Rep. Will Metcalf

Maddy summaryHB 4392 prohibits Texas insurance companies from denying coverage, limiting benefits, or charging higher rates to individuals solely because they are widowed or their marital status reflects a spouse's death. It applies to new insurance policies issued on or after September 1, 2025, but does not affect existing policies in force before that date. The law requires insurers to treat widowed people the same as married individuals for rate and coverage purposes. This change updates the Texas Insurance Code to eliminate marital status discrimination following spousal loss.

Maddy summaryHB 4055 exempts certain fiber-optic cable projects from notice requirements when installed in the right-of-way of existing roads on state or local public land. The bill adds this specific activity to a list of "categorical exclusions" under Texas law, meaning companies installing or maintaining buried fiber-optic cables in established road corridors no longer need to provide archaeological notice. This directly affects fiber-optic cable providers and local land managers by streamlining project approvals. The exemption applies only to projects within existing road rights-of-way, not new construction on public land. The change removes a procedural hurdle for utility infrastructure work while maintaining other archaeological protections.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 4247 amends Texas Penal Code Section 42.11(d) to upgrade the criminal penalty for destroying a flag from a Class A misdemeanor to a state jail felony. This bill directly affects individuals who intentionally destroy a flag, increasing potential penalties for this specific offense. The key provision changes the legal classification of the crime, making it a more serious offense with higher penalties. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, applying only to flag destruction committed on or after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 3634 requires Texas state agencies to replace all references to "Gulf of Mexico" with "Gulf of America" in their rules, policies, and materials by April 1, 2026. It applies to state agencies defined in the bill (including departments, courts, and higher education institutions), but explicitly excludes federal documents or materials where such a change would violate federal law or funding requirements. The bill includes a public comment period (ending January 2026) and expires January 1, 2027, with no impact on existing federal names or legal references to the Gulf of Mexico.

Maddy summaryHB 4302 allows electric utilities in Texas to recover vegetation management costs (like tree trimming near power lines) more efficiently. It requires the Public Utility Commission to establish rules for timely adjustments to utilities' vegetation management factors, ensuring costs are allocated based on historical customer usage and collected within 90 days (or a longer period if a 10%+ bill increase is avoided). The bill mandates that under-collected or over-collected costs must be adjusted through interim billing changes, with customers receiving notice and hearing opportunities if they protest. It also clarifies that protests cannot challenge the reasonableness of costs - only the calculation method - separating cost prudence from recovery adjustments.

Maddy summaryHB 755 restricts how certain public entities in Texas, like cities, school districts, universities, and utility authorities, spend public money to hire lobbyists. It requires these entities to get a public vote approving any lobbying contract, disclose all contract details online (including amounts and names), and ban reimbursements for food or entertainment related to lobbying. The bill also prohibits lobbying efforts targeting specific tax code changes and allows residents to file complaints with the Ethics Commission for non-compliance. These rules apply only to the listed public entities, not private groups or individuals.

Maddy summaryHB 4627 targets electric service quality by preventing utilities from earning profit on infrastructure damaged during weather events they should have anticipated. It sets new reliability standards requiring feeders with 10+ customers to maintain outage rates within 200% of the system average, with the commission considering maintenance history and outage causes when enforcing penalties. The bill also mandates annual inspections and reporting for transmission and distribution poles, requiring utilities to follow structural integrity standards accounting for regional differences and national safety guidelines. These provisions directly affect electric utilities, cooperatives, and municipally owned providers operating in Texas. The bill aims to improve infrastructure resilience and service reliability through enforceable performance metrics and maintenance requirements.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Texas to recognize valid handgun licenses issued by other states, directly affecting out-of-state license holders and Texas law enforcement. It mandates recognition if the other state either has a reciprocal agreement with Texas or conducts background checks through FBI databases (National Crime Information Center and Interstate Identification Index) before issuing licenses. Texas will publish an annual list of states recognizing Texas licenses. The bill repeals prior requirements for out-of-state license recognition and takes effect September 1, 2025, unless approved for immediate effect by a two-thirds vote.