Sen. Adam Hinojosa

Maddy summarySB 1241 amends Texas law to allow public universities to admit students who achieve a minimum SAT score of 1,500 (or equivalent ACT score) as an alternative to graduating in the top 10% of their high school class. It directly affects undergraduate applicants to Texas public institutions of higher education who do not meet the top 10% academic requirement. The bill establishes specific score thresholds (1,500 on the SAT or equivalent ACT benchmarks) that applicants must meet to qualify for admission under this new pathway. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board is also directed to study how these entrance examinations impact student success and institutional admissions. The law took effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2434 allows certain Texas state employees in the Employees Retirement System of Texas (ERST) to purchase service credit for periods before their most recent hire date. It requires the retirement system to reset an employee’s official hire date to the earliest month they purchase credit, rather than using their current hire date. The bill also mandates that the retirement system calculate the required deposit amount without causing financial loss to the system. This change applies to employees purchasing service credit for prior employment periods and takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2517 exempts the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association and Texas FAIR Plan Association from paying premium and maintenance taxes under Texas law. The bill amends two sections of the Insurance Code to explicitly exclude these two associations from tax requirements that apply to other insurers. This change takes effect September 1, 2025, and does not affect taxes owed before 2023. The bill directly impacts these two state-assisted insurance programs, which provide coverage for windstorm and high-risk properties.

Maddy summaryHB 3486 allows restaurants in Texas to reduce the sales tax they owe by $5 for every 100 Texas farm-raised oysters they purchase for preparation and service. It directly affects restaurants that own food service establishments and buy oysters cultivated in Texas waters under state and federal regulations. The bill creates a specific tax deduction applied to taxable sales, calculated per oyster purchase, rather than changing the overall tax rate. This policy change takes effect October 1, 2025, and applies only to oysters grown and harvested within Texas.

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 43 amends Texas law to update the definition of "agricultural business" in the Agriculture Code, explicitly including rural recreational businesses (like hiking or fishing on farmland) and nonprofit land conservation groups. It also revises the composition of the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority's board, requiring the governor to appoint nine members with specific representation: two young farmers/ranchers, two representatives from rural entities (chambers, trade associations), and others with agricultural lending expertise. These changes directly affect entities applying for the Authority's loan and grant programs, such as farmers, ranchers, rural tourism businesses, and conservation nonprofits. The bill became law on June 20, 2025, after passing both chambers unanimously.

Maddy summaryHB 621 prevents property owners' associations from banning residents from inviting governmental officials or political candidates to meetings in common areas. Associations may still enforce standard meeting rules like fees, occupancy limits, or reservation requirements for these gatherings. The law does not apply to tax-exempt 501(c)(3) associations. This bill, effective September 1, 2025, directly affects homeowners' associations and residents in Texas communities.

Maddy summarySB 13 requires Texas school districts to provide parents with access to records about their child's school library materials, including books or digital resources checked out. It mandates that school libraries prohibit the acquisition of materials rated "sexually explicit" by vendors or deemed "harmful" under Texas law, and restricts access to content described as "pervasively vulgar" or "educationally unsuitable." The bill also creates local school library advisory councils to help develop library policies. These changes directly affect parents, school districts, and students by expanding parental oversight of library resources and setting new standards for library collections. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 127 creates the Higher Education Research Security Council to protect universities from foreign espionage risks. The council, made up of security officers from university systems and select research institutions, will identify best practices for securing academic research while mitigating threats from foreign adversaries. It directly affects public and private research-focused universities in Texas, particularly those designated as "tier one" institutions. The bill establishes this council as a formal body to coordinate security efforts across higher education, without changing existing trade secret laws. The council’s role is limited to advising institutions on security protocols, not enforcing new penalties.

Maddy summarySB 835, known as Trey's Law, invalidates any nondisclosure or confidentiality agreement that prevents someone from disclosing an act of sexual abuse. The law directly affects survivors of sexual abuse who may have signed such agreements, making those specific clauses unenforceable. Key provisions state that agreements cannot prohibit disclosure of sexual abuse details (defined using existing Texas Penal Code and Family Code offenses), though other settlement terms like payment amounts remain valid. This change applies to all agreements entered into before, on, or after its effective date of September 1, 2025.