Sen. José Menéndez

Maddy summarySB 2854 requires Texas courts to issue specific orders after permanency hearings for children in the conservatorship of the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). The bill mandates that courts base these orders on the permanency progress report and evidence presented by involved parties, ensuring DFPS meets its obligations as the managing conservator. This directly affects children in DFPS care and the court process handling their cases. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, applying to cases filed on or after that date. It does not change existing standards for determining a child's best interest but adds a specific requirement for court orders following hearings.

Maddy summarySB 3017 requires the Texas Railroad Commission to establish new rules regulating "reserve pits" (used for collecting spent drilling fluids, cuttings, and wash water) and "mud circulation pits" (used for storing drilling fluid during operations). The bill mandates specific standards for siting, construction, groundwater monitoring, and financial bonding for pits used in permanent waste burial, while also requiring operators to notify landowners and provide written closure notices to county clerks. These rules must align with existing standards for produced water recycling pits. The bill directly affects oil and gas operators using these pits, the Railroad Commission as the regulator, and landowners near pit locations. It takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2852 establishes a research-based bullying prevention pilot program for Texas public schools. It authorizes the Texas Education Agency to award grants to eligible school districts demonstrating substantial need, allowing them to implement the program at no more than three campuses per district. The program must use evidence-based strategies developed with experts in child psychology and mental health, and the agency will provide technical assistance through regional education centers. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, pending appropriation of funds.

Maddy summarySB 2934 restricts school districts with 5,000+ students from assigning elementary students (grades 1-6) to teachers without required certification for two consecutive years in foundation curriculum subjects. The bill amends education code to prohibit this assignment unless parents or school counselors/administrators agree in writing. It specifically targets teacher certification requirements under Section 28.0215, building on existing rules for student assignments. The law directly affects elementary students and school districts meeting the enrollment threshold, aiming to ensure consistent access to certified teachers. This is a policy change focused on teacher qualifications, not on certification standards themselves.

Maddy summarySB 2941 requires Texas judges handling cases involving children, family violence, or abuse to complete mandatory training. New judges must complete 12 hours in their first term (including 4 hours on child abuse/trafficking, 6 hours on victim support, and 1 hour on family violence), with 5 additional hours required every four years. Training covers topics like trauma reduction in court processes, legal standards for child testimony, victim protection resources, and dynamics of abuse and trafficking. The law applies to all judges elected or appointed after September 1, 2025, and mandates certification of training completion.

Maddy summarySB 2937 increases funding for Texas school districts serving homeless students or students in foster care. It amends the Education Code to provide these students with a compensatory education allotment equal to 2.41 times the basic per-student funding rate - the highest weight available under current law. This change directly affects school districts enrolling qualifying students, boosting their state funding allocation. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis Texas bill (SB 2997) requires the state's health commissioner to automatically adjust Texas' controlled substance schedules when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approves a Schedule I drug under federal law (21 U.S.C. § 355) and subsequently removes it from controlled substances or moves it to a lower schedule. It directly affects Texas' drug scheduling authority, mandating that the commissioner delete or reschedule such substances within 21 days of federal action. The key mechanism is a 21-day deadline for Texas to align its schedules with federal changes for FDA-approved Schedule I drugs, bypassing public hearings for these specific cases. The bill applies only to substances affected by federal scheduling changes occurring on or after its effective date (September 1, 2025).

Maddy summarySB 2932 establishes a Texas pilot program to award grants for customized treatment plans for veterans diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), including treatment-resistant cases. It requires treatment to be provided at veterans' homes and focuses on reducing brain inflammation and restoring brain chemistry, while explicitly prohibiting narcotics, psychedelic drugs, and certain psychotropic medications. The program must serve at least 250 veterans, operate under a contract ensuring public benefit, and expire on September 1, 2031, with a required evaluation report by October 1, 2030. The bill directly affects Texas veterans with PTSD who qualify for the grant-funded treatment protocols.

Maddy summaryThis bill amends Texas Tax Code to allow certain qualifying municipalities to use project financing zone revenues for convention centers or specific venues (as defined in Local Government Code Section 334.001(4)(A)) and related infrastructure. It permits municipalities to add new qualified projects within 1,000 feet of existing designated projects, provided they meet the same requirements and don’t extend the zone’s boundaries or timeline. Municipalities must notify the comptroller within 30 days of designating additional projects. The law applies only to municipalities meeting specific criteria under existing tax code provisions.

Maddy summarySB 2936 would create a new Office of Food System Security and Resiliency within the Texas Department of Agriculture. The office would coordinate state resources to prevent food system disruptions, promote local agricultural production and food access (including connecting producers to retailers and expanding community food markets), and develop regional plans with counties, municipalities, school districts, and local governments. It must provide annual recommendations to the legislature by December 1 of even-numbered years and manage the Texas Food System Security and Resiliency Planning Council. The Department of Agriculture must establish the office by December 31, 2025, or the existing food and nutrition division will continue managing the council.