Rep. Brent Money

Maddy summaryHB 3360 prohibits community supervision for juveniles charged with or convicted of a felony while under Texas Juvenile Justice Department (TJJD) custody, including those in TJJD halfway houses or secure facilities. It changes the definition of "habitual felony conduct" to require only one prior felony adjudication (instead of two) for a juvenile to be classified as a habitual offender. This bill directly affects juveniles aged 17+ who commit felonies while under TJJD supervision, removing their eligibility for community supervision or deferred adjudication. The policy changes also expand when prosecutors can refer juvenile felony cases to grand jury, including cases involving certain serious offenses like murder or sexual assault. These provisions aim to restrict leniency for juveniles who commit crimes while already under state juvenile justice oversight.

Maddy summaryHB 4727 allows Texas physical therapists to treat patients for injuries or conditions without a physician referral, effective September 1, 2025. To qualify, therapists must have at least one year of licensure, professional liability insurance, and either a doctoral degree in physical therapy from an accredited program or 30 hours of continuing education in differential diagnosis. The bill also clarifies that physical therapists may provide emergency medical care without a referral during emergencies. It repeals prior requirements that previously mandated referrals for certain treatments under the Occupations Code. This directly affects physical therapists and their patients by expanding direct access to care.

Maddy summaryHB 4708 limits the Texas Ethics Commission's authority by stating it cannot enforce ethics laws against anyone except government officers or employees. The bill amends Government Code Section 571.061 to explicitly exclude non-governmental persons from the Commission's jurisdiction. This change directly affects private individuals or entities previously subject to Ethics Commission oversight, restricting enforcement to only public officials and staff. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and would narrow the Commission's enforcement scope without creating new ethics requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1322 sets specific timeframes for municipalities to approve or disapprove subdivision plats. It requires smaller municipalities (under 10,000 population) to make decisions within 90 days instead of 30 days, and specifies that plats are approved by default if not acted upon within these periods. The bill also allows for one 30-day extension if requested in writing by the applicant and approved by the municipality, or if a takings impact assessment is required. This directly affects developers seeking to build residential subdivisions and smaller local governments managing land-use approvals. The changes apply only to applications submitted on or after the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryHB 4728 requires all Texas counties to use hand-marked paper ballots for every election, eliminating electronic poll lists and ending the countywide polling place program. It directly affects every county in Texas, particularly those previously exempt under Section 42.0051(a) (populations under 1.2 million not using countywide polling centers). The bill repeals the exception allowing electronic systems in certain counties, mandating paper ballots statewide. Key mechanisms include removing the countywide program exemption and requiring election officials to provide written ballot instructions and assistance options for voters.

Maddy summaryHB 4541's bill text is not available in the provided context, only the title and recent actions (filed, read first time, referred to Elections) are listed. The title indicates it relates to polling place locations during early voting and on election day, but without the actual text, specific provisions or mechanisms cannot be described. A summary of who the bill directly affects or its concrete policy changes cannot be generated from the available information. Please refer to the bill's full text for details.

Maddy summaryHB 4705 requires a judge to disqualify a district or county attorney from prosecuting election law violations if they consistently refuse to pursue such cases under a policy. It allows the Texas Attorney General to step in and prosecute these cases when local prosecutors are disqualified. The law applies only to election offenses committed on or after its effective date (September 1, 2025), not past violations. This changes how election-related criminal cases are handled by shifting prosecution authority to the Attorney General when local offices have a pattern of inaction.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Texas's attorney general to prosecute criminal election law violations if local prosecutors do not act within six months. It mandates that law enforcement agencies send election crime reports to both local prosecutors and the attorney general simultaneously. The attorney general must then take over prosecution if local officials fail to initiate proceedings within six months of receiving the report. This applies to offenses under Texas election law, such as voter fraud or ballot tampering, and takes effect September 1, 2025. The law changes the attorney general's role from optional ("may") to mandatory ("shall") for these cases.

Maddy summaryHB 4851 requires electricity providers in Texas' ERCOT power region to conduct regular practice drills focused on maintaining grid stability during emergencies. Specifically, it mandates annual summer and winter load-shedding exercises for all electric generation, transmission, and distribution providers, plus additional attack-preparation drills every two years if a critical facility (like a key substation) faces physical threat. The bill ensures these drills clearly define roles for providers, law enforcement, the grid operator, and the state utility commission. It also protects providers from having to disclose exact locations of critical infrastructure during these exercises. The law applies directly to all electricity service providers operating within ERCOT's grid.

Maddy summaryThis joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to clarify that Texas's Attorney General has the same authority as county or district attorneys to prosecute criminal violations of election laws. It would amend Article IV, Section 22 of the Texas Constitution to explicitly state the Attorney General shares "concurrent jurisdiction" with local prosecutors for election-related crimes. The amendment directly affects election law violators and defines the legal roles of state and local prosecutors. If approved by voters in November 2025, it would formalize an existing practice without changing election laws themselves.