Rep. Josey Garcia

Maddy summaryHB 4212 establishes the Texas Land, Water, and Wildlife Conservation Account and creates a dedicated conservation board to manage it. The board, composed of eight members including agency leaders and public appointees, will oversee funding allocation for habitat management, wildlife population restoration, and conservation practices on public and private lands. It will administer the account to support projects protecting Texas' natural resources, including public access areas like state parks. The bill directs the conservation board to manage funds in coordination with the Texas General Land Office.

Maddy summaryHB 1201 creates a two-year Medicaid pilot program in Texas to cover doula services for eligible pregnant individuals. The program, launching in 2026 in the most populous county and the county with the highest maternal health needs, provides nonmedical childbirth support like emotional and physical coaching during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum. The Health and Human Services Commission must report annually on costs and birth outcomes, and submit a final evaluation by 2030 to determine if the program should continue or expand. The pilot expires September 1, 2031, after which coverage would not automatically continue.

Maddy summaryHB 1347 amends Texas Penal Code Section 32.53 to clarify and expand definitions related to exploiting vulnerable individuals. It defines "coercion" to include actions like destroying government records, threatening immigration proceedings, or financial control, and defines "deception" as false promises or misleading information. The bill specifies that exploiting a child, elderly person, or disabled individual through coercion, deception, isolation (preventing contact with support services), or other unfair means to take their resources for personal gain is now explicitly prohibited. This directly affects vulnerable populations and those who exploit them, updating existing law to cover modern tactics without creating new penalties. The changes apply only to offenses committed on or after the bill’s effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill prohibits insurance companies from denying coverage, limiting coverage, or charging higher rates to individuals who are widowed or whose marital status reflects the death of a spouse, compared to married individuals. It directly affects widowed people applying for or renewing insurance policies. The law requires insurers to treat widowed customers the same as married customers for rate-setting and coverage availability. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and does not apply to policies delivered or renewed before that date.

Maddy summaryHB 2301 shortens the deadline for men to register as potential fathers in Texas' state paternity registry from 31 days to 14 days after a child's birth. It requires the vital statistics unit to notify registrants if they miss this deadline. The bill also adjusts the timing for adoption or parental rights petitioners to request a registry search, allowing it on or after the 15th day after birth (instead of the 32nd day). These changes apply only to children born on or after the bill's effective date, with prior cases governed by previous law.

Maddy summaryHB 5639 requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) to establish a housing program for inmates who are veterans with at least 180 days of active-duty service and an honorable discharge. The program must dedicate specific cellblocks or dormitories for eligible veterans, verify their status during intake, and allow them to opt into the dedicated housing. TDCJ may not place veterans in these areas if safety risks exist, and non-veteran inmates may use the space if needed. The program must be implemented by September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2060 requires Texas' Health and Human Services Commission to study how Medicaid covers infants born to mothers who were Medicaid recipients at the time of birth. The study examines specific practices, including whether separate applications are needed for these infants, if residency with the mother is required for eligibility, how Medicaid IDs are handled, and if citizenship proof is required before the infant turns one year old. The Commission must assess compliance with federal guidelines on continuous coverage until the infant reaches age one, unless they die, move out of state, or are voluntarily disenrolled. The Commission must submit a written report with findings and legislative recommendations by September 1, 2026. This bill does not change current Medicaid policy but mandates an evaluation of existing administrative practices affecting infant coverage.

Maddy summaryHB 3420 requires Texas law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and telecommunicator employers to create mental health leave policies for their peace officers, firefighters, and full-time telecommunicators. The bill mandates that these policies must provide clear guidelines for using leave after traumatic work events, guarantee no salary reduction, specify the number of available leave days, and ensure anonymity for employees who take leave. It directly affects public safety workers who experience trauma while performing their duties. The policy must also list available mental health services in the employer's area. The bill focuses on creating structured support systems rather than altering funding or service delivery.

Maddy summaryHB 3339 mandates a study by Texas' Maternal Mortality Review Committee and the Department of State Health Services to examine maternal mortality and morbidity rates specifically among Black women in Texas. The study requires comparing these rates to other racial/ethnic groups, analyzing socioeconomic factors, evaluating healthcare coverage types (Medicaid, private insurance, uninsured), and assessing impacts of specific health conditions (like preeclampsia and obesity) and implicit biases in healthcare. It also requires evaluating social determinants of health and pregnancy-related complications. The committee must submit a report with recommendations to address disparities by September 1, 2026, including provider training on cultural competency and successful programs from other states. This bill directly affects Black women in Texas by focusing on data collection to inform future policy.

Maddy summaryHB 2417 helps people wrongfully imprisoned in Texas get compensation and clear their arrest records. It expands eligibility for compensation to those who received a full pardon for innocence, had a court rule them actually innocent via habeas corpus, or had charges dismissed with a state attorney's declaration of no credible evidence and belief in their innocence. The bill also creates a new path to remove arrest records if a conviction is reversed on appeal and the state's attorney recommends expungement. People who qualify under these new rules have until September 1, 2028, to apply for compensation. The law applies to cases occurring before, during, or after its effective date of September 1, 2025.