Sen. César Blanco

Maddy summaryHB 632 limits emergency insulin refills to a 30-day supply for Texas pharmacists, unless the smallest available insulin package exceeds 30 days. Pharmacists may dispense multiple packages to reach the 30-day total but cannot exceed it. The bill also restricts emergency refills of insulin-related equipment/supplies to the smallest package needed for a 30-day supply. This affects pharmacists dispensing insulin during emergencies and patients requiring urgent access. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2925 establishes a 15-member Task Force on Modernizing Manufacturing to study how Texas manufacturers can adopt automation and digital technologies. The task force includes representatives from small, mid-sized, and large manufacturers, automation experts, labor organizations, and state education agencies. Its duties include identifying barriers to technology adoption, developing policy recommendations, and assessing economic impacts like job creation and competitiveness. This bill, now law after being signed by the governor on May 28, 2025, does not fund new programs but directs the task force to report findings to the legislature by December 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 116 modifies Texas Family Code provisions regarding parental support obligations after a court terminates a parent's rights. It requires financially able parents whose rights were terminated (under specific grounds like abandonment, endangerment, or failure to support) to provide child support until the child turns 18, graduates high school, is adopted, or reaches legal adulthood - whichever occurs first. The bill also clarifies the legal grounds for termination, including cases where parents left children without support for 3-6 months, endangered children's well-being, or abandoned children during pregnancy. This directly affects parents whose rights were terminated under Family Code Sections 161.001(b)(1)(S), (T), or (U), and children in foster care or substitute care. The law took effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 37 requires hospitals with maternal care designations to provide bereavement counseling options and perinatal bereavement devices (which delay tissue deterioration for up to 72 hours after pregnancy loss or infant death) to families following intrauterine fetal demise, neonatal death, or stillbirth. The Texas Department of State Health Services must establish a perinatal bereavement care initiative offering hospitals training for staff on compassionate communication and resources like devices with maintenance support. This law directly affects designated hospitals and families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss in Texas. The initiative aims to improve access to supportive care during this difficult time, with the law taking effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis Senate Resolution (SR 614) formally recognizes the 40 University of Texas System students serving as the inaugural cohort of the Texas Legislative Fellowship Program during the 89th Texas Legislature. The resolution acknowledges their roles supporting legislators and state offices through full-time internships focused on legislative processes, policymaking, and constituent services. It specifically lists each fellow's placement in Senate or House offices and state agency roles. As a ceremonial resolution, it has no policy impact or funding provisions. The resolution was adopted by the Senate on May 28, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 879 creates a new pathway for military veterans to obtain medical licenses in Texas. It allows veterans who retired from active duty within the past year and served as physicians or physician assistants treating military personnel or veterans to apply for a Texas license, provided they have an honorable discharge and pass the state jurisprudence exam. The bill specifically requires applicants to have been authorized in their military role to treat service members or veterans at the time of retirement. This policy change, effective September 1, 2025, directly affects recently separated military medical personnel seeking to practice in Texas.

Maddy summarySB 1705 would create new regulations for physical kiosks where people exchange virtual currency (like Bitcoin) for cash or other virtual currency within Texas. It directly affects businesses operating these kiosks by requiring them to comply with rules set by the Texas Department of Banking, including using blockchain analytics to verify transactions. Key provisions define terms like "virtual currency kiosk," "transaction hash," and "virtual currency wallet," and establish administrative fines for operators who violate the rules. The bill aims to provide oversight for this specific type of cryptocurrency transaction point while avoiding broader regulatory language.

Maddy summaryTexas bill SB 1777 prohibits health care providers (including their employees or contractors) from accepting any payment for referring potential residents to group homes that lack a valid license. The law specifically targets unlicensed group homes, including those operating under state waiver programs. Violating this prohibition is a Class B misdemeanor offense. The bill aims to prevent financial incentives for referrals to facilities not meeting licensing standards, directly affecting health care providers who make such referrals.

Maddy summarySB 2105 requires county or district attorneys to issue written notices to commercial lodging establishments (like hotels and motels) if they violate human trafficking awareness rules. The notice must detail the violation, state a 30-day deadline to fix it, and specify potential civil penalties (up to $5,000 per violation). If unresolved, attorneys can sue in the county where the violation occurred to collect penalties or enforce compliance. The civil penalties collected go directly to the county court’s jurisdiction, not the state. This bill focuses on enforcement mechanics, not new awareness requirements.

Maddy summarySB 584 requires credit bureaus (consumer reporting agencies) to verify that information they receive from other agencies or third parties is compiled and included in consumer reports in compliance with existing Texas consumer reporting laws. This applies only to reports issued on or after September 1, 2025. The bill adds a new requirement for agencies to ensure data accuracy and legal handling when using externally sourced information. It does not create new consumer rights but clarifies agencies' responsibilities under current law. The legislation focuses on procedural compliance rather than substantive changes to consumer protections.