Rep. Cas Garcia Hernandez

Maddy summaryHB 254 amends Texas law to define eligibility for grants under the Rural Infrastructure Disaster Recovery Program. It specifies that counties qualify if they have a population under 100,000, a gross domestic product below $3 billion (or $2 billion after amendment), a poverty rate exceeding 10% (or 15% after amendment), and are located in a disaster area where damages exceed 10% of the county's prior year sales tax revenue. Non-county political subdivisions also qualify if they lie entirely or partially within a qualifying county. The bill establishes clear, measurable criteria to determine which rural areas can access disaster recovery funding.

Maddy summaryHB 5 allocates $324 million in supplemental funds from Texas' economic stabilization fund for disaster relief and preparedness. It provides $200 million to match federal disaster aid and support state disaster funds, $50 million for flood warning systems and equipment in 27 counties affected by a July 2025 flood declaration, and $24 million to improve weather forecasting and flood management in the Texas Hill Country. An additional $50 million is contingent on passing related legislation about emergency communication systems. The bill directly affects local governments in designated counties and state agencies managing disaster response.

Maddy summaryHB 2 requires justices of the peace in counties without a medical examiner to complete training on managing mass fatality events within one year of election. The training covers autopsy decisions, body identification protocols, missing persons data collection, interagency coordination, and real-time family notifications. Failure to complete this training is defined as "incompetency" for removal under local government law. The bill also allows the Texas Commission on Fire Protection to access criminal history records for license applicants and employees while restricting disclosure of that information. It authorizes fees related to these requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 269 would create a Texas grant program to help nonprofits, regional planning commissions, and emergency communication districts pay for emergency communications services like 9-1-1. The Commission on State Emergency Communications would develop rules for applications, eligibility, and tracking how funds are used to ensure services are delivered effectively. The program could also accept donations to supplement state funding. This bill directly affects organizations providing critical emergency communication services across Texas.

Maddy summaryHB 148 prohibits Texas public schools from using artificial intelligence to score open-ended written responses (like essays) on state-mandated student assessments. It directly affects public school students, school districts, and the Texas Education Agency by banning AI scoring for all assessments under Section 39.023 of the Education Code and related systems. The bill adds a specific legal requirement to the Education Code, explicitly stating that AI scoring of constructed responses is not permitted. It takes effect for the 2026-2027 school year, applying to all assessments administered during that period.

Maddy summaryHB 176 creates a grant program administered by the Commission on State Emergency Communications to assist nonprofit organizations providing emergency communications services (including 9-1-1) in Texas. The commission must develop rules for nonprofit applications, eligibility criteria, fund usage approval, and accountability measures to ensure public benefit. Grants may be funded through state appropriations or outside donations like gifts or grants. The program must be established within a reasonable timeframe after the bill’s effective date, as specified in Section 771.080 of the Health and Safety Code.

Maddy summaryHB 167 prohibits Texas public schools from using artificial intelligence to score essay-style answers on state assessments. It directly affects public school students, teachers, and assessment systems by banning AI scoring of "constructed responses" (like written essays) under Education Code Section 39.023. The bill amends the law to add a specific prohibition, effective for the 2026-2027 school year. This is a concrete policy change requiring state assessments to use non-AI scoring methods for written responses.

Maddy summaryHB 4325 amends Texas law to increase civil penalties for prohibited barratry (the act of unnecessarily promoting or instigating lawsuits). It raises the penalty for successful plaintiffs from $10,000 to $50,000 per violation, adds recovery for actual damages caused by the conduct, and includes reasonable attorney fees. The law applies only to lawsuits filed on or after September 1, 2025, with pre-existing cases governed by prior law. This directly affects parties involved in civil litigation where barratry is proven, increasing financial consequences for those engaging in the prohibited practice.

Maddy summarySB 1283 requires senior retirement communities in Texas (defined as residential communities with 20+ units offering shared amenities) to conduct background checks on all employees and disclose in resident contracts whether vendors must also perform such checks. The law mandates that communities maintain written safety policies addressing criminal activity risks to residents. These requirements apply to all eligible communities except healthcare facilities, boarding homes, and federally regulated housing. The bill became law on June 20, 2025, and takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 27 requires all Texas public high school students to complete at least one-half credit in personal financial literacy as part of their social studies graduation requirements under Education Code Section 28.025(b-1)(4). The bill directs the State Board of Education to develop a list of free, open-source curricula for these courses and allows Advanced Placement courses meeting specific standards to count toward the requirement. This policy change affects all public high school students in Texas, mandating practical financial education alongside traditional subjects like history and government. The law, signed by the Governor on June 20, 2025, is now effective immediately for all public school districts.