Rep. Angelia Orr

Maddy summaryHB 2328 streamlines the process for individuals seeking to clear arrest records (expunction) in Texas. It requires petitioners to provide specific details like full name, arrest date, and a comprehensive list of all law enforcement agencies and databases holding their records. The bill authorizes a fee for processing expunction requests and mandates a minimum 30-day waiting period before a court can schedule a hearing. This bill directly affects people eligible for expunction under current law, primarily those with dismissed charges or acquittals, by standardizing the documentation and procedural requirements.

Maddy summaryThis resolution declares the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) unwelcome at the Texas Capitol. It directly affects CAIR's access to state legislative facilities based on the resolution's stated reasons. The resolution cites alleged ties between CAIR and terrorist organizations (including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood), FBI actions suspending contacts with CAIR, and specific legal cases involving CAIR associates convicted of terrorism-related offenses. The policy change is purely symbolic, establishing a formal statement of inaccessibility for CAIR at the Capitol without creating new legal requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 176 establishes requirements for future interstate compacts focused on border security between Texas and other states. It defines "illegal alien" using federal immigration terms and mandates that any new compact must include provisions for sharing law enforcement intelligence, resources for physical barriers or surveillance systems, and mutual support for personnel and infrastructure along the Texas-Mexico border. The bill specifies that compacts must aim to detect, apprehend, or deflect unauthorized border crossings and enforce federal immigration laws. It applies only to compacts entered into on or after the bill’s effective date (September 1, 2025), leaving existing compacts governed by prior law.

Maddy summaryHB 5510, titled the Women and Child Protection Act, creates civil liability for distributing abortion-inducing drugs and establishes a private civil right of action against individuals or organizations that facilitate access to elective abortions. The bill directly affects abortion assistance organizations - defined as entities providing financial support, travel arrangements, childcare, or logistical services to enable abortions - as well as those distributing abortion-inducing drugs. Key provisions include authorizing private lawsuits for damages related to these activities and creating criminal offenses for certain violations. The law harmonizes existing abortion-related provisions in Texas law while focusing on civil enforcement mechanisms rather than criminal penalties for patients.

Maddy summarySB 14, titled the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act, creates the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the governor's office to streamline how state agencies develop and review regulations. The office will help agencies identify unnecessary rules, reduce costs for businesses and individuals, and establish a public online portal for searching regulatory information. This bill directly affects state agencies that create regulations and the public who interact with those regulations. The new office will operate until 2037 unless extended under the Sunset Act, with its work focused on improving regulatory efficiency and transparency.

Maddy summaryHB 4543 allows landowners who operate registered breeder deer release sites to remove surrounding fences under specific conditions. To qualify, owners must wait at least five years since the last deer release, notify neighboring landowners, confirm the site has no significant connection to chronic wasting disease (CWD) outbreaks, and obtain department certification that no deer from the site tested positive for CWD. The department must verify CWD absence with 95% confidence (if no CWD links) or 99% confidence (if minimal CWD connection), based on testing data and compliance with wildlife regulations. This bill directly affects landowners managing deer release sites seeking to remove physical barriers while ensuring wildlife health safeguards.

Maddy summaryHB 1757 updates Texas requirements for becoming a certified public accountant (CPA). It specifies that applicants must either complete 150 academic hours (with accounting coursework) or hold a bachelor's degree in accounting, pass the CPA exam, meet work experience standards, and pass a professional conduct exam. The bill adds a new requirement: individuals with a bachelor's degree must now complete two years of work experience to qualify for certification. It also allows Texas to accept CPA exam results from other states under specific reciprocity conditions, such as if exams were prepared by AICPA or NASBA. The changes take effect September 1, 2025, after the Texas State Board of Public Accountancy adopts implementing rules.

Maddy summaryHB 246 creates a compensation program for landowners and residents in Texas border regions who suffer property damage from specific criminal activities. The program, administered by the Attorney General, reimburses agricultural landowners, lessees, and border residents for damage to crops, livestock, buildings, or personal property caused by: (1) criminal trespassers committing border-related offenses (e.g., under Penal Code Chapter 28), or (2) law enforcement responses to such trespassers. Funding comes from state appropriations, dedicated revenue, grants, and federal reimbursements. The bill defines "border crime" as offenses involving transnational criminal activity near the border and specifies eligibility requirements for claims.

Maddy summaryThis Texas bill (HB 4901) requires app stores (like Apple App Store or Google Play) operating in Texas to verify users' ages and categorize them into four groups: child (<13), younger teen (13-15), older teen (16-17), and adult (18+). For minors (under 18), it mandates parental consent by linking accounts to a parent or guardian aged 18 or older. App stores must use reasonable methods to confirm age during account creation. The law directly affects app platforms and users under 18 in Texas, with no voting record available as the bill remains pending in committee.

Maddy summaryHB 5243 would prohibit SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) beneficiaries in Texas from using their benefits to purchase energy drinks, sweetened beverages, carbonated drinks, candy, potato/corn chips, and packaged cookies. The bill defines "energy drink" as containing at least 65mg caffeine per 8oz and "sweetened beverage" as any nonalcoholic drink with added sweetener. Exceptions include milk products, milk substitutes (like soy milk), unsweetened juices, infant formula, and certain fortified products containing protein or vitamins. This policy change directly affects SNAP recipients who would no longer use benefits for the listed items, while allowing coverage for specified healthier alternatives.