Sen. Paul Bettencourt

Maddy summarySB 522 amends Texas law to establish new pathways for out-of-state certified public accountants (CPAs) to obtain certification in Texas. It allows qualifying out-of-state CPAs to bypass certain Texas-specific requirements if they meet one of three criteria: holding a license from a state with comparable standards (verified by NASBA), meeting Texas' historical licensing rules, or having four years of relevant post-exam experience. The bill also requires these professionals to fulfill Texas' continuing education requirements for the three years preceding their application. This law, effective September 1, 2025, directly affects out-of-state CPAs seeking to practice in Texas without re-taking the full state licensing process.

Maddy summarySB 3071 allows property owners to seek a court order (injunction) to stop a local government from collecting property taxes if the government first adopts a tax rate exceeding what voters approved and then makes a significant change to how those taxes will be used. Specifically, it covers situations where the tax purpose is altered - such as changing the project scope, increasing costs by over 33%, or shifting funding structure - without voter approval. Property owners must file the request within 15 days of the tax rate adoption, and they are not required to pay the taxes during the legal challenge. If the property owner wins, they receive a refund of paid taxes plus attorney fees. The bill focuses on ensuring tax increases are used as voters intended.

Maddy summarySB 1437 modifies Texas law to clarify eligibility for certification as juvenile officers or employees at juvenile facilities. It applies to current or former staff/volunteers of juvenile departments, probation departments, or registered juvenile facilities. The bill allows the state department to permanently deny certification if someone: (1) violated rules while working in these roles, or (2) a three-member panel determines their certification would threaten juveniles in the system. Individuals denied certification are entitled to an administrative hearing before the State Office of Administrative Hearings. The law took effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 412 amends Texas Penal Code sections 43.24 and 43.25 to add new affirmative defenses for certain offenses involving material or conduct harmful to children. It allows judicial or law enforcement officers to use their official duties as a defense when prosecuted under specific sections, and adds two other defenses: being the child’s spouse or being no more than two years older than the child. The bill applies only to offenses committed on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025, and does not affect past cases. These changes directly affect prosecutors, defendants in such cases, and law enforcement officers acting in their official capacity.

Maddy summarySB 2619 modifies Texas school district governance by requiring school boards in underperforming districts (those rated "F" for two years or designated "rapidly declining" due to significant performance drops) to hold special elections for trustees before December 31 of the following year. It mandates that school boards publicly review and disclose applicants' past academic performance records when hiring a superintendent, including relative performance rankings from state evaluations. The bill also requires all school districts to post board member contact information and term dates on their websites (or submit to the Texas Education Agency if no website exists), with updates required within 30 days of membership changes. Additionally, it establishes new approval requirements for training providers for school board members, prohibiting political advocacy during training and mandating agency review of provider credentials and content.

Maddy summarySB 867 amends Texas law to require housing finance corporations to follow open meetings and open records laws (Chapters 551 and 552 of the Government Code). This directly affects housing finance corporations by mandating public transparency in their meetings and records. The key provision adds Section 394.0045 to the Local Government Code, applying standard public accountability rules to these entities. The bill does not create a new fee, as its title suggests, but instead modifies governance requirements for existing housing finance corporations. These changes ensure greater public access to the operations of entities managing affordable housing programs.

Maddy summarySB 1059 clarifies that cities with home rule authority cannot ask voters to approve charter amendments that would violate state law. Specifically, it adds a new provision (Section 9.0041) to the Local Government Code stating that a city's governing body may not submit such conflicting amendments to voters. This bill directly affects home-rule municipalities across Texas by restricting their ability to propose charter changes that would contradict existing state statutes. The law does not change current state law but prevents cities from seeking voter approval for amendments that would conflict with it. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, pending final passage.

Maddy summarySB 2523 allows residents or landowners in areas under a Texas municipality's extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) to petition for those areas to be released from city governance. To qualify, a petition must be signed by either over 50% of registered voters in the area or a majority in value of landowners based on current property appraisals. Once filed, the municipality must notify residents and landowners within seven business days. This bill directly affects communities seeking to transition from city oversight to county or independent governance.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR 13) urges the U.S. Department of State and the International Boundary and Water Commission to ensure Mexico complies with the 1944 Treaty on shared water resources. It specifically addresses Mexico's failure to deliver the required 350,000 acre-feet of water annually (averaged over five years), with a current deficit of 984,814 acre-feet. The resolution highlights how this shortfall harms Texas water users, including municipal, agricultural, and industrial sectors in the Rio Grande Valley, impacting reservoir levels and causing economic losses like the closure of Texas' only sugar mill. As a non-binding resolution, it formally requests U.S. federal agencies to take action but does not change legal obligations.

Maddy summarySB 318 creates an "election integrity division" within the Texas Attorney General's office, directly affecting the AG's office and local election officials (political subdivisions). The division investigates alleged election fraud or violations of the Election Code using available funds, can request state law enforcement assistance, and has authority to issue administrative subpoenas compelling document production or witness testimony from local governments. The bill requires the division to operate under existing or newly appropriated funding and takes effect on September 1, 2025. This establishes a formal state-level investigative mechanism for election-related concerns.