Rep. Marc LaHood

Maddy summaryHB 298 creates a rule for when Texas state legislators lose their seats due to missing sessions. If a senator or representative misses 14 unexcused floor sessions during a regular legislative session (or 3 during a special session) without majority approval from their chamber, their seat becomes vacant. This applies only to absences occurring after the bill’s effective date and does not affect existing terms. The bill directly affects legislators who fail to attend sessions without valid justification approved by their chamber’s majority.

Maddy summaryHR 58 amends the Texas House of Representatives' permanent rules to remove a restriction preventing the minority party from appointing a member as vice-chair of standing committees. It also eliminates a separate budget for the vice-chair position. These changes directly affect committee leadership structure by allowing bipartisan appointments for vice-chairs and removing dedicated funding for that role. The bill specifically revises Rule 4, Section 4A (removing the party restriction) and adds Rule 4, Section 6A(c) (ending the separate budget). This is a procedural rule change focused on internal committee operations, not a policy affecting public programs or services.

Maddy summaryHB 66 creates a Texas Disaster Relief and Prevention Matching Grant and Loan Program, funded through a new state account. It provides matching grants to local governments and businesses in declared disaster areas for disaster recovery, infrastructure repairs, and future disaster mitigation. The bill also authorizes loans for these entities and for individuals to repair or rebuild disaster-damaged homes with added mitigation features. Eligibility requires applicants to qualify for FEMA public assistance or SBA disaster loans.

Maddy summaryHB 291 requires Texas medical schools to ensure at least 50% of required coursework for medical degrees uses letter grades (A-F) or equivalent tiered systems for assessment. It prohibits medical schools from using standardized test scores as the sole factor in admissions decisions and mandates that schools must notify the legislature and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board before revising admission or academic standards. The bill also explicitly prohibits medical schools from considering race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in admissions or employment decisions. These provisions apply to all medical schools in Texas offering medical degrees or certificates.

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 201 creates a property tax exemption for partially disabled veterans and their surviving spouses in Texas. It allows veterans with a 10% to 99% disability rating to exempt a percentage of their home's appraised value equal to their disability rating. Surviving spouses who haven't remarried and continue living in the same home as the veteran at the time of death also qualify for the same exemption percentage. The exemption applies to the residence homestead and requires the surviving spouse to maintain the property as their primary home.

Maddy summaryHB 203 limits annual spending for Texas local governments (like counties, cities, school districts, and special districts) that impose property taxes or issue bonds. It requires these entities to cap annual spending increases at the combined rate of inflation (based on the consumer price index) and population growth, excluding disaster relief costs. The bill defines key terms like "inflation rate" and "disaster relief cost" to calculate the spending limit. This directly affects how local governments budget and adjust tax rates each year. The law aims to control spending growth by tying it to measurable economic and demographic factors.

Maddy summaryThis proposed constitutional amendment would authorize Texas to create property tax exemptions for the homes of partially disabled veterans. It would allow the legislature to exempt a percentage of a home's value equal to the veteran's disability rating (10-99%), such as a 30% exemption for a veteran with a 30% disability rating. Surviving spouses would continue to qualify under existing rules for veterans' exemptions. The amendment requires voter approval before any tax changes can take effect.

Maddy summaryHB 202 creates a property tax exemption for partially disabled veterans and their surviving spouses in Texas. It allows veterans with a disability rating of 10% to 99% to exempt a percentage of their home’s appraised value equal to their disability rating (e.g., a 40% rating exempts 40% of the tax). Surviving spouses who haven’t remarried and continued living in the veteran’s homestead are eligible for the same exemption amount if the veteran qualified before death. The bill amends the Tax Code to implement this change, requiring documentation for eligibility and transferring the exemption amount if a surviving spouse moves to a new primary residence.