Maddy summaryHB 3687 requires fire marshals and related staff (officers, inspectors, investigators) in counties with 100,000+ residents or districts wholly within such counties to obtain specific certifications from the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. Within 12 months of appointment, fire marshals must hold a prevention-only fire department certification and a fire protection personnel certification, and within 24 months, a fire marshal basic certification. Additionally, those acting as peace officers must hold a permanent peace officer license, and staff conducting fire inspections must meet Texas Commission fire inspection certification standards. This bill applies to all county fire marshals and district fire marshals in qualifying areas, effective September 1, 2025.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 2055 amends Texas education code provisions governing the Texas Leadership Scholars Program, affecting students and public universities designated as "general academic teaching institutions." It requires scholarship rules to ensure research scholarships are at least 150% of leadership scholarships, limit recipients to four years per program, and guarantee each eligible institution receives at least one research scholarship (with additional awards based on doctoral degrees awarded). The bill also prohibits rules that restrict participating institutions or favor specific schools. These changes aim to standardize funding and distribution within the program.
Maddy summarySB 523 allows parole officers, peace officers, probation officers, and prosecutors in Texas to list their office address instead of their home address on their driver's licenses. The bill requires these professionals to notify the Texas Department of Public Safety within 30 days of changing their office address or name. For peace officers, acceptable alternative addresses include their residence municipality/county or their employment county. The law, effective September 1, 2025, applies only to these specific law enforcement and legal professionals, not the general public.
Maddy summaryHB 47 amends Texas law to strengthen protections for victims of sexual assault and related offenses. It updates the definition of "victim" to explicitly include minors under 17 and cases involving family violence. Key provisions require law enforcement to provide safety protections, mandate judges to consider victim safety when setting bail, and ensure victims receive timely information about court proceedings and forensic exam costs. For sexual assault victims, the bill specifically guarantees notification about payment for forensic medical exams and related medical care within 30 days of the assault. These changes directly affect victims, their families, and the criminal justice system handling such cases.
Maddy summarySB 2037 creates a faster review process for environmental permits needed to build or modify liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals in Texas. It requires the state commission to respond to permit applications within 120 days after public comments end and establishes a new expedited review track. Applicants who choose this faster process must pay an additional fee, which covers administrative costs and is deposited into a special account. The bill also sets specific rules for resolving disputes about permit approvals, including requiring applicants to respond to concerns within 20 days if a hearing is requested. This law applies only to LNG terminal projects and took effect on September 1, 2025.
Maddy summaryHB 5515 requires publishers of instructional materials sold to Texas public schools and open-enrollment charter schools to stop charging inflated freight and shipping fees. Specifically, it prohibits including shipping costs that exceed actual carrier rates or adding unrelated handling charges, ensuring these costs match standard industry rates nationwide. The bill also mandates price matching for materials sold elsewhere in the U.S., guarantees delivery 10 business days before school starts, and requires error-free materials. This law directly affects publishers by changing how they price and ship educational materials to Texas schools, aiming to reduce costs for school districts. The bill became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor on June 20, 2025.
Maddy summarySB 869 limits the Texas Ethics Commission's ability to delay resolving ethics complaints by restricting when its resolution deadline can be paused. Specifically, the bill states that the commission may only pause the deadline during active court litigation involving the complaint, and cannot extend the deadline for any other reason. This change applies only to complaints filed on or after September 1, 2025, with pre-existing complaints governed by prior rules. The law aims to prevent indefinite delays in resolving ethics complaints by enforcing a strict timeline.
Maddy summaryHB 1893 modifies Texas law to require law enforcement agencies to disclose motor vehicle license plate numbers visible or audible in video recordings they obtain or maintain. The bill specifies that these license plate numbers are not confidential under public information laws and must be included without redaction when releasing such videos to the public. This directly affects law enforcement agencies, which must now provide unaltered video recordings containing license plate numbers in response to public information requests. The policy change took effect September 1, 2025, after the bill was signed by the Governor on June 20, 2025.
Maddy summarySB 7 requires the Texas Water Development Board to coordinate planning for water infrastructure projects to maximize use of existing utility corridors and minimize land acquisition through eminent domain. It mandates the Board to develop standardized specifications for water infrastructure, ensure different water systems can connect and operate together, and recommend building extra capacity during construction to accommodate future projects. The bill directly affects water project developers, utilities, and local governments working with the Board on infrastructure planning and financing. Key provisions include creating interconnectivity standards and facilitating collaboration between project sponsors and transportation/utility entities.
Maddy summaryHB 1533 amends Texas property tax appraisal rules to improve notice requirements and training standards. It requires certified mail for specific property tax notices and adds electronic signature verification for agent designations. The bill mandates that at least one trainer for taxpayer education courses must be a Texas-licensed attorney with five years of property tax experience, excluding those with prior ties to appraisal districts or review boards. This ensures taxpayer representatives with direct experience lead training, while allowing limited exceptions if qualified candidates are unavailable. The changes apply to property tax appraisal systems used by counties and taxing entities across Texas.