Sen. César Blanco

Maddy summarySB 695 requires credit bureaus (consumer reporting agencies) to notify consumers via email when inaccurate information in their credit file is corrected, if the consumer provides an email address. This directly affects consumers who dispute errors on their credit reports. The bill mandates that bureaus send a secure link to a free corrected credit report within 30 business days of the correction. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, applying only to corrections made on or after that date.

Maddy summarySB 585 limits how long certain criminal history can appear in background checks used for employment, housing, or other consumer purposes. It prohibits consumer reporting agencies from including arrest, conviction, or disposition records older than seven years (except for serious crimes), with similar time limits for bankruptcy, civil judgments, and tax liens. This directly affects job applicants, renters, and others whose background checks might previously have included outdated records. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, applying only to reports furnished after that date.

Maddy summaryTexas Senate Bill 694 requires the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to publicly post specific details when sharing criminal history records with consumer reporting agencies. The bill mandates that DPS publish the agency name, contact information (phone, address, email), and date of each record-sharing event on its website. This applies to agencies defined under Texas Business & Commerce Code §20.01, such as background check companies. The law aims to increase transparency for individuals whose records are shared, without changing how DPS collects or uses criminal history data. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1085 amends the Texas Education Code to update the description of Sul Ross State University Rio Grande College. It removes the phrase "upper-level" from the statutory definition of the college, which operates in Del Rio, Eagle Pass, and Uvalde. The change takes effect September 1, 2025, with the revised description applying to the college's operations starting January 1, 2028. This bill is purely procedural, correcting the college's official designation in state law without altering its academic offerings or funding.

Maddy summaryThis resolution (SR 415) is a ceremonial Senate acknowledgment of Walter Miller's retirement as Horizon City's Place 1 alderman in May 2025. It recognizes his 26 years of service to Horizon City (including 2000-2007 as mayor), his work on local boards, and his community contributions. The resolution formally congratulates Miller, extends best wishes, and directs the Senate to provide him with a copy as a gesture of respect. As a purely commemorative resolution, it contains no policy changes or direct effects on residents or legislation.

Maddy summaryThis is a ceremonial resolution (SR 402), not a legislative bill. It formally recognizes Deb Manley (a park volunteer) and Cathy Hoyt (a supervisory park ranger) for discovering a new plant species at Big Bend National Park in March 2024. The resolution commemorates their finding of what botanists nicknamed the "wooly devil" (scientific name: *Ovicula biradiata*), a small annual plant in the daisy family that forms a new genus. The resolution was adopted by the Texas Senate on April 15, 2025, to commend their contribution to documenting the park's biodiversity.

Maddy summarySB 2104 amends Texas Labor Code to prohibit employment discrimination based on "military status," which includes current service members, reservists (including National Guard), honorably discharged veterans, and spouses/children of military personnel. The bill adds military status as a protected category in existing anti-discrimination provisions, making it unlawful for employers, employment agencies, or labor organizations to discriminate in hiring, firing, terms of employment, or training programs based on this status. It explicitly preserves existing state and federal veteran preference programs (like those under Section 302.154 or Chapter 657, Government Code). This law directly affects all Texas employers, job agencies, and labor organizations by expanding protections to cover military-affiliated individuals in the workplace.

Maddy summarySB 1899 establishes minimum care standards for sexual assault survivors treated at Texas healthcare facilities. It requires facilities to provide survivors with a forensic exam (per state codes), private waiting and treatment areas, access to sexual assault advocates, crisis center contact information, STI prophylaxis when needed, free showers (if available), and emergency contraception with consent. The bill directly affects healthcare facilities and survivors by mandating specific, immediate care protocols during medical treatment. These requirements take effect September 1, 2025, and apply to all facilities offering care to sexual assault survivors. The law focuses on practical, survivor-centered services without altering legal processes.

Maddy summarySB 26 establishes new requirements for Texas public school districts and charter schools regarding teacher evaluation, compensation, and support. It creates an "enhanced teacher incentive allotment" designation for schools implementing performance-based evaluation systems, requiring them to use appraisals to determine teacher designations, offer performance-linked pay (without automatic raises), and place effective teachers at high-need campuses. The bill also creates a grant program to help districts expand local teacher designation systems and provides free liability insurance and rights assistance for classroom teachers through a contracted third party. These provisions directly affect school districts, charter schools, principals, instructional staff, and all public school teachers in Texas.

Maddy summarySB 1006 requires Texas insurers to provide written explanations for declining insurance applications, canceling policies, or refusing to renew coverage. This applies to applicants and policyholders for liability and commercial property insurance, as well as other policies covered under the Texas Insurance Code. Insurers must send a clear written notice stating the specific reason for the decision, following rules set by the insurance commissioner. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, and only applies to policies delivered or renewed on or after that date.