Sen. Charles Perry

Maddy summarySB 510 requires Texas voter registrars (county election officials) to timely complete specific voter registration duties, such as processing registration changes or scheduling hearings. If a registrar fails to meet these deadlines, the Secretary of State may withhold state funds distributed under Chapters 19 or 31. Registrars can regain funds by completing the required duty within 30 days of the funds being withheld. The bill directly affects county election offices and aims to ensure timely voter registration processing. It takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2406 updates rules for the Sabine River Authority of Texas board of directors. It specifies five clear grounds for removing a board member: failing to meet qualifications, violating ethics laws, inability to serve due to illness, excessive unexcused absences (over 50% of meetings), or losing qualifications during service. The bill also adjusts the Sunset Review schedule, requiring the Authority to undergo review every 12 years starting in 2025 instead of 2037. The changes apply directly to the Authority’s board members and take effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 700 requires businesses and financial providers to clearly disclose key terms (like fees and repayment structures) for commercial sales-based financing transactions. This type of financing, where repayment is tied to a business's sales or revenue, directly affects small businesses seeking funding and the brokers/providers offering these services. The bill mandates that brokers must register with the state, authorizes a registration fee, and imposes civil penalties for violations of its disclosure and registration rules. It aims to increase transparency in these financing agreements to protect business customers.

Maddy summaryHB 2078 requires Texas groundwater districts to include specific, detailed data in their management plans, such as annual groundwater usage, recharge rates, aquifer discharge volumes, and projections from the state water plan. It mandates that districts identify performance standards, outline concrete actions to achieve "desired future conditions" for groundwater, and explain progress in plain language. The bill also requires annual joint planning meetings between districts in the same management area to review accomplishments and update future conditions. This directly affects all groundwater districts managing aquifers across Texas, aiming to standardize planning and improve accountability for sustainable water use.

Maddy summarySB 565 establishes a process allowing Texas regulatory commissions to temporarily suspend enforcement actions against regional water, sewer, wastewater, or solid waste services during integration with another provider. It directly affects municipalities, counties, regional service areas, and utilities that are merging or integrating their service operations. The key provision requires compliance agreements to include specific steps for bringing the integrated service into regulatory compliance while suspending enforcement for violations arising from the transition. This policy change modifies the Water Code to facilitate smoother service transitions without immediate penalties for integration-related issues. The bill became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the Governor.

Maddy summaryHB 46 modifies Texas' Compassionate-Use Program by requiring dispensing organizations to register certain personnel. The bill mandates that directors, owners, managers, and employees of these organizations must register with the state department, adding this as a requirement for licensing. It specifically amends the Health and Safety Code to include registration as a condition for operating a dispensing organization under the program. The law, signed by the governor on June 20, 2025, takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 49 limits legal liability for businesses and landowners handling oil and gas waste in Texas. It shields parties who treat or reuse this waste (e.g., for drilling operations) from tort claims related to subsequent use, unless they acted with gross negligence or failed to follow environmental rules. The law specifically protects those who generate, transport, or treat waste, including surface estate owners, but does not cover cases involving intentional misconduct or negligence. Signed into law on June 20, 2025, and effective September 1, 2025, it directly affects oil and gas operators, waste treatment facilities, and landowners managing such waste.

Maddy summaryHB 5560 increases maximum daily fines for violations of groundwater conservation district rules from $10,000 to $25,000 per violation. It requires courts to consider specific factors when setting penalties, including environmental harm, the violator's history, and whether they gained economic benefits from the violation. The bill also allows courts to impose fines exceeding $25,000 if a violator's economic gain from the violation was greater than the standard penalty. This directly affects groundwater conservation districts, individuals or entities violating district rules, and courts handling enforcement cases under Texas Water Code Section 36.102.

Maddy summarySB 502 adds a new category to Texas law defining who qualifies as a peace officer: employees commissioned by the Health and Human Services Commission’s office of inspector general. This change grants these specific HHS inspectors authority to perform standard peace officer duties, such as making arrests, within their scope of work. The bill also requires these officers to be paid according to Schedule C of the state’s position classification salary schedule. Additionally, it updates the definition of "state employee" to include these HHS inspector general officers.

Maddy summarySB 11 would allow Texas public school districts or charter schools (not affiliated with religious organizations) to adopt a policy requiring daily voluntary prayer and Bible/religious text reading periods on school campuses. To participate, students or employees must provide written consent from a parent/guardian or the employee themselves, acknowledging the choice to participate and waiving legal claims related to the policy. The bill prohibits mandatory participation, using public address systems for these activities, or substituting this time for instruction, and requires physical separation for those who opt out. School districts must also follow specific guidelines to accommodate non-participants, and the Texas Attorney General would provide legal guidance and defend districts in related lawsuits.