Sen. Lois Kolkhorst

Maddy summarySB 2024 prohibits the marketing, advertising, selling, or offering for sale of e-cigarette products that use cartoon characters targeting minors, mimic products marketed to children (like school supplies or candy), resemble food items, include celebrity imagery, or are shaped like everyday items (e.g., highlighters, headphones, or toys). It also bans e-cigarette products manufactured in China. The law creates criminal penalties for violations and applies to offenses committed on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025. This bill directly affects e-cigarette manufacturers, retailers, and marketers operating in Texas.

Maddy summarySB 261 prohibits the sale and offering for sale of cell-cultured protein (food made by growing animal cells in a lab) for human consumption in Texas. It defines "cell-cultured protein" and adds it to existing prohibitions under the Health and Safety Code, making it unlawful to manufacture, distribute, or sell such products. The bill directly affects food producers, retailers, and restaurants selling cell-cultured meat or dairy alternatives within Texas. Violations carry civil and criminal penalties, though specific penalty amounts are not detailed in the provided text. This is a substantive policy change banning a new food category without exceptions for commercial sale.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Texas Water Code to change rules for businesses using general permits to discharge waste into state waters. It requires the state environmental agency to actively authorize a business to resume using a general permit after a denial or suspension, rather than allowing automatic reinstatement. The bill also prohibits the agency from using automatic processes to grant such authorization. These changes apply only to denials or suspensions occurring on or after September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 3487 allows restaurant owners participating in a state-recognized oyster shell recycling program to reduce their sales tax liability. Specifically, it permits a $2 deduction for every 50 pounds of oyster shells recycled at their establishment and provided to a qualifying recycling project. This deduction applies to taxable sales used to calculate sales and use taxes remitted to the Texas comptroller. The bill requires restaurants to participate in a program certified by the comptroller and takes effect October 1, 2025. It directly affects restaurants with food service establishments that join the oyster shell recycling initiative.

Maddy summaryHB 519 exempts small-scale beekeepers (producing under 2,500 pounds of honey yearly) from being classified as "food service establishments" and prohibits local health departments from regulating their honey production or packaging. It requires these beekeepers to label honey with net weight (in both systems), their name/address, and a statement noting the product was packaged in a facility not inspected by Texas health authorities. The bill also classifies honey from such operations as a "raw agricultural commodity" under state law. This directly affects small beekeepers selling directly to consumers at farms, markets, or events, reducing regulatory burdens while maintaining labeling transparency.

Maddy summarySB 1300 defines "organized retail theft" as stealing from a merchant through coordinated actions (e.g., acting in concert with others), multiple incidents within 180 days, or benefiting from such theft. It changes how stolen item value is calculated for sentencing by using the merchant's posted sales price (including tax) instead of market value, and makes it easier for prosecutors to prove cases by allowing indictments to reference merchants and aggregate value ranges rather than listing each item. The bill also establishes price tags as evidence of both value and merchant ownership, streamlining prosecutions. This law directly affects Texas retailers and individuals convicted of organized retail theft, with increased penalties for the offense.

Maddy summaryHB 3370 allows Texas landowners to file late applications for timber land appraisal after inheriting property from a deceased owner. It specifically permits surviving spouses, children, or estate executors to apply for tax appraisal adjustments within the property tax delinquency period, provided the land was previously appraised and ownership changed due to death. The bill waives the standard 10% penalty for late filings when these conditions are met, ensuring inherited timber land qualifies for lower tax rates without financial penalty. This directly affects Texas landowners who inherit timber-producing property and need to adjust their property tax valuation following a death.

Maddy summarySB 571 updates Texas education law to restrict employment of contract employees who work in public schools and have direct student contact. It prohibits school districts and contractors from hiring individuals with certain criminal convictions (like felonies or misdemeanors listed under Section 22.085) or those identified in a misconduct registry for specific offenses. The bill also expands access to this registry - used to track ineligible employees - to include private schools, non-profit teacher organizations, and school contractors. These changes apply only to new contracts entered on or after September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 34 prohibits Texas state investments in countries designated as "countries of concern" (including China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and any country the governor designates) and in private companies operating in those countries that meet specific criteria. It defines "scrutinized companies" as those engaged in certain business activities (like those linked to the Darfur genocide) or meeting other conditions outlined in the bill. The law applies to all state investment entities, requiring them to divest from or avoid purchasing securities in these entities. An exception allows investments in companies excluded by U.S. federal sanctions regimes.

Maddy summaryHB 5654 creates Montgomery County Municipal Utility District No. 263, a new entity to provide water, sewer, and other utility services in a designated area of Montgomery County. The bill grants the district limited authority to take private property (eminent domain) for infrastructure, issue bonds for funding, and impose property assessments, fees, and taxes to cover costs. This directly affects property owners within the district's boundaries, who will be subject to these new financial obligations. The bill was signed into law in June 2025 and takes effect January 1, 2026.