Sen. Charles Schwertner

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 summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 388) formally commemorates the Texas Association of Museums' 50th anniversary. It recognizes the organization's work over five decades in strengthening Texas museums through collaboration, professional development, and advocacy. The resolution has no policy or funding impact - it is purely ceremonial, extending the Senate's recognition to the association and its annual meeting focused on preserving Texas heritage.

Maddy summarySB 2967 creates a new Texas Advanced Nuclear and Innovative Energy Technologies Office within the Governor's office to support advanced nuclear and innovative energy projects. It establishes a dedicated fund using gifts, grants, and legislative appropriations to reimburse qualifying expenses for two key project phases: Tier 1 for early development/siting (Section 483.202) and Tier 2 for construction (Section 483.203). The fund requires the Office to share grant information with the Public Utility Commission, which must plan for advanced nuclear reactors in Texas. This bill directly affects nuclear project developers, the Commission, and state funding mechanisms, aiming to accelerate deployment of advanced nuclear technology.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Texas insurers to offer the same Medicare supplement benefit plans (Medigap) to people under 65 who qualify for Medicare due to disability or end-stage renal disease as they do to those 65 or older. It mandates equal premium rates, prohibits medical underwriting or health-based price discrimination, and creates special enrollment periods (including a 60-day annual window tied to birthdays). The law applies to plans delivered, issued, or renewed on or after September 1, 2025. It directly affects disabled or ESRD patients under 65 enrolled in Medicare Part B who previously faced limited access to supplemental coverage.

Maddy summarySB 2990 removes the requirement for workers' compensation insurance coverage for members of Texas Task Force 1, intrastate fire mutual aid system teams, and regional incident management teams. The bill amends the Texas Labor Code to exclude these specific emergency response personnel from the definition of "employee" under workers' compensation law. This change directly affects emergency responders activated by the Texas Division of Emergency Management during training or duty, removing their mandatory coverage under state workers' comp statutes. The bill modifies Sections 408.0445, 501.001(5), and 501.024 of the Labor Code to reflect these exclusions.

Maddy summarySB 2966 would require private companies using artificial intelligence systems to make consequential decisions - such as those affecting credit, employment, or housing - to establish a consumer protection framework. The bill defines "consequential decisions" as those with material legal or significant effects on consumers and mandates companies to create governance structures for AI systems used in such decisions. Violations would trigger a civil penalty of up to one dollar per violation. The bill is pending in the Texas Legislature and would take effect September 1, 2025, if enacted.

Maddy summarySB 2836 preserves the location where certain retail sales are considered "consummated" for municipal sales tax purposes, specifically for retailers with pre-2019 economic development agreements with municipalities. It ensures that if a retailer had a designated "place of business" under such an agreement (entered before August 31, 2019), that location remains the sales location for tax purposes throughout the agreement's term, even if laws changed afterward. The bill directly affects retailers and municipalities that entered these agreements before the specified date. It does not change tax rates or create new requirements, but clarifies that sales under existing agreements will continue to be taxed at the location defined under the original agreement. The comptroller must issue implementing rules by October 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2989 clarifies that wage replacement benefits paid by employers without workers' compensation insurance to injured employees are treated as workers' compensation for federal tax purposes. This specifically affects employers who do not carry workers' compensation insurance, ensuring their disability payments are excluded from federal income and employment taxes. The bill amends Texas Labor Code to explicitly include these payments under the tax exclusion, resolving ambiguity in existing law. It takes effect September 1, 2025, and does not create new benefits or alter workers' compensation coverage requirements.

Maddy summarySB 2486 allows specific Texas municipalities (designated in the law) to use additional tax revenue from hotel and convention center projects to back bonds or other debts. The bill amends the Tax Code to expand which cities can pledge this revenue for paying obligations related to such projects. It directly affects 19 types of municipalities listed in the law, including cities with convention centers or specific development projects. The key change is enabling these cities to secure financing for projects using dedicated hotel tax revenue, rather than general funds. This is a technical tax code amendment with no new spending or broad policy changes.