Maddy summaryHB 4623 creates new liability standards for Texas public schools and their employees regarding student sexual misconduct. It holds schools financially responsible if they act with gross negligence or intentional misconduct in hiring or supervising employees who commit sexual misconduct against students or fail to report suspected abuse. The law caps damages at $500,000 per victim in successful claims and requires the employee who committed the act to be named as a defendant. This directly affects public school districts, charter schools, and all professional school employees covered by the definition, including teachers, administrators, and even student interns. The law became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summarySB 1346 prohibits lottery retailers from knowingly selling tickets to individuals attempting to purchase all or nearly all possible winning tickets in a single drawing. This law directly affects licensed lottery sales agents (retailers) who could face license revocation for each location where they violate this rule. The bill establishes a formal process where the lottery commission must revoke licenses after a hearing for such violations, and revocation subjects the retailer to a one-year ban on reapplying for a sales license. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, aiming to prevent ticket aggregation schemes that could undermine lottery fairness.
Maddy summarySB 1453 requires Texas school districts to publish clearer, standardized notices about proposed property tax rates in newspapers. The notices must be at least a quarter-page with 18-point headlines and include specific comparisons: budget changes (maintenance, debt service, total) as percentages, appraised value data for current and prior years, outstanding bonded debt, and tax rate comparisons per $100 of property value. Districts must also include a link to Texas.gov/PropertyTaxes for public access to tax information. This bill directly affects school districts and property owners by improving transparency in how tax rate proposals are communicated. It takes effect January 1, 2026.
Maddy summarySB 213 prohibits Texas insurers from requiring customers to purchase multiple personal insurance policies (like home and auto) from the same company or bundling them as a condition for coverage. It directly affects consumers who buy residential property or auto insurance, ensuring they can choose insurers separately for each policy type. The key provision bans insurers from using "unfair methods of competition" by forcing policy bundling, making it illegal to require multiple policies from one provider or tie one policy to another. This creates a clear rule for insurers to follow, promoting consumer choice without restricting how insurers offer policies. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.
Maddy summarySB 843 requires Texas school districts to report detailed information about bonds, taxes, and related projects to a new Texas Education Agency database. The database must include bond election results, project lists funded by bonds, tax rate projections, and maintenance tax proposals. School districts must submit this data to the agency, which will maintain the database and allow report generation by geographic area. The bill became law on June 20, 2025, and takes effect September 1, 2025, directly affecting all Texas public school districts.
Maddy summarySB 2237 (Local Government Code §180.011) limits severance pay for executive employees of Texas local governments (including city managers, department heads, and school superintendents). It caps severance pay from tax revenue at 20 weeks' salary (excluding PTO/vacation) and prohibits severance if an employee is terminated for misconduct (including criminal conduct). All severance agreements must be posted online by the local government, and new agreements or disputes after September 1, 2025, must comply. This bill directly affects executive-level employees in cities, counties, school districts, and charter schools.
Maddy summaryHB 6 amends Texas Education Code Section 12.111 to update requirements for charter schools. The bill specifically adds new criteria allowing charter schools to exclude students who were expelled under Section 37.007, placed in disciplinary alternative education programs under Section 37.006, or have documented criminal histories or discipline problems. While the bill title mentions telehealth mental health services in public schools, the provided text does not detail provisions for telehealth access. The legislation primarily affects charter schools by modifying their student admission policies and discipline management standards. HB 6 was signed into law by the governor on June 20, 2025, and is now effective.
Maddy summarySB 1313 prohibits tobacco retailers from using specific signs, logos, or designs in advertising or marketing cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or tobacco products. It bans elements like cartoon characters targeting minors, copied trademarks of youth-focused products, symbols marketed to children, celebrity images, and designs resembling candy or juice. Retailers violating this law face a Class B misdemeanor charge. The law applies directly to businesses selling tobacco products and takes effect September 1, 2025.
Maddy summarySB 1300 defines "organized retail theft" as stealing from a merchant through coordinated actions (e.g., acting in concert with others), multiple incidents within 180 days, or benefiting from such theft. It changes how stolen item value is calculated for sentencing by using the merchant's posted sales price (including tax) instead of market value, and makes it easier for prosecutors to prove cases by allowing indictments to reference merchants and aggregate value ranges rather than listing each item. The bill also establishes price tags as evidence of both value and merchant ownership, streamlining prosecutions. This law directly affects Texas retailers and individuals convicted of organized retail theft, with increased penalties for the offense.
Maddy summaryHB 4751 establishes the Texas Quantum Initiative to position Texas as a national leader in quantum technology. The initiative, administered by the Governor's office with a 7-member executive committee appointed by the Governor, focuses on accelerating quantum computing, networking, and sensing technologies into the state's economy. Key provisions include developing a strategic plan for quantum leadership, identifying workforce training needs, supporting existing quantum industries, and building a quantum manufacturing supply chain. The bill directly affects Texas' economic development strategy, regulatory stakeholders, higher education institutions, and quantum technology industries within the state.