Rep. Lacey Hull

Maddy summaryHB 3741 requires foreign students and employees at Texas public universities to sign a sworn affidavit stating they are not agents of a "foreign adversary" (defined as a nation hostile to the U.S. or Texas). The affidavit must include the exact statement: "I affirm that I am not an agent of a foreign nation hostile to the United States of America or the State of Texas." This applies to all non-citizen, non-permanent-resident students and employees enrolled or hired at public institutions, regardless of when they were admitted or hired. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board may create rules to implement the requirement, but the bill itself mandates the affidavit as a direct condition of enrollment or employment.

Maddy summaryHB 1554 prohibits Texas cities, counties, and other local governments from using public funds to provide legal services for individuals unlawfully present in the U.S. under federal immigration law (8 U.S.C. § 1101 et seq.), including funding for removal proceedings or immigration-related civil cases. It specifically bans using grants or seeking state reimbursement for such services, though it does not affect criminal defense for indigent defendants under Article 1.051 of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The law applies to all political subdivisions and takes effect September 1, 2025. This directly affects local governments that previously funded immigration legal aid programs.

Maddy summaryHB 1160 increases criminal penalties for assaults against specific public service workers, upgrading certain offenses from misdemeanors to felonies. It directly affects utility employees, emergency personnel, security officers, process servers, hospital staff, and pregnant individuals when assaults occur during work duties or as retaliation for performing those duties. Key provisions include making it a felony to assault a utility employee while they are performing services, harass a security officer during duty, or assault a pregnant person to force an abortion. The bill applies when the actor knows the victim is performing a protected duty.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Texas licensing authorities to issue provisional occupational licenses for six months to applicants with criminal convictions who are otherwise qualified for the license, unless they have specific serious convictions listed in the Occupations Code. The provisional license begins upon the applicant's release from incarceration if they were imprisoned. It applies to most occupational licensing fields (like healthcare or trades) but excludes applicants convicted of offenses under Section 53.021(a). The bill provides a pathway for certain applicants to obtain licenses without full revocation of eligibility.

Maddy summaryHB 2582 expands rights for victims, guardians of victims, and close relatives of deceased victims in Texas criminal cases by adding specific parole-related protections. The bill requires that these individuals be informed about parole procedures, allowed to participate in parole hearings, and given the opportunity to submit information for the parole board's consideration before a defendant is released. It also mandates that they receive notifications about parole decisions in a specified manner, ensuring they are kept updated on the defendant's status. These changes apply to cases involving defendants convicted of offenses covered under the law, directly affecting those impacted by criminal proceedings.

Maddy summaryHB 2216 amends Texas Family Code Section 161.001 to clarify procedures for terminating parental rights in cases involving the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). It defines "born addicted to alcohol or controlled substance" with specific medical criteria and lists new grounds for termination, including abandonment, endangerment, and failure to support. The bill requires courts to find termination "beyond a reasonable doubt" (replacing the prior "clear and convincing evidence" standard) for certain cases. This directly affects parents facing termination proceedings, DFPS caseworkers, and family courts handling child welfare cases. The changes aim to standardize evidence requirements and definitions in parental termination cases.

Maddy summaryHB 342 allows Texas counties with populations under 1.2 million (that don't use countywide polling) to combine election precincts under specific conditions. It permits combining precincts with fewer than 500 registered voters to reduce election costs, or for larger counties (250,000+ population) to combine precincts with 500-750 voters. Combined precincts must not exceed 10,000 voters and cannot dilute voting rights for protected groups under federal law. The bill affects county election administrators in smaller Texas counties managing precinct boundaries.

Maddy summaryHB 4937 requires Texas parole boards to reconsider inmates for release on parole at specific intervals. For most inmates denied parole, boards must review cases "as soon as practicable" after the first anniversary of denial. However, for inmates convicted of certain serious offenses (like aggravated assault under Section 22.04, Penal Code) or serving life sentences for capital felonies, boards must reconsider between one and ten years after denial - extending the prior one-to-five-year window. The bill amends existing parole review procedures to establish these timelines, directly affecting inmates in these specific categories.

Maddy summaryHB 645 creates a statewide program to provide co-navigation services for Texans who are deaf-blind. The Health and Human Services Commission will operate this program, reimbursing specially trained co-navigators for helping individuals safely move through environments and access information using their preferred communication methods (like American Sign Language or protactile language). The bill establishes tiered reimbursement rates based on co-navigators' training and skill level in communication modes and mobility techniques. It explicitly excludes personal care, decision-making, or formal interpreting services from the program's scope.

Maddy summaryHJR 4 proposes a constitutional amendment that would prohibit Texas from imposing an occupation tax on financial firms regulated by federal agencies (like stock exchanges, brokers, and clearinghouses) or taxing their securities transactions. It directly affects entities such as stock exchanges, broker-dealers, and other registered securities market operators. The amendment explicitly allows existing taxes like sales taxes, insurance premiums, and general business taxes but blocks new state taxes targeting securities transactions or these specific firms. This is a constitutional change, not a regular law, requiring voter approval after legislative passage.