Sen. José Menéndez

Maddy summarySB 360 amends Texas Health and Safety Code §166.033 to add an optional pregnancy-specific section to advance directive forms. It allows pregnant individuals of child-bearing age to specify preferences regarding life-sustaining treatment during pregnancy, separate from standard end-of-life directives. The section is optional, does not affect the validity of the overall directive if left blank, and must be completed only by those who choose to address pregnancy-related treatment decisions. This change provides a formal mechanism for pregnant people to communicate their medical preferences in advance.

Maddy summarySB 351 requires Texas' Child Health Plan (CHIP) to cover FDA-approved birth control drugs, supplies, or devices for enrolled children. It explicitly excludes coverage for abortion-inducing drugs or devices. For children under 18, the plan may only cover birth control if a parent, guardian, or the child (with legal authority) provides written consent. The bill directly affects CHIP-enrolled minors seeking preventive reproductive health care. It does not change coverage for prenatal care or reproductive health treatments related to medical conditions.

Maddy summaryTexas Senate Bill 285 prohibits open-enrollment charter schools from using state funds received under Section 12.106 to support schools located outside Texas. The bill specifically bans spending state funds on out-of-state schools, except for contracts covering goods or services directly related to the charter school's operations. Violations trigger penalties: the state commissioner must withhold three times the misused amount from future funding, and repeated violations exceeding $100,000 can lead to charter revocation. This directly affects Texas charter schools receiving state funding, ensuring public funds support only in-state education.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Texas public school districts offering bilingual education or dual language immersion programs to collect and report specific student data through the state education database. It mandates training for school administrators on these programs and creates state monitoring rules to ensure programs effectively support students learning English. Districts must report student demographics, program models, and gaps in instruction for these students. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 174 creates a one-time cost-of-living adjustment payable in September 2025 to certain retired teachers and beneficiaries under the Teacher Retirement System of Texas. It applies to annuitants receiving standard service, disability, survivor, or optional retirement benefits who retired or became beneficiaries before January 1, 2025. The adjustment excludes fixed-amount payments for disability retirees, certain survivor benefits, and deferred retirement plan payments. This is a specific policy change affecting eligible retirees and beneficiaries, not a recurring benefit.

Maddy summarySB 178 clarifies how local sales tax revenue can be used for street and sidewalk maintenance in Texas municipalities. It requires ballot language for tax elections to explicitly state that funds are for "maintenance, repair, and reconstruction of municipal streets or sidewalks" and restricts all such revenue to these specific uses only. The bill applies only to elections held after its effective date (September 1, 2025, unless passed with a two-thirds vote), not to existing tax programs. It directly affects cities that collect local sales taxes for infrastructure, ensuring these funds cannot be diverted to other purposes like parks or general operations. This is a procedural clarification, not a new funding mechanism.

Maddy summaryThis Texas bill requires voters to present specific forms of identification at polling places, with options for those who lack standard photo ID. Voters without photo identification can still cast ballots by providing two non-photo forms of ID or one non-photo ID plus a signed declaration explaining why they cannot obtain the required photo ID. The declaration process includes a statement that the voter faces a reasonable impediment to getting proper identification and carries penalties for false information. Additionally, the bill clarifies documentation requirements for voters seeking disability exemptions from ID rules, requiring proof from the Social Security Administration or Veterans Affairs.

Maddy summarySB 562 requires Texas health benefit plans to cover treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD) starting from the date of diagnosis, without age restrictions for initial coverage. It mandates coverage for therapies like applied behavior analysis (ABA), but limits annual ABA coverage for enrollees aged 10 or older to $36,000 per year. The bill directly affects individuals diagnosed with ASD, including children and adults, by expanding insurance coverage for treatment. It applies to health plans delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, and takes effect September 1, 2025. The law defines ASD to include diagnoses like autism, Asperger's syndrome, or Pervasive Developmental Disorder using current diagnostic standards.

Maddy summarySB 172 requires Texas public school districts to employ a special education liaison using state funds. The liaison serves as the district's representative on committees developing individualized education programs (IEPs) for students with disabilities and ensures compliance with federal and state special education laws. Key duties include reviewing IEP documents, conducting manifestation hearings for behavioral issues, and creating behavioral intervention plans when needed. This bill directly affects school districts, students with disabilities, and their families by improving coordination and legal compliance in special education services.

Maddy summarySB 184 exempts specific activities at Texas public universities from certain diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) requirements if they are not funded by state money. It directly affects university programs like academic courses, student organization events, scholarly research, short-term guest speakers, and privately or federally funded scholarships. The bill lists eight key exemptions, including activities designed without regard to race or ethnicity, data collection, student recruitment, and programs funded by non-state sources. This policy change clarifies that state DEI rules do not apply to these exempted activities, without banning DEI initiatives elsewhere. The bill is currently pending in the Senate Education committee.