Sen. Adam Hinojosa

Maddy summaryHB 2702 prohibits governors from restricting the operations or hours of veteran-focused organizations during a declared state of disaster. Specifically, it amends Texas Government Code Section 418.012 to exclude organizations exempt under IRS 501(c)(19) (which benefit veterans) from operational restrictions in executive orders, except during natural disasters. The law applies only to disaster declarations made on or after its effective date (September 1, 2025, unless passed with a two-thirds vote). It directly affects veteran service organizations that rely on state disaster declarations for operational continuity. The bill does not change existing rules for natural disasters.

Maddy summarySB 466 updates Texas law to clarify the definition of a "fetal death certificate" in the Health and Safety Code. It specifies that such a certificate applies to: (1) fetuses weighing 350 grams or more, or at least 20 weeks gestation (if weight is unknown), or (2) any fetus when a family member requests a certificate. This change directly affects hospitals, medical examiners, and families who experience fetal loss, ensuring consistent certification practices. The bill does not create new requirements but standardizes existing procedures for documenting fetal deaths.

Maddy summarySB 451 prohibits Texas public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools from adopting or using instructional materials listed as "rejected" by the State Board of Education under Section 31.022(a). It also bans using state funds to purchase materials that are obscene/harmful or would prevent schools from meeting certification requirements under Section 31.1011. The bill allows schools to use local funds for instructional materials not on the rejected list, but requires all adopted materials to comply with this restriction. The law takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year.

Maddy summarySB 2230 requires Texas municipalities and county commissioners courts to mandate evacuations of unauthorized people from hazard zones calculated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) during space flight activities. Violating these evacuation orders would be a Class B misdemeanor (Class A for repeat offenses). The bill’s effective date depends on another related bill (S.B. 2188) also passing into law. It creates a legal mechanism to enforce safety zones around space launch sites without specifying new safety protocols or altering FAA regulations.

Maddy summaryHJR 2 proposes a constitutional amendment that would prohibit Texas from imposing state taxes on property transferred after someone's death, including estate, inheritance, or gift taxes. It specifically prevents new taxes on these transfers or increases to existing taxes that were in place before January 1, 2025. Exceptions include taxes on motor vehicle gifts, certain property taxes (ad valorem), and taxes already authorized under existing law. This amendment requires voter approval in the November 2025 election and would affect anyone transferring property through wills, inheritances, or gifts after the amendment takes effect.

Maddy summarySB 2943 prohibits Texas state agencies from adopting rules, regulations, or policies that limit an occupational license applicant's or holder's ability to obtain, maintain, or renew a license based on their sincerely held religious beliefs. It also bans actions that burden an applicant's or holder's free exercise of religion, religious speech, or membership in a religious organization. Exceptions include peace officer licensing (handled by the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement) and requirements to ensure professional standards, while the law does not override medical services needed to prevent death or serious injury. Individuals can challenge violations through administrative hearings or court actions, except in cases involving sexual misconduct allegations or criminal prosecution.

Maddy summarySB 205 requires Texas public schools to include fetal development instruction in health classes for students in grades 7 and 8, with optional implementation in other grades. The curriculum must cover human reproduction, pregnancy, infertility, birth defect prevention (including drug/alcohol/environmental risks), and detailed fetal growth stages by trimester. This policy applies to all public school districts beginning the 2025-2026 school year. The bill directly affects middle school students and school districts responsible for implementing the mandated health education content.

Maddy summarySB 2600 prohibits Texas public school districts from charging students a fee for transportation if the student lives within two miles of their school. This specifically affects families of students attending schools located near their homes, preventing districts from imposing costs for bus rides they already cover through state funding. The bill amends the Education Code to explicitly ban such fees (except when districts receive funding under Section 48.151(d) for transportation). It removes a potential financial burden on nearby families by ensuring school districts cannot charge for transportation services they are already funded to provide.

Maddy summaryHCR 35 is a Texas concurrent resolution urging Congress to change federal tax law. It requests that spaceports be added to the list of facilities eligible for tax-exempt private activity bonds - currently available for airports, docks, and similar transportation hubs. This would allow spaceport projects in Texas (where the state ranks second nationally in spaceport locations and hosts over 2,000 aerospace businesses) to access lower-cost financing for infrastructure development. The resolution does not change state law but formally asks federal lawmakers to amend the Internal Revenue Code to support this change.

Maddy summarySB 1544 requires Texas municipalities with departments in the state retirement system to set a uniform employee contribution rate between 5% and 8% of salary for all participating departments. It directly affects cities and towns operating municipal retirement plans, mandating equal contribution rates across all their departments unless they had pre-existing different rates before September 1, 1991 (which they may maintain until choosing to standardize). The bill amends existing law to eliminate current flexibility for municipalities to have varying contribution rates per department, except for grandfathered cases. The change takes effect September 1, 2025.