Rep. Lacey Hull

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Texas insurance law to clarify when group health plan sponsors (like employers) must pay premiums after an employee loses coverage. Specifically, if an employer notifies the health insurer about an employee's coverage termination after the end of the month their eligibility ended, the insurer may waive the employer's obligation to pay for future premiums. This waiver applies only if no covered health services were provided to the employee after their coverage ended. The law directly affects employers managing group health plans and insurers handling premium billing.

Maddy summaryHB 5138 shifts responsibility for prosecuting election-related crimes from local prosecutors to the Texas Attorney General's office. It requires law enforcement agencies to report election law violations to the Attorney General and mandates that local prosecutors cooperate with the AG’s office. The bill creates new provisions in the Government Code (Subchapter D) and amends the Election Code to give the Attorney General sole authority to prosecute such offenses, effective September 1, 2026. This directly affects local law enforcement, county prosecutors, and the Attorney General’s office by centralizing prosecution authority for election crimes.

Maddy summaryHB 4 restricts Texas public school districts and campuses from obtaining exemptions or waivers for specific requirements, including graduation standards, school accountability measures under Chapters 39 and 39A, health and safety rules, and programs for special education and bilingual students. The bill explicitly prohibits waivers for federal mandates, essential knowledge/skills, class size limits (except as allowed by law), extracurricular activities, and other key areas listed in the legislation. It also changes the appeal process for challenges to the commissioner's decisions, requiring appeals to be filed in Travis County district court with specific procedural steps. This bill directly affects school districts, the Texas Education Agency, and individuals seeking to challenge educational decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 4730 requires child-placing agencies to use a standardized affidavit form for voluntary parental rights relinquishment, developed by the Health and Human Services Commission and the Department of Family and Protective Services. The form must include clear explanations of parents' rights, such as revocation procedures, options for child support, alternatives to adoption (like kinship care), access to benefits, and the right to consult an attorney before signing. It directly affects parents considering relinquishment, adoption agencies, and child-placing organizations by mandating transparent information disclosure. The bill does not change adoption laws but ensures parents receive specific, detailed guidance before making this irreversible decision.

Maddy summaryHB 1151 amends Texas law to clarify that specific parental actions cannot be used as evidence for terminating a parent-child relationship. The bill explicitly states that factors like homeschooling, economic hardship, religiously-based medical decisions (such as declining vaccines), or seeking multiple medical opinions do not constitute clear and convincing evidence for termination. It also updates the definition of "neglect" to require proof of "blatant disregard" for consequences causing immediate harm or danger to a child. This change directly affects parents, children, and the Department of Family and Protective Services in child welfare cases by setting clearer boundaries for when parental rights may be terminated.

Maddy summaryHB 37 requires hospitals with maternal care designations to provide bereavement counseling options and perinatal bereavement devices (which delay tissue deterioration for up to 72 hours after pregnancy loss or infant death) to families following intrauterine fetal demise, neonatal death, or stillbirth. The Texas Department of State Health Services must establish a perinatal bereavement care initiative offering hospitals training for staff on compassionate communication and resources like devices with maintenance support. This law directly affects designated hospitals and families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss in Texas. The initiative aims to improve access to supportive care during this difficult time, with the law taking effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 21 amends Texas Local Government Code provisions affecting housing finance corporations that develop or manage low- and moderate-income housing. It defines qualifying residential developments as those where at least 90% of units are intended for households with adjusted gross income below state-defined moderate income levels. The bill also requires these corporations to follow open meetings and public records laws (Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code) and restricts their development to areas within the boundaries of their sponsoring local governments - unless approved by those governing bodies. These changes clarify operational rules and transparency requirements for housing finance corporations serving low- and moderate-income residents.

Maddy summaryHB 796 would allow the Texas legislature to declare certain federal laws, executive orders, or agency rules unconstitutional if they infringe on state powers under the Tenth Amendment or limit Texas's ability to protect public health, safety, or welfare. The bill creates a process where the legislature could pass a concurrent resolution to declare a federal directive unconstitutional and then prohibit state and local government employees from enforcing it. This would directly affect most state and local officials, including county, city, school district, and charter school employees, but exclude the lieutenant governor, legislators, and their staff. The bill does not create new penalties but establishes a formal legislative mechanism to block state enforcement of federal actions deemed unconstitutional by the legislature.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Texas judges to deny bail to individuals classified as "illegal aliens" charged with felony offenses, if a judge determines probable cause exists. It defines "illegal alien" as someone who entered the U.S. without inspection or violated nonimmigrant visa terms. The amendment would automatically deny bail pending trial for such individuals, without requiring additional proof of flight risk or danger. If approved by voters in 2025, it would become part of the Texas Constitution. (Note: This is a procedural proposal requiring voter approval, not an immediate law.)

Maddy summarySB 18 prohibits Texas municipal libraries from receiving state or public funds if they host events where a person presenting as the opposite gender (e.g., a man presenting as a woman or woman presenting as a man) reads to minors for entertainment, with the gender presentation being a primary component of the event. Libraries hosting such events would lose funding for the fiscal year following the event. The law applies only to events occurring on or after September 1, 2025, and affects municipal libraries receiving state or public funds. It directly targets funding for specific library programming involving gender presentation in children's events. The bill does not restrict library access or content generally, only funding tied to these defined events.