Sen. Charles Perry

Maddy summarySB 1211 creates a sales and use tax exemption for oil and gas companies in Texas that purchase equipment to process, reuse, or recycle water (excluding freshwater) specifically for hydraulic fracturing ("fracking") operations at oil or gas wells. The bill amends Texas Tax Code Section 151.355 to add this exemption as a new category, applying to tangible personal property directly used in water processing for fracturing. It defines "freshwater" as water with less than 1,000 milligrams per liter of dissolved solids, excluding such water from the exemption. The tax exemption would take effect September 1, 2025, and does not affect taxes due before that date. This policy change directly benefits oil and gas operators engaged in hydraulic fracturing by reducing their equipment costs.

Maddy summarySenate Resolution 393 recognizes April 16, 2025, as Texas Juvenile Justice Professional Day. The resolution honors juvenile justice professionals across Texas, including over 8,200 certified probation officers and 164 community-based probation departments that serve youth in all 254 counties. It highlights their role in handling 100% of juvenile referrals annually and supporting 99% of youth through local services. This is a symbolic gesture of recognition, not a policy change.

Maddy summarySB 1354 requires pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) to reimburse network pharmacists and pharmacies for prescription drugs and devices at no less than the actual cost to the pharmacy, as defined in Section 1369.374(a) of the Texas Insurance Code. It also mandates that PBMs pay a professional dispensing fee equal to the amount paid under the Medicaid fee-for-service model (Section 1369.374(d)), and prohibits PBMs from including dispensing fees in their reimbursement calculations (Section 1369.374(c)). The bill establishes a formal appeal process for pharmacies to challenge reimbursements below these minimums, requiring PBMs to provide standardized appeal procedures approved by the commissioner (Sections 1369.375-377). This applies to most health benefit plans but excludes Medicaid, TRICARE, workers’ compensation, and other specified programs (Section 1369.373).

Maddy summarySB 2661 increases penalties for violations of groundwater conservation district rules. It raises the maximum civil penalty from $10,000 to $25,000 per day per violation, and adds a new provision allowing courts to impose higher penalties if a violator gained an economic benefit exceeding $25,000. The bill directly affects groundwater conservation districts and individuals/businesses violating district rules, requiring courts to set penalties that outweigh the violator's economic gain and deter future violations. This change applies only to lawsuits filed on or after September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 814 automatically orders the nondisclosure of criminal history record information for eligible misdemeanor defendants who successfully complete deferred adjudication community supervision. It applies to misdemeanor cases not involving specific excluded offenses (such as assault, weapons violations, or certain other serious crimes) and for which no judge made an affirmative finding of guilt. Once a defendant completes supervision and at least 180 days have passed from the start of their supervision, the court automatically issues a nondisclosure order without requiring the defendant to file a separate petition. This change simplifies access to record sealing for qualifying individuals who have successfully finished their supervision period.

Maddy summarySB 26 establishes new requirements for Texas public school districts and charter schools regarding teacher evaluation, compensation, and support. It creates an "enhanced teacher incentive allotment" designation for schools implementing performance-based evaluation systems, requiring them to use appraisals to determine teacher designations, offer performance-linked pay (without automatic raises), and place effective teachers at high-need campuses. The bill also creates a grant program to help districts expand local teacher designation systems and provides free liability insurance and rights assistance for classroom teachers through a contracted third party. These provisions directly affect school districts, charter schools, principals, instructional staff, and all public school teachers in Texas.

Maddy summaryThis is a symbolic resolution (not a binding law) expressing Texas's support for strengthening economic ties with Israel. It urges the creation of a Texas Trade and Investment Office in Jerusalem to foster business connections, particularly with countries in the Abraham Accords or peace agreements with Israel. The resolution reaffirms Texas's existing trade relationship with Israel - where Texas ranks among top U.S. states for exports - and directs officials to share the resolution with state, federal, and Israeli leaders. It does not create new programs or allocate funding, serving only as a formal statement of support.

Maddy summarySB 1190 requires large municipally owned water utilities (those serving over 150,000 connections) to validate their annual water loss reports within 180 days of filing and develop a water loss mitigation plan within one year. For utilities with three consecutive years of high reported water loss, the bill mandates more detailed validation of leakage reduction strategies and billing data, plus updated mitigation plans. The mitigation plans must include specific 1-year, 3-year, 5-year, and 10-year goals, project descriptions, and estimated financial and water savings. All plans must be integrated into the utility’s existing water conservation plan and reported annually. The bill authorizes administrative penalties for noncompliance but does not specify penalty amounts.

Maddy summarySB 2845 allows individuals releasing breeder deer onto designated sites to voluntarily remove either the standard identification tag or the button tag attached to the deer, but not both. This applies specifically to breeder deer owners or handlers during the liberation process onto a release site. The bill amends Texas Parks and Wildlife Code Section 43.3561 to provide this tagging flexibility without changing existing tagging requirements. It takes effect September 1, 2025, and directly affects those managing breeder deer releases.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial Senate resolution (SR 369), not a law. It formally recognizes Adelle Marie Bentley Holland of Lubbock, Texas, on her 100th birthday (August 30, 2025), celebrating her life and community service. The resolution highlights her career as a librarian, her work establishing libraries in Lubbock and Plano, and her founding of the Holly Tree Library in East Texas. As a symbolic gesture, it does not create new policies or affect any laws or individuals beyond honoring her personal contributions.