Sen. Tan Parker

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SR 506) is a symbolic gesture by the Texas Senate to recognize May 2025 as Jewish American Heritage Month. It formally acknowledges the historical contributions of Jewish Americans to the United States and Texas, including their roles in the Texas Revolution, community founding, and cultural enrichment. The resolution does not create new laws or policies; it serves only as a ceremonial acknowledgment by the Texas Senate. It directly affects the state legislature's official recognition of this observance. The resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 8, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 569 allows Texas school districts to adjust how student attendance is calculated during emergencies (like natural disasters or pandemics) to maintain funding under the Foundation School Program. It authorizes the commissioner of education to grant waivers or modifications to average daily attendance rules during crises, preventing funding cuts that would otherwise occur if attendance dropped due to virtual learning or school closures. The bill also permits the commissioner to charge a fee for processing these attendance adjustments. This directly affects school districts relying on state funding tied to attendance metrics during emergency periods.

Maddy summarySB 2968 prohibits businesses that assist veterans with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) claims from using deceptive practices, directly affecting these businesses and veterans who rely on their services. The bill bans specific actions like misleading veterans about costs, confusing them about services offered, providing personalized claim advice without VA accreditation, falsely claiming VA affiliation, or accessing veterans' VA benefit information without authorization. Violations carry a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per offense. The law aims to protect veterans from exploitation by unscrupulous claim assistance businesses.

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Texas public universities to disregard undergraduate applicants' academic records older than 10 years when evaluating admission, but requires them to retain the most recent 5 years of grades and credits. Colleges must publicly post their specific policies on this practice and cannot selectively ignore only parts of the 10-year window - they must disregard all records from that period if they choose to apply the policy. The law applies to admissions for the 2025 fall semester and affects how institutions count credits toward degree requirements for students using this "academic fresh start" option. It also ties state funding for relevant credits to this policy starting in 2025.

Maddy summarySB 28 prohibits purchasing or facilitating the purchase of state lottery tickets via telephone, internet, or mobile applications. It specifically bans individuals from buying tickets online or through apps (a Class C misdemeanor) and bans selling or arranging such purchases for compensation (a Class A misdemeanor). The bill directly affects residents attempting to access lottery games digitally and businesses or individuals offering such services. It creates new criminal penalties under Section 466.318 of the Government Code, effective September 1, 2025. The law aims to enforce existing age and location restrictions for lottery play by closing digital loopholes.

Maddy summarySB 750 exempts employed paramedics working for Texas local governments (like cities or counties) from paying tuition and laboratory fees at public colleges when taking emergency medical services courses. This applies to paramedics currently employed by a political subdivision, but requires them to maintain satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate. The exemption does not cover security deposits, additional tuition charges for residents, or graduate-level fees exceeding standard rates. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board must create rules defining qualifying paramedic certifications and a uniform list of eligible degree programs.

Maddy summarySB 1578 creates a program allowing specific Texas counties to collect mandatory payments from nonpublic hospitals located within their borders. It applies only to counties meeting three criteria: not served by a hospital district, with a population over 900,000, and bordering two counties each with over 2 million people. The funds collected would go into a local county fund, which could be used for healthcare purposes as specified in the law. Counties must approve the program through a majority vote of their commissioners court, and hospitals must submit financial data to the county. The bill does not require counties to adopt the program, but provides a framework for those that choose to do so.

Maddy summarySB 2907 would exempt certain perishable retail inventory from property tax in Texas. It specifically covers food (excluding alcohol), prescription and nonprescription drugs, and dietary supplements held for retail sale. Businesses selling these items would qualify for the tax exemption unless they owed delinquent taxes to the state or local taxing units as of January 1 of the tax year. The exemption applies only to tax years starting January 1, 2026, and depends on voter approval of a related constitutional amendment. The bill is currently pending in committee as of May 5, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1703 amends Texas Tax Code Section 351.152 to expand which municipalities can use tax revenue from hotel and convention center projects. It specifically allows 16 categories of cities - based on population size, geographic location (e.g., bordering lakes or rivers), or specific landmarks (like the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame) - to direct this revenue toward local projects. The bill does not create new taxes but clarifies eligibility for existing revenue streams. This affects only cities meeting the precise demographic or geographic criteria listed in the bill text.

Maddy summaryHJR 4 proposes a constitutional amendment that would prohibit Texas from imposing an occupation tax on financial firms regulated by federal agencies (like stock exchanges, brokers, and clearinghouses) or taxing their securities transactions. It directly affects entities such as stock exchanges, broker-dealers, and other registered securities market operators. The amendment explicitly allows existing taxes like sales taxes, insurance premiums, and general business taxes but blocks new state taxes targeting securities transactions or these specific firms. This is a constitutional change, not a regular law, requiring voter approval after legislative passage.