Maddy summarySB 2642 expands the types of investment managers local Texas government entities (like cities, counties, and school districts) can hire to manage public funds. It defines "qualified manager" to include federally registered investment firms, state-registered securities firms, banks, and bank holding companies. The bill limits contracts with these managers to two years and requires renewal via separate approval. Additionally, it mandates detailed disclosure requirements for investment pools (funds pooling multiple entities' money), including investment types, maturity details, performance history, and transparency about no sponsorship fees. These changes aim to clarify and standardize investment options while increasing oversight for public fund management.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 2714 prohibits Texas public universities from requiring students to take courses that cover specific topics like systemic racism, white privilege, gender identity, or social justice as part of degree requirements. It bans institutions from using state funds for such courses, requiring faculty to include related content, or mandating related professional development. Exemptions apply only to optional courses explicitly focused on racial, ethnic, or gender studies (e.g., dedicated majors), which cannot count toward general education requirements. The bill allows teaching historical events like slavery or the Holocaust but restricts how contemporary social issues may be addressed in required coursework.
Maddy summarySB 2534 creates a legal framework allowing religious organizations to establish child-care facilities providing 24-hour care for foster youth in Texas. To operate such a facility, religious organizations must develop a well-being plan for foster youth, create staff training programs, and contract with licensed mental health providers. Each facility must be overseen by a committee including a religious leader, mental health professional, child welfare expert, and a local elected official. This bill aims to expand foster care capacity by integrating faith-based organizations into the state's child welfare system while ensuring oversight and mental health support for youth.
Maddy summarySB 2644 amends Texas law to change how school funding is calculated by adjusting the property value base used in the state's public school finance system. It defines "taxable value" to exclude certain homestead exemptions (like those under Tax Code Sections 11.13(b), (c), or (n)) and captured appraised value in reinvestment zones. This directly affects Texas school districts by altering the property tax base used to determine state funding allocations. The bill clarifies that these exclusions must be applied when calculating the taxable value for school finance purposes, ensuring specific exemptions are not counted toward funding formulas. The change applies to school funding calculations for the 2025-2027 fiscal periods.
Maddy summarySB 2575 requires insurance policies covering property damage to allow policyholders to recover depreciation withheld from claims until two years after the claim payment date. This directly affects homeowners and businesses filing property damage claims under such policies. The bill mandates that this recoverable depreciation cannot be counted toward an insurer's defense costs or deducted from coverage limits. It applies only to policies delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, with the law taking effect September 1, 2025.
Maddy summarySB 2572 bans contractors or businesses that contribute to political committees supporting bond issuances from receiving any funds from those bond proceeds. It directly affects entities seeking public contracts tied to bond-funded projects, such as infrastructure or construction work. The bill requires governments to withhold public contracts from violators for five years after a contribution is made. This applies only to contributions made on or after the bill's effective date of September 1, 2025.
Maddy summarySB 757 requires Texas public colleges and universities to evaluate degree and certificate programs using student debt relative to earnings after graduation. It establishes performance ratings based on debt-to-earnings ratios: "reward" (≤75%), "monitor" (76-100%), "sanction" (101-125%), and "sunset" (>125%) for programs at different education levels (undergrad, master's, doctoral). Programs rated "sanction" or "sunset" must be identified in funding requests, though institutions - not the board - decide whether to consolidate or eliminate them. The bill aims to align program funding with graduate outcomes, directly affecting public higher education institutions' program offerings.
Maddy summarySB 2535 modifies Texas property tax appraisal rules to make it harder for appraisal districts to increase property values after a prior reduction. It requires appraisal districts to provide "clear and convincing evidence" to justify any value increase in the next tax year following a lowered appraisal, placing the burden of proof on them. The bill also ensures property owners who win protests or appeals receive reimbursement for reasonable attorney fees and arbitration costs if appraisal districts fail to follow proper procedures. These changes apply to property owners whose values were reduced in the previous tax year through formal appeals. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.
Maddy summarySB 2531 requires Texas occupational licensing agencies to actively pursue mutual recognition agreements with other states. It mandates agencies to compare licensing standards (including training, testing, and scope of practice) to identify states with equivalent requirements and report progress annually to the governor and legislature. The bill directs agencies to eliminate barriers preventing reciprocity and recommend legislative changes to reduce Texas licensing requirements where possible. This primarily affects licensed professionals seeking to work across state lines and the state agencies that issue occupational licenses.
Maddy summarySB 2596 requires insurers to disclose whether group property and casualty insurance policies include a shared aggregate limit (a limit applying to the entire group) and provide policy documents to all members within 30 days of issuance. It defines "permitted groups" as collections of 10+ insureds with preexisting relationships (e.g., trade associations, common affiliations) and prohibits shared aggregate limits in policies issued to these groups. The bill applies to eligible surplus lines insurers and mandates clear disclosures about policy terms to protect group policyholders. It directly affects businesses, associations, or organizations purchasing group insurance, ensuring transparency about coverage limits and policy details.