Sen. César Blanco

Maddy summaryThis bill allows Texas public universities to disregard undergraduate applicants' academic records older than 10 years when evaluating admission, but requires them to retain the most recent 5 years of grades and credits. Colleges must publicly post their specific policies on this practice and cannot selectively ignore only parts of the 10-year window - they must disregard all records from that period if they choose to apply the policy. The law applies to admissions for the 2025 fall semester and affects how institutions count credits toward degree requirements for students using this "academic fresh start" option. It also ties state funding for relevant credits to this policy starting in 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2357 creates a mandatory training program for health care providers in Texas who treat pregnant or postpartum patients, including hospitals, clinics, and medical staff. The program, developed by the Health and Human Services department with input from the Maternal Mortality Review Committee, requires evidence-based emergency protocols, TexasAIM safety best practices, and maternal health simulations. The bill mandates all qualifying providers to complete this training, with state licensing authorities responsible for enforcing participation and monitoring compliance.

Maddy summarySB 28 prohibits purchasing or facilitating the purchase of state lottery tickets via telephone, internet, or mobile applications. It specifically bans individuals from buying tickets online or through apps (a Class C misdemeanor) and bans selling or arranging such purchases for compensation (a Class A misdemeanor). The bill directly affects residents attempting to access lottery games digitally and businesses or individuals offering such services. It creates new criminal penalties under Section 466.318 of the Government Code, effective September 1, 2025. The law aims to enforce existing age and location restrictions for lottery play by closing digital loopholes.

Maddy summaryThis is a Senate resolution (SR 501), not a bill with policy changes. It formally commends Cindy Ramos-Davidson for her service to El Paso, specifically recognizing her 27-year leadership as CEO of the El Paso Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. The resolution highlights her work fostering over 20,000 startups, creating 30,000+ jobs, and driving $750 million in regional economic impact. It includes no policy provisions or legal effect - it solely expresses the Texas Senate's appreciation and will be presented to her as a formal commendation.

Maddy summarySB 2846 creates new rules for controlling wildlife diseases in Texas, requiring people handling wildlife to follow state agency guidelines. It makes it a crime to knowingly fail to properly handle wildlife infected with or exposed to diseases listed by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission, or to refuse identification of such wildlife. Violations are punishable as minor criminal offenses (Class C misdemeanor for first offenses, escalating to Class B for repeat violations). The law clarifies that the wildlife agency must coordinate with livestock disease authorities like the Texas Animal Health Commission but retains primary responsibility for wildlife disease control.

Maddy summaryThis bill (SJR 78) proposes a constitutional amendment to allow the Texas legislature to pass laws exempting certain perishable retail inventory from property taxes. It would directly affect retailers selling perishable goods like fresh food, prescription drugs, nonprescription drugs, and dietary supplements held for sale. If approved by voters in 2025, the amendment would enable the legislature to define "perishable inventory" and create tax exemptions for these items through general law. The measure does not change current tax rules but would provide a constitutional basis for future legislative action on this issue.

Maddy summarySB 2907 would exempt certain perishable retail inventory from property tax in Texas. It specifically covers food (excluding alcohol), prescription and nonprescription drugs, and dietary supplements held for retail sale. Businesses selling these items would qualify for the tax exemption unless they owed delinquent taxes to the state or local taxing units as of January 1 of the tax year. The exemption applies only to tax years starting January 1, 2026, and depends on voter approval of a related constitutional amendment. The bill is currently pending in committee as of May 5, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (not a law) passed by the Texas Senate to formally recognize Raiz Federal Credit Union and Jamie Strayer (creator of the TV series *Opportunity Knocks*) for their community work in El Paso. It highlights their partnership in the "Opportunity Initiative," which connects families with financial resources through programs like *Opportunity Knocks* - a TV series that helps households with debt consolidation and mortgage guidance. The resolution expresses the Senate's commendation and provides them with official copies as a gesture of appreciation. It has no policy impact or legal effect, as it is purely symbolic recognition.

Maddy summaryHJR 4 proposes a constitutional amendment that would prohibit Texas from imposing an occupation tax on financial firms regulated by federal agencies (like stock exchanges, brokers, and clearinghouses) or taxing their securities transactions. It directly affects entities such as stock exchanges, broker-dealers, and other registered securities market operators. The amendment explicitly allows existing taxes like sales taxes, insurance premiums, and general business taxes but blocks new state taxes targeting securities transactions or these specific firms. This is a constitutional change, not a regular law, requiring voter approval after legislative passage.

Maddy summarySB 3055, the HEAL Texans Act, amends Texas law to change the regulatory limits on how many advanced practice registered nurses (APRNs) and physician assistants (PAs) a physician can work with under prescriptive authority agreements. The bill specifically modifies Section 301.002 of the Occupations Code to adjust the numerical constraints governing these agreements. This directly affects APRNs, PAs, and physicians who rely on such collaborative arrangements for prescribing medications. The key mechanism is updating the licensing and regulatory framework to redefine these practice parameters, though the exact new numerical limits are not specified in the provided text. The bill remains pending in committee as of May 2025.