Senator Molly Cook Announces the Successful Passage of 7 Bills into Law and Significant Budget Wins for Senate District 15

THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS
The Honorable Molly Cook
State Senator, District 15
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Daphne Alcala (512) 463-0115 June 26, 2025
Senator Molly Cook Announces the Successful Passage of 7 Bills
into Law and Significant Budget Wins for Senate District 15
HOUSTON, TX – Senator Molly Cook is proud to announce the passage of 7 bills she authored
and sponsored into law. She also brought home strong budget wins for Senate District 15, including
fifty-four million dollars for the Cypress Ditch Regional Flood Mitigation Project led by the City
of Bellaire. As a registered nurse, Senator Cook applied her frontline healthcare experience serving
on the Senate Committee on Health and Human Services, the Senate Committee on
Administration, and the Senate Committee on Local Government to work for her constituents and
all Texans. This was Senator Cook’s first legislative session representing Senate District 15; she
was present for 100 percent of roll calls and maintained a 100 percent voting record for the 4,488
record votes taken.
Senator Cook said, “I am so proud to bring home these important pieces of legislation for Senate
District 15. Each one represents a significant policy change that will affect lives across the State
of Texas. Over the past five months, my team and I advanced a legislative package guided by our
“Nurse First” legislative agenda, which focuses on improving the health, safety, and quality of life
for working and middle-class Texans. I am grateful to every constituent who guided us, my team,
and the advocates who poured countless hours into this work. We are already looking ahead to the
ninetieth legislative session, and we are ready to fight for policies that prioritize the bread-and-
butter issues facing working Texans.”
Budget Wins for Senate District 15
 $54M for the Cypress Ditch Regional Floor Mitigation Project.
 A continued $40M for the Federally Qualified Health Centers Incubator Grant Program
 $10M for the Apprenticeship Training Program at Texas Workforce Commission.
 $7.2M to increase the timeliness and quality of maternal-child health data at the
Department of State Health Services.
 $2.1M for Infrastructure, Resiliency, and Reliability Full Time Employees at the Public
Utility Commission.
 $2M for Doss Park in Acres Homes
 $2M for Bordersville Park in Bordersville

 $1M for Agnes Moffitt Park Pool in Spring Branch West
Senator Cook’s Bills Signed into Law
 SB 1307 - directing the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) to develop a consumer
reference guide to help navigate the health insurance market in Texas.
 SB 1313 - prohibiting smoke shops/e-cig retailers from using signage that may appeal to
young children, like depicting cartoon-like characters or images, photos of celebrities, and
pictures resembling food products.
 SB 1316 - prohibiting e-cigarette advertisements within 1,000 feet of a school or church.
 HB 3801 - creating the Statewide Health Professions Workforce Coordinating Council
(HPWCC) to plan and dedicate resources toward healthcare workforce needs.
 HB 694 - improving transparency, fairness, and parental rights in the DFPS system by
improving notification timelines.
 HB 713 - granting a limited exception to reporting requirements for health care providers
reviewing cases for the Texas Maternal Mortality and Morbidity Review Committee, in
order to timely review and make recommendations to the legislature.
 HB 3151 - allowing federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) to achieve expedited
credentialing to ensure health care providers are timely paid for their important work
serving our most vulnerable populations.
Unfortunately, the Governor vetoed HB 305 sponsored by Senator Cook, which would have
required pretrial hearings to occur within 14 days of a defendant’s competency restoration. While
generally supportive of the concept, Governor Abbott listed concerns in his veto statement that the
language was overly broad. Senator Cook looks forward to working with the bill author, Rep.
Richard Hayes, and Governor Abbott to develop more tailored language.
For further comment or to arrange an interview, please email daphne.alcala@senate.texas.gov or
call 512-463-0115.