Sen. Borris Miles

Maddy summarySB 430 raises the minimum age for juvenile court jurisdiction in Texas from 10 to 12 years. It redefines "child" in juvenile court proceedings to mean someone aged 12-17 for most offenses, meaning children under 12 (except those who committed a felony before age 12) will no longer face juvenile court for non-felony behavior. The bill requires children under 12 to be released from custody unless they pose an immediate safety threat and directs their cases to community services instead. This change directly affects children aged 10-11 alleged to have committed non-felony offenses.

Maddy summarySB 276 requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to send permit applications for certain concrete facilities to local governments before issuing permits. It applies specifically to concrete crushing facilities or plants (doing wet/dry batching or mixing) located in incorporated areas of municipalities without zoning regulations (population >2 million) or unincorporated county areas (population >4.5 million). The TCEQ must wait 31 days after notifying local officials before approving a permit, and must deny it if the local government rejects the application within that period. This law applies only to new permit applications filed on or after September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 308 repeals Texas laws that prohibited abortion, specifically repealing Chapter 170A of the Health and Safety Code and Chapter 6-1/2 of the Revised Statutes (the current state abortion ban). The bill clarifies that these changes do not legalize prohibited abortion conduct, allow lawsuits against pregnant individuals seeking abortions, or limit remedies for violations of other abortion laws. It also ensures local governments can enforce stricter abortion regulations than the state. The bill takes effect immediately if passed by a two-thirds vote in both chambers, otherwise on September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 377 modifies Texas law to adjust waiting periods for certain criminal defendants to petition courts for sealing their criminal records (nondisclosure orders). It sets specific timelines based on offense type: immediate eligibility for most misdemeanor deferred adjudications, 180 days for certain misdemeanors under specific Penal Code chapters, and a five-year wait for felony deferred adjudications. The bill directly affects individuals who completed community supervision for qualifying offenses, allowing them to seek record sealing after meeting these time requirements. It does not change eligibility criteria but adjusts when petitions can be filed after court supervision ends.

Maddy summarySJR 20 proposes a constitutional amendment in Texas that would establish a fundamental right for all residents to make personal reproductive decisions without state interference. The amendment states that individuals have the right to reproductive autonomy as central to liberty and dignity, and it would limit state restrictions to only those justified by a "compelling state interest" using the "least restrictive means available." This amendment would be submitted to Texas voters in the November 2025 election, with the ballot asking whether to adopt the right to reproductive autonomy. It directly affects all Texas residents by enshrining this right in the state constitution, though it does not change current laws until approved by voters.

Maddy summarySB 255 requires Texas to expand Medicaid eligibility to all low-income adults who apply and meet federal income guidelines under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), specifically those with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. It directly affects approximately 1 million Texans who currently lack Medicaid coverage due to Texas’s prior refusal to expand eligibility. The bill mandates that the Health and Human Services Commission provide medical assistance using available federal matching funds, overriding any existing state restrictions. This policy change takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies to all new applications or eligibility reviews after that date.

Maddy summarySB 492 establishes a 12-member Task Force on Concrete Plants to study air and noise pollution from concrete batch and crushing facilities. The task force will examine impacts on nearby communities (specifically those living within five miles of such plants), develop legislative recommendations to reduce pollution and improve permit processes, and identify best practices for pollution control. It must submit a final report with findings and recommendations to state leaders by December 1, 2026. The task force includes industry representatives, environmental experts, community advocates, and a state environmental agency official. This bill creates a study group to inform future environmental regulations, not an immediate policy change.

Maddy summarySB 256 amends Texas abortion laws by creating specific medical exceptions to existing prohibitions. It allows abortions when a licensed physician determines it is medically necessary to preserve a patient's life, physical/mental health (including fertility), or due to a lethal fetal anomaly or life-limiting diagnosis. The bill explicitly states that accidental injury to an embryo/fetus during medical treatment does not violate the law, and it prohibits holding patients liable for abortions performed under these exceptions. It also repeals two specific sections of current law and Chapter 6-1/2 (which previously regulated abortion). The bill directly affects pregnant patients seeking abortions and healthcare providers performing them under these defined medical circumstances.

Maddy summarySB 432 prohibits the death penalty for defendants with intellectual disability in Texas capital cases. It defines intellectual disability using medical standards (subaverage IQ, deficits in adaptive behavior during developmental period) and requires courts to hold a hearing to determine this status. The hearing must occur between 180 days after a defendant’s written request and 120 days before trial. This bill directly affects individuals facing capital charges who may qualify as having intellectual disability under the new definition. It amends the Code of Criminal Procedure to establish this restriction and hearing process.

Maddy summarySB 277 requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to consider local government lawsuits or enforcement actions under the Water Code when renewing air permits for specific concrete plants. It applies only to permanent concrete plants performing wet batching, dry batching, or central mixing operations. The bill mandates that the Commission evaluate a plant’s compliance history with local water enforcement actions as part of its permit renewal decision. This rule takes effect September 1, 2025, for permit renewal applications submitted on or after that date.