Mary Ann believes in protecting all Texans and has worked tirelessly to pass legislation with the safety of consumers in mind.

During the 86th Legislative Session in 2019, she authored three bills relating to card skimming at gas pumps. Credit card skimming was a rapidly growing problem and data showed that Texas led the nation in this type of crime. Harris County was a huge hotspot due to its high population, numerous gas pumps, and high rate of mobility for motorists.

Card skimming affects banks, merchants, and most of all, consumers. It is a major inconvenience for consumers, whose personal account information has been compromised, and results in millions of dollars in financial losses for banks throughout the state.

After months of negotiations and stakeholder meetings, gas station owners, state agencies, financial institutions and law enforcement came together in agreement to combat card skimmers at gas pumps. House Bills 2945, 2624 and 2625 helped address this problem.

House Bill 2945 gave the Attorney General rulemaking authority to implement “best practices” in order to prevent skimmer installations on gas pumps. The bill also created a payment fraud fusion center, which provided law enforcement with a centralized location and the tools necessary to investigate financial crimes. This improved investigations, ensured consumer information was confidential, created stronger reporting, and best practices for merchants in fraud cases.

House Bill 2624 allowed offenders of payment fraud to be prosecuted in any county in which the crime was committed, or in any county in which a victim whose information was stolen resides.

Lastly, House Bill 2625 provided penalties to criminals who are caught with multiple counterfeit cards.

During the 87th Legislative Session in 2021, Mary Ann built upon this during with the passage of House Bill 2106, which established the Financial Crimes Intelligence Center and transferred rulemaking authority for card skimmers at gas pumps to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.

The Financial Crimes Intelligence Center (FCIC) officially opened in January 2022. The purpose was to combat the growing threat of card skimming at gas pumps and to serve as a centralized hub for combating financial crimes across Texas. The FCIC has coordinated closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, as well as with partners in the financial, fuel, and retail industries, to protect consumers from a wide array of financial crimes. These crimes include card skimming at gas pumps, card skimming at ATMs, check fraud, fuel theft, cryptocurrency scams, money laundering, etc. The scale and sophistication of these criminal activities have escalated significantly in recent years. Since becoming operational in January 2022 and through 2024, the FCIC is up to $273,848,699 in total amount of loss prevented or recovered. As financial crimes continue to evolve in complexity and scope, so too has the FCIC’s mission and workload.

During the 89th Legislative Session in 2025, Mary Ann focused on several bills to strengthen Texas’s ability to prevent financial crimes, protect consumers, and equip law enforcement agencies with the tools needed to fight financial crimes effectively.

House Bill 201 expanded the FCIC’s authority to include investigations into motor fuel theft, so these crimes can be investigated, disrupted, and prosecuted more effectively. Criminal organizations tamper with the gas pump’s metering device so that the amount of fuel being dispensed is no longer accurately being measured, thus they are able to obtain a lot of fuel for little to no cost. The amount of fuel being stolen in Texas is astronomical.

House Bill 272 strengthened the prosecution of individuals involved in the fraudulent use or possession of credit card or debit card information by allowing prosecutors to bring a case in any county where the offense occurred or where a victim resides.

Senate Bill 1498 gave law enforcement the tools to combat organized financial crimes involving digital currency. Digital currency is being used in scams involving deposits into crypto kiosks and contraband sales on the dark web.

Senate Bill 1499 expanded the FCIC’s authority to include payment fraud, in order to address check fraud, unauthorized electronic funds transfers, and other fraudulent payment methods as financial crimes become increasingly sophisticated.

As we see the use of new electronic payment devices increase, so has the need to address evolving threats. Senate Bill 2371 expanded the FCIC’s authority over skimmers to include the oversight of ATMs, point-of-sale terminals, and cryptocurrency kiosks.

As financial crimes continue to evolve, Mary Ann has remained steadfast in her commitment to protecting Texas consumers. Her work has enhanced prevention efforts, strengthened prosecution tools, and delivered measurable results — preventing and recovering hundreds of millions of dollars for Texans. Her record reflects a clear priority: safeguarding families and businesses today while ensuring Texas stays ahead of criminal enterprises targeting consumers.

Mary Ann has always been a strong supporter of public schools. She is a proud product of public education, as are her two sons. She graduated from Milby High School and her two sons attended public schools within the Houston Independent School District.

During the 89th Legislative Session in 2025, Mary Ann supported House Bill 2, which invested $8.5 billion in new funding to strengthen public education across Texas, offered pay raises for teachers and school employees, provided funding for full-day pre-K, increased support for special education, and helped districts cover transportation, insurance, and utility costs. Together, these investments help support our students, teachers, and schools. Of course, there will be new challenges to address next session in order to continue to ensure that our students and teachers are able to attend school in a productive, safe environment. Our public schools remain a top priority for Mary Ann.

In regards to Higher Education, Mary Ann is a proud graduate of the University of Houston-Downtown. During the 86th Legislative Session in 2019, she passed House Bill 1277, which authorized a fee, proposed by the UHD Student Government Association and supported by the student body, to construct a Wellness and Success Center at UHD. In November 2020, UHD broke ground on that center. Go Gators!

Mary Ann will continue to partner with community colleges and support increased funding. House District 144 contains San Jacinto Community College, which plays a key role in helping bridge the gap between high school graduates and energy industry jobs at all levels. During the 89th Legislative Session, Mary Ann supported $10 million in funding for the Center of Biotechnology at San Jacinto Community College

Mary Ann will continue to push for better quality and easier access to health care. She will continue to support Medicaid expansion in Texas. Currently, we are leaving millions of dollars on the table that can be used to help Texans in need.

During the 87th Legislative Session in 2021, Mary Ann worked with the Alzheimer’s Association on Senate Bill 383, which required that nursing homes and assisted living facilities disclose to patients and/or their loved ones, whether or not they have a state-issued certification to care for Alzheimer’s patients. Alzheimer’s certified facilities are required to provide additional staff, a planned activity program, adequate security, and supervision. This bill helped protect vulnerable Alzheimer’s patients and ensure they have proper care.

Transportation safety and infrastructure quality have been a part of Mary Ann’s legislative priorities each session. House District 144 has some of the most important, yet some of the oldest infrastructure in Texas, which is why she strives to achieve a balance between motorist safety and transportation initiatives that maximize access in and around the Port of Houston.

During the 89th Legislative Session in 2025, Mary Ann joint authored Senate Bill 1555, which established a new grant program through the Texas Department of Transportation to fund railroad grade separation projects. The program supports infrastructure improvements for both rail-rail and rail-pedestrian crossings that are not located on state highways. This represents a significant step toward modernizing rail infrastructure, improving safety, and reducing traffic congestion.

In the aftermath of the devastating Hurricane Harvey, many people realized that their property insurance policies did not include flood coverage. This was a very harsh realization for many who were affected by the disaster. In the interest of making it easier for consumers to understand their insurance policies, Mary Ann passed Senate Bill 442 during the 86th Legislative Session. This bill placed a clear disclosure on commercial property and residential property insurance policies informing the policyholder that their policy does not cover flood damage, in order to help consumers better prepare for the future and avoid being blindsided should another disaster occur.

Hurricane Harvey greatly impacted the area and made it clear that improving flood infrastructure is critical. Mary Ann supported the Harris County Bond Program in August 2018, which helped increase funding for the Harris County Flood Control District. Today, we see the results of many projects underway, from drainage projects to dam repair and improved flood mapping. At the state level, Mary Ann voted in favor of several bills aimed at helping the region better deal with flooding.

Mary Ann is focused on strengthening economic prosperity in House District 144 by supporting the industries and small businesses that drive the local economy. Anchored by the Houston Ship Channel and the petrochemical and manufacturing facilities that line it, House District 144 plays a vital role in Texas’ energy production, maritime commerce, and international trade. By championing policies that invest in infrastructure, support workforce training, encourage business growth, and strengthen local industry, Mary Ann is working to ensure House District 144 remains an engine of economic growth and opportunity.