Sen. Carol Alvarado

Maddy summarySB 258 allows Texas voters with an unexpired driver’s license or state ID card to register to vote online through the state’s official website starting September 1, 2025. It requires applicants to verify their information, consent to using their license signature, and match details against Department of Public Safety records. If the information matches, the application is sent to the applicant’s county registrar; if not, the system directs them to submit a paper form. The bill directly affects Texas voters who hold valid driver’s licenses or state IDs, making voter registration more accessible while requiring security checks against state records.

Maddy summarySB 308 repeals Texas laws that prohibited abortion, specifically repealing Chapter 170A of the Health and Safety Code and Chapter 6-1/2 of the Revised Statutes (the current state abortion ban). The bill clarifies that these changes do not legalize prohibited abortion conduct, allow lawsuits against pregnant individuals seeking abortions, or limit remedies for violations of other abortion laws. It also ensures local governments can enforce stricter abortion regulations than the state. The bill takes effect immediately if passed by a two-thirds vote in both chambers, otherwise on September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySJR 20 proposes a constitutional amendment in Texas that would establish a fundamental right for all residents to make personal reproductive decisions without state interference. The amendment states that individuals have the right to reproductive autonomy as central to liberty and dignity, and it would limit state restrictions to only those justified by a "compelling state interest" using the "least restrictive means available." This amendment would be submitted to Texas voters in the November 2025 election, with the ballot asking whether to adopt the right to reproductive autonomy. It directly affects all Texas residents by enshrining this right in the state constitution, though it does not change current laws until approved by voters.

Maddy summarySB 142 allows volunteer deputy registrars in Texas to serve statewide - across all counties - rather than being limited to the county that appointed them. The bill updates election code to require standardized appointment certificates, clarifies that volunteers cannot receive county compensation without commissioners court approval, and expands their authority to distribute and accept voter registration forms anywhere in Texas. It also specifies that appointments terminate upon conviction for failing to deliver applications or other misconduct. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 359 requires Texas Medicaid and certain health insurance plans to cover abortion services, FDA-approved contraception (including device insertion/removal), and voluntary sterilization (like vasectomies) without cost-sharing or prior authorization. It mandates reimbursement for these services regardless of federal funding availability, overriding existing rules that tied coverage to federal matching funds. The bill also prohibits deductibles, coinsurance, utilization reviews, or delays in coverage for these reproductive health services. This applies directly to Medicaid recipients and individuals enrolled in health benefit plans subject to the Insurance Code provisions.

Maddy summarySB 255 requires Texas to expand Medicaid eligibility to all low-income adults who apply and meet federal income guidelines under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), specifically those with incomes up to 138% of the federal poverty level. It directly affects approximately 1 million Texans who currently lack Medicaid coverage due to Texas’s prior refusal to expand eligibility. The bill mandates that the Health and Human Services Commission provide medical assistance using available federal matching funds, overriding any existing state restrictions. This policy change takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies to all new applications or eligibility reviews after that date.

Maddy summarySB 256 amends Texas abortion laws by creating specific medical exceptions to existing prohibitions. It allows abortions when a licensed physician determines it is medically necessary to preserve a patient's life, physical/mental health (including fertility), or due to a lethal fetal anomaly or life-limiting diagnosis. The bill explicitly states that accidental injury to an embryo/fetus during medical treatment does not violate the law, and it prohibits holding patients liable for abortions performed under these exceptions. It also repeals two specific sections of current law and Chapter 6-1/2 (which previously regulated abortion). The bill directly affects pregnant patients seeking abortions and healthcare providers performing them under these defined medical circumstances.

Maddy summarySB 277 requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality to consider local government lawsuits or enforcement actions under the Water Code when renewing air permits for specific concrete plants. It applies only to permanent concrete plants performing wet batching, dry batching, or central mixing operations. The bill mandates that the Commission evaluate a plant’s compliance history with local water enforcement actions as part of its permit renewal decision. This rule takes effect September 1, 2025, for permit renewal applications submitted on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 271 updates Texas law to define "critical care residential customers" for electricity services. It adds two specific conditions: a household must permanently house someone dependent on an electric medical device to sustain life or an elevator for home access. This directly affects Texas residential electricity customers with these medical or mobility needs. The bill amends the Utilities Code and takes effect immediately if passed with a two-thirds vote, or September 1, 2025, otherwise.

Maddy summarySB 351 requires Texas' Child Health Plan (CHIP) to cover FDA-approved birth control drugs, supplies, or devices for enrolled children. It explicitly excludes coverage for abortion-inducing drugs or devices. For children under 18, the plan may only cover birth control if a parent, guardian, or the child (with legal authority) provides written consent. The bill directly affects CHIP-enrolled minors seeking preventive reproductive health care. It does not change coverage for prenatal care or reproductive health treatments related to medical conditions.