Sen. Angela Paxton

Maddy summaryHB 1105 exempts paramedics employed by Texas cities, counties, or other local governments from tuition and laboratory fees at public colleges when enrolled in emergency medical services courses. This applies only to students maintaining satisfactory academic progress toward a degree or certificate, and does not cover security deposits, additional fees for residents, or graduate-level surcharges. The exemption excludes distance education courses where more than 20% of enrollment exceeds the institution's designated limit. The bill, signed into law by the governor on June 20, 2025, became effective immediately.

Maddy summaryHB 3940 requires Medicaid providers (including hospitals and health care facilities) to annually notify staff about using a mother's Medicaid ID for newborn care claims when the infant hasn't been enrolled. It also mandates that hospitals and providers give new mothers a resource pamphlet during prenatal care or delivery, covering postpartum counseling, shaken baby syndrome prevention, childhood immunization schedules, and newborn screening follow-up. The bill directly affects Medicaid-eligible mothers and newborns in Texas, aiming to simplify access to care during the early postpartum period. These requirements take effect on September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 204 requires school board trustees in Texas to complete mandatory training on parental rights in education by April 2026. It also mandates the Texas Education Agency to create and maintain a publicly accessible, plain-language handbook explaining all parental rights regarding their child’s education, including rights parents can enforce for their children. The handbook must be updated annually and available online. This bill directly affects school board members (who must complete the training) and parents (who gain a clear reference for their educational rights). The requirements take effect September 1, 2025, with the handbook and training materials due by January 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 3070 abolishes the Texas Lottery Commission and transfers responsibility for administering the state lottery and regulating charitable bingo to the Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR). This bill directly affects the TDLR, which will now oversee lottery operations and charitable bingo licensing previously managed by the Lottery Commission. Key provisions include amending state code to replace "Texas Lottery Commission" with "Texas Commission of Licensing and Regulation" in all relevant sections and adding a limited-scope sunset review for the lottery program. The bill also creates criminal offenses related to lottery activities, though specific details of these offenses are not detailed in the provided text.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 2761 amends Texas Penal Code sections to clarify that in trafficking cases involving children or disabled individuals, defendants cannot claim the victim "lacked mental capacity" or "did not complete prostitution" as a defense. It specifically targets prosecutions under Sections 20A.02(a)(7)-(8) (trafficking for prostitution) and 43.01 (prostitution), directly affecting prosecutors and defendants in these cases. The law removes two common defense arguments, ensuring traffickers cannot avoid accountability based on the victim’s mental state or whether prostitution was completed. This change applies only to offenses committed on or after its effective date (September 1, 2025). The bill does not create new crimes but strengthens prosecution pathways for vulnerable victims.

Maddy summaryHB 2011 allows property owners (or their heirs) to repurchase land taken through eminent domain if the government entity that acquired it fails to pay property taxes or abandons the intended public use. The bill specifies four conditions triggering this right: the public use is canceled, no progress was made toward the use within 10 years, the property becomes unnecessary for the use, or the entity fails to pay delinquent property taxes after the second anniversary of their due date. It requires the government entity to send certified notice to the former owner within 180 days of determining eligibility, detailing the property, the reason for the repurchase right, and how to exercise it. This law directly affects property owners whose land was acquired via eminent domain but remains unused or tax-delinquent. The bill amends Texas Property Code sections 21.101 and 21.102 to establish these procedures.

Maddy summarySB 2366 creates a state grant program to fund specific improvements for smaller railroads (Class II or III as defined by federal law). The program provides grants to railroad companies or local transportation districts to replace tracks/bridges, improve rail capacity, or restore rail lines, aiming to enhance safety, economic development, and reduce traffic. Grants require at least 10% non-state matching funds and must be approved by the Texas Transportation Commission. Funding comes only from state appropriations or federal grants - not highway funds - and the program became law on June 20, 2025.

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 1207 requires Texas public schools to include specific adoption information in their existing parenting and paternity awareness program for high school health classes, with optional use in middle/junior high schools. The bill mandates teaching three key adoption topics: differences between private adoption and foster care, processes for private/state adoption, and adoption as an alternative to parenthood. This policy change applies to all Texas public school districts beginning with the 2025-2026 school year. The bill was signed into law by the Governor on June 20, 2025, and took effect immediately.