Sen. Brandon Creighton

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 614) formally recognizes the 40 University of Texas System students serving as the inaugural cohort of the Texas Legislative Fellowship Program during the 89th Texas Legislature. The resolution acknowledges their roles supporting legislators and state offices through full-time internships focused on legislative processes, policymaking, and constituent services. It specifically lists each fellow's placement in Senate or House offices and state agency roles. As a ceremonial resolution, it has no policy impact or funding provisions. The resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 28, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 796 would allow the Texas legislature to declare certain federal laws, executive orders, or agency rules unconstitutional if they infringe on state powers under the Tenth Amendment or limit Texas's ability to protect public health, safety, or welfare. The bill creates a process where the legislature could pass a concurrent resolution to declare a federal directive unconstitutional and then prohibit state and local government employees from enforcing it. This would directly affect most state and local officials, including county, city, school district, and charter school employees, but exclude the lieutenant governor, legislators, and their staff. The bill does not create new penalties but establishes a formal legislative mechanism to block state enforcement of federal actions deemed unconstitutional by the legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 5606 creates a sick leave pool for Texas public school employees. It requires school districts and charter schools to establish a program where retiring employees can contribute their unused accrued sick leave to a shared pool. Current employees who exhaust their own sick leave may then use this pooled leave, subject to district policies. The bill also mandates that school district handbooks and leave request forms include information about the pool and list "assault leave" as an option. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, with existing policies adopted before that date exempt from the new requirement.

Maddy summaryThis proposed constitutional amendment (SJR 87) would require Texas judges to deny bail to people accused of specific serious felonies if they have prior convictions for similar offenses or were on bail for such offenses at the time of the new crime. It applies to charges like murder, aggravated assault with weapons or serious injury, sexual assault, human trafficking, and related offenses. Judges would need to hold a hearing to confirm probable cause for the new crime and the prior conviction/bail status before denying bail. The amendment requires voter approval (scheduled for November 2025) but failed adoption in the Texas Senate in May 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Texas judges to deny bail to individuals classified as "illegal aliens" charged with felony offenses, if a judge determines probable cause exists. It defines "illegal alien" as someone who entered the U.S. without inspection or violated nonimmigrant visa terms. The amendment would automatically deny bail pending trial for such individuals, without requiring additional proof of flight risk or danger. If approved by voters in 2025, it would become part of the Texas Constitution. (Note: This is a procedural proposal requiring voter approval, not an immediate law.)

Maddy summarySB 18 prohibits Texas municipal libraries from receiving state or public funds if they host events where a person presenting as the opposite gender (e.g., a man presenting as a woman or woman presenting as a man) reads to minors for entertainment, with the gender presentation being a primary component of the event. Libraries hosting such events would lose funding for the fiscal year following the event. The law applies only to events occurring on or after September 1, 2025, and affects municipal libraries receiving state or public funds. It directly targets funding for specific library programming involving gender presentation in children's events. The bill does not restrict library access or content generally, only funding tied to these defined events.

Maddy summarySB 1413 creates a new process for landowners with at least 25 acres not receiving water service to petition for removal from a water utility's service area in specific Texas counties. It applies to counties with populations of 1.2 million or more, adjacent to such counties, or meeting certain population and university enrollment thresholds. The bill requires petitioners to provide written notice to the utility before filing and prohibits the utility from borrowing federal funds during the review process. This establishes a streamlined procedure for landowners seeking to exit utility service agreements under defined geographic criteria.

Maddy summarySB 2858 aims to establish statewide consistency by preventing cities and counties from enacting regulations that conflict with state laws in areas like commerce, elections, and criminal justice. The bill would override local ordinances that create inconsistent "patchwork" rules across Texas, returning regulatory authority to the state as specified in the Texas Constitution. However, it explicitly preserves local powers to build/maintain roads, impose taxes, provide services equivalent to general-law municipalities, conduct public awareness campaigns, and amend violating ordinances to comply with the bill. The legislation does not restrict municipalities' core functions but limits their ability to create competing local rules in designated policy areas.

Maddy summarySB 1962 restricts public school districts from seeking exemptions or waivers for specific educational requirements under Texas law. It prohibits waivers for rules covering criminal conduct, federal mandates (like special education programs), graduation standards, accountability measures, class size limits, student safety protocols, and teacher protections. The bill also establishes a new appeal process allowing schools to challenge Texas Education Agency decisions in Travis County district court. This directly affects all public schools and districts operating within Texas's accountability system by requiring strict adherence to these non-negotiable standards.

Maddy summarySB 1786 expands access to free dual credit college courses for eligible Texas high school students. It requires school districts to determine if students were educationally disadvantaged during their current or previous four school years, and to notify colleges if they qualify for no-cost enrollment in dual credit courses. The bill directly affects public high school students in grades 9-12 who meet the disadvantage criteria, with schools handling eligibility checks and college notifications. It amends Education Code sections to establish this process and clarifies definitions for public junior colleges. The policy creates a concrete pathway for qualifying students to earn college credit without tuition costs while in high school.