Sen. Charles Schwertner

Maddy summaryHB 5061, the Texas Integrity in State Contracting and Privacy Protection Act, prohibits state agency contractors and vendors from engaging in specific harmful activities. It bans surveillance targeting legislators, their families, state employees, or whistleblowers; intimidation or coercion to silence concerns; and misuse of private information to influence contracting decisions. Contractors violating these rules face administrative penalties enforced by the state auditor’s office. The law applies to all state agency contracts, including those managed by the comptroller or universities, and takes effect on September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment to allow Texas to create a property tax exemption for surviving spouses of veterans who died from service-connected conditions. Specifically, it would authorize the legislature to exempt all or part of the market value of a surviving spouse's primary home (homestead) from ad valorem taxes, provided the veteran died from a condition presumed service-connected under federal law and the spouse has not remarried. If a spouse moves to a new homestead, they could retain the same tax exemption amount as their previous home. The amendment requires voter approval in November 2025 and would take effect January 1, 2026, if approved.

Maddy summaryHB 4215 requires delivery network companies (like food or goods delivery apps) operating in Texas to obtain an occupational permit from the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation. This applies to businesses using digital platforms to arrange deliveries from restaurants or stores to customers, but excludes companies that only deliver their own products. The bill authorizes the state to charge a fee for these permits, creating a new regulatory requirement for these companies. The law takes effect on September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1523 temporarily prohibits the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality from authorizing Class V injection wells for aquifer storage projects in specific areas. It directly affects municipally-owned water utilities serving cities with populations of 750,000 or more located in counties adjacent to groundwater conservation districts that have certified environmental risks from such wells. The prohibition applies only where a groundwater district has adopted a resolution identifying Class V wells as posing aquifer risks, and it expires December 31, 2027. This bill creates a time-limited regulatory restriction on water storage projects under defined conditions.

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 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 1244 updates Texas unclaimed property laws to explicitly include virtual currency (such as Bitcoin) as a type of property that can be deemed abandoned. The bill revises the timeline for abandonment, starting when a payment is unclaimed or a communication to the owner fails, and ending when the owner reactivates the account or contacts the holder. It requires holders of virtual currency (e.g., financial institutions or exchanges) to report and deliver abandoned virtual currency in its native digital form to the state comptroller. This affects businesses holding unclaimed digital assets, aligning their reporting and delivery procedures with traditional unclaimed property rules.

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 summaryTexas Senate Bill 2411 amends the Texas Business Organizations Code to clarify jurisdiction for business disputes and simplify filing requirements for certain business entities. It establishes that references to district courts in the code include business courts under Chapter 25A of the Government Code, allowing those specialized courts to handle relevant cases. The bill also clarifies that Texas law governing business formations and governance takes precedence over other states' laws, while permitting business leaders to consider other states' practices without breaching Texas law. Finally, it streamlines certificate of formation filings for corporations, professional associations, and LLCs by allowing omissions of outdated director information and clarifying that such updates don’t require shareholder or member approval.