This bill directly affects students who experience religious discrimination, university faculty accused of such conduct, and the administrative procedures of public higher education institutions.

Maddy summarySB 846 requires the Texas Attorney General to prosecute specific criminal offenses if local prosecutors fail to act within six months. It applies to offenses under the Election Code, Health and Safety Code (Chapters 170A/171), and certain Penal Code chapters (20A, 36, 39). The bill mandates that law enforcement agencies must simultaneously send reports of these offenses to both local prosecutors and the Attorney General, triggering the AG's mandatory prosecution duty after six months without local action. This change takes effect September 1, 2025, and only applies to offenses committed on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 1635 creates a credit for certain Texas school districts against required payments under the public school finance system. It applies only to districts in first or second tier coastal counties (as defined in Texas Insurance Code) that paid for windstorm and hail insurance in the previous school year. The bill reduces the district's required payment amount by the exact cost of that insurance. This credit is applied after other existing reductions and takes effect September 1, 2025. The policy directly benefits coastal school districts facing significant storm insurance costs.

Maddy summarySCR 39 is a Texas Senate Concurrent Resolution expressing the state's position on border security. It criticizes the federal government's border policies, noting Texas spent $11 billion on its own border security efforts (Operation Lone Star) due to perceived federal inaction. The resolution formally urges the federal government to take immediate action, including increased resources and reimbursement for Texas's costs, and requests that it be entered into the Congressional Record. This is a non-binding expression of state position, not a law creating new policy.

Maddy summarySB 2647 requires all Texas colleges and universities to maintain accreditation through an agency approved by the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board (THECB). The THECB must identify and approve at least three accrediting agencies, evaluate them biennially for performance (satisfactory or unsatisfactory), and revoke approval for agencies failing to meet standards. If an institution’s accreditor receives an unsatisfactory rating, the school must switch to an approved agency with a satisfactory rating within five years. Failure to comply results in the state withholding all funding until accreditation is restored.

Maddy summarySB 26 establishes new requirements for Texas public school districts and charter schools regarding teacher evaluation, compensation, and support. It creates an "enhanced teacher incentive allotment" designation for schools implementing performance-based evaluation systems, requiring them to use appraisals to determine teacher designations, offer performance-linked pay (without automatic raises), and place effective teachers at high-need campuses. The bill also creates a grant program to help districts expand local teacher designation systems and provides free liability insurance and rights assistance for classroom teachers through a contracted third party. These provisions directly affect school districts, charter schools, principals, instructional staff, and all public school teachers in Texas.

Maddy summarySB 1006 requires Texas insurers to provide written explanations for declining insurance applications, canceling policies, or refusing to renew coverage. This applies to applicants and policyholders for liability and commercial property insurance, as well as other policies covered under the Texas Insurance Code. Insurers must send a clear written notice stating the specific reason for the decision, following rules set by the insurance commissioner. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, and only applies to policies delivered or renewed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryThis is a symbolic resolution (not a binding law) expressing Texas's support for strengthening economic ties with Israel. It urges the creation of a Texas Trade and Investment Office in Jerusalem to foster business connections, particularly with countries in the Abraham Accords or peace agreements with Israel. The resolution reaffirms Texas's existing trade relationship with Israel - where Texas ranks among top U.S. states for exports - and directs officials to share the resolution with state, federal, and Israeli leaders. It does not create new programs or allocate funding, serving only as a formal statement of support.

Maddy summarySB 2976 amends Texas law to clarify the geographic boundaries where housing finance corporations (HFCs) can operate. It specifically limits HFCs to the jurisdictional boundaries of their sponsoring municipality (for city-sponsored HFCs), unincorporated county areas (for county-sponsored HFCs), or a combination of both for jointly sponsored HFCs. The bill does not change HFCs' core financial powers (like borrowing or issuing bonds) but ensures their activities stay within the sponsored local government's defined areas. This directly affects HFCs created under Texas Local Government Code Sections 394.011 and 394.012.