Rep. John Lujan

Maddy summaryHB 1674 would ban the production, sale, and use of certain agricultural products containing PFAS chemicals (like pesticides or crop protectants). It directly affects agricultural businesses, manufacturers, and sellers of these products. The bill creates criminal penalties for violations, treating unauthorized PFAS use as a punishable offense. The bill is currently pending in the Environmental Regulation committee after committee hearings. (Note: Full bill text is not yet available; this summary is based on the title and pending status.)

Maddy summaryHB 2275 requires that surplus lines insurance contracts (specialized policies for high-risk or hard-to-place coverage) containing arbitration agreements must specify that any arbitration occurs in Texas and follows Texas law. It mandates that both the arbitration process and contract interpretation be governed by Texas statutes, applying only to contracts delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. Existing contracts before that date remain subject to prior law. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and directly affects insurers writing surplus lines policies in Texas.

Maddy summaryHJR 161 proposes amending the Texas Constitution to explicitly prohibit non-citizen residents from voting in Texas elections. The bill would add "persons who are not citizens of the United States" as a new category barred from voting, alongside existing restrictions for minors, those declared mentally incompetent, and convicted felons. If approved by voters in November 2025, this constitutional change would formally enshrine the current legal standard - non-citizens already cannot vote in Texas - into the state constitution. The amendment requires voter approval at the 2025 general election, with ballot language specifying the change. This is a procedural constitutional amendment, not a new voting law.

Maddy summaryHB 7 expands parental rights in Texas public schools by allowing parents to appeal school district decisions to the Texas Education Agency commissioner if those decisions violate state law or employment contracts causing financial harm to an employee. It creates an office of inspector general at the Texas Education Agency to oversee reporting of child abuse and neglect, making failure to report such incidents a criminal offense. The bill establishes procedures for the commissioner to remand cases back to school districts for additional review if procedural errors or insufficient evidence led to the initial decision. This bill directly affects parents, school districts, and employees, while excluding cases involving extracurricular activities or student disciplinary actions under Chapter 37 of the Education Code.

Maddy summaryHB 1268 creates the Texas Technology and Innovation Program to help Texas businesses access federal funding for technology development. The program matches or supplements money businesses receive through federal small business innovation programs (like those under 15 U.S.C. § 638), specifically targeting eligible Texas-based companies. To qualify, businesses must be organized in Texas, maintain a Texas headquarters or facility, employ most workers in Texas, and already qualify for federal funding without concurrent state support. The bill outlines application requirements, including certification of eligibility and documentation of federal funding stages (like "phase zero" or "phase one" of federal processes).

Maddy summaryHB 1437 creates a state task force to address pollinator health, directly affecting Texas agricultural stakeholders, environmental groups, and public land management. The task force - appointed by the governor with members representing universities, nurseries, agriculture, pollinator protection, pesticide applicators, master gardeners, beekeepers, and wildlife experts - will study ways to incentivize pollinator habitat development, evaluate successful public education models from other states, analyze data collection methods for pollinator populations, and identify strategies to prevent habitat loss. The task force must submit a final report with recommendations to agriculture committees by October 1, 2026. This bill establishes a structured process for gathering stakeholder input and developing policy options, without mandating specific actions.

Maddy summaryHB 3099 amends Texas education law to change how attendance is calculated for adult high school charter programs, directly affecting these programs' state funding. The bill establishes new rules: students enrolled 75%+ of the school year count as 100% attendance, 50-74% counts as 75%, 25-49% as 50%, and 10-24% as 25% for funding purposes. This replaces previous attendance calculation thresholds in the Education Code. The changes take effect September 1, 2025, and will impact how funding is allocated to adult education charter schools based on student enrollment patterns.

Maddy summaryHB 249 allows certain eligible homeowners in specific Texas counties to pay property taxes in installments instead of one lump sum. It directly affects: (1) disabled or 65+ residents with homestead exemptions, (2) disabled veterans or their unmarried surviving spouses with specific exemptions, and (3) residents in large-county areas (population >1.5 million, >70% in one municipality) qualifying for homestead exemptions. The bill amends the Tax Code to create this payment option, applying only to tax years beginning January 1, 2027, or later. It does not change exemption eligibility but provides a new payment flexibility for qualifying property owners.

Maddy summaryHB 1988 amends Texas law to regulate when the Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) may disclose records about former juvenile justice clients. The bill requires that disclosure of personally identifiable information only occurs if the individual is at least 18 years old, has been discharged from commitment, and has provided specific consent for the disclosure. Additionally, the department cannot disclose any information beyond what was consented to or for any purpose other than the agreed-upon reason. This law directly affects former youth in the juvenile justice system who seek to share their records, while imposing new restrictions on TJJD's disclosure practices.

Maddy summaryHB 3061 increases penalties for certain criminal offenses committed while wearing masks or disguises specifically to hide the offender's identity. It applies to offenses under Texas law covering assault, robbery, public disorder (Title 5, Chapters 28-30, or Sections 42.01/42.02). If proven, the punishment escalates to the next higher offense category, with a minimum 180-day jail term for Class A misdemeanors. Exceptions allow the penalty increase to be avoided if the disguise was for events like Halloween, proven by a preponderance of evidence.