Sen. Lois Kolkhorst

Maddy summarySB 2873 requires Texas taxpayers who paid $10,000 or more in taxes during the previous fiscal year to file certain tax reports electronically starting September 1, 2025. This lowers the threshold from the previous $50,000 requirement, directly affecting more small and mid-sized businesses and individuals. Taxpayers may use either the state’s provided software or approved commercial software to meet the filing requirement. The bill does not change tax liability for payments made before its effective date.

Maddy summarySB 1897 prohibits Texas advanced communications service providers from using equipment from "federally banned companies" (those listed by the FCC) in new infrastructure after August 31, 2025, and requires removal of existing banned equipment by September 1, 2025. It directly affects telecom companies providing advanced communications services in Texas that currently use equipment from these banned vendors. The bill mandates annual registration with the state commission for providers using banned equipment and authorizes an annual fee to cover administrative costs. Violations could result in administrative penalties, though specific penalty amounts are not detailed in the provided text.

Maddy summarySB 1798 prohibits public Texas universities from using state funds - including scholarships, grants, or other financial aid - to support students who are not lawfully present in the United States under federal law. The bill requires university governing boards to certify annual compliance with this rule to the legislature and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board, and mandates state audits to ensure institutions aren’t violating the restriction. It also establishes penalties, including loss of future funding increases, if violations aren’t corrected within 180 days. The law directly affects undocumented students seeking state-funded financial support at public colleges and universities. The bill does not change tuition rates but targets the use of state money for non-eligible students.

Maddy summarySB 1377 creates a grant program to provide financial assistance to rural counties in Texas with populations of 68,750 or less. Qualified ambulance service providers in these counties can receive grants up to $500,000 (for counties under 10,000 people) or $350,000 (for counties between 10,000 and 68,750 people) to purchase ambulances. Counties must use the funds exclusively for ambulance purchases within five years and cannot reduce ambulance service budgets with this money. The comptroller administers the program, prioritizing counties farther from trauma centers and those with limited ability to fund ambulance services independently.

Maddy summaryTexas Senate Bill 2721 establishes new licensing and regulatory requirements for entities handling human bodies or anatomical specimens for educational or research purposes. It creates definitions for "human body acquisition services," "non-transplant anatomical donation organizations," and "willed body programs," requiring these entities to obtain licenses, maintain secure electronic records with unique identifiers for body parts, and update a commission database tracking each specimen’s location. The bill directly affects institutions of higher education operating body donation programs, research facilities, and organizations that collect, process, or distribute bodies or body parts for medical training. Violations of the law are classified as state jail felonies, with the Texas Funeral Service Commission authorized to enforce these rules and revoke licenses for noncompliance.

Maddy summaryHB 517 prohibits property owners' associations from fining homeowners for discolored or brown grass/turf during official residential water restrictions. It specifically applies when a municipality or water supplier mandates drought-related watering limits, and the fine ban lasts through the restriction period plus 60 days after it ends. The law directly affects homeowners in communities with property associations and prevents associations from enforcing landscaping fines during water shortages. This policy change takes effect September 1, 2025, and is limited to mandatory drought restrictions, not voluntary conservation efforts.

Maddy summarySB 317 establishes rules for removing, relocating, or altering monuments or memorials on public property in Texas. For state-owned monuments that have stood for 25 years or more, removal or alteration requires a two-thirds vote from both legislative chambers; newer state monuments need approval from the state agency that installed them. For local monuments (on city or county property), those 25 years or older require a voter election for removal, while newer ones need approval from the local governing body. The bill also creates a process where residents can file complaints with the attorney general if local governments violate these rules, potentially leading to court action and a civil penalty.

Maddy summarySB 2363 makes it a third-degree felony to intentionally or knowingly share how an individual voted at a polling place without the voter's effective consent. The bill defines "effective consent" as legally authorized agreement free from force, fraud, or incapacity, and broadly defines "publish" to include oral, written, or electronic communication. It directly affects voters (by protecting their ballot privacy) and anyone who might disclose voting choices, such as poll workers or others with access to polling place information. The law includes an exception for disclosures required by state law in official investigations or proceedings. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1285 prohibits most activities involving bats in Texas, including confining, hunting, selling, or possessing bats (alive or dead), with limited exceptions. It allows bat removal only from occupied buildings and requires nonlethal exclusion methods (like one-way doors) that prevent re-entry, banning such methods between May 1 and August 31 annually to protect breeding colonies. Exemptions cover animal control officers, health officials, and those transporting bats for rabies testing or rehabilitation. The law directly affects homeowners dealing with bats, pest control professionals (who must use approved methods), and wildlife officials, taking effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires individuals to submit proof of United States citizenship when registering to vote. Applicants must provide a copy of specific documents, such as a U.S. passport or birth certificate, with their voter registration application. If initial proof is not provided, voter registrars must attempt to verify citizenship using various databases. If citizenship cannot be verified or proof is not ultimately provided, the applicant will only be eligible to vote a limited federal ballot. The bill also creates a state jail felony offense for registrars who knowingly fail to reject applications that do not meet these new requirements.