Rep. Cody Vasut

Maddy summaryHB 469 amends Texas law to expand eligibility for sheriffs to apply for certification in enforcing commercial motor vehicle safety standards. It specifies that sheriffs in counties meeting certain criteria - such as bordering Mexico, having specific population thresholds (e.g., under 1,000 or over 700,000), bordering the Capitol county, or containing international ports - may seek this certification. The bill does not create new safety standards but allows qualifying county sheriffs to enforce existing federal and state commercial vehicle safety regulations within their jurisdictions. This change takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 4075 requires judges to change the trial location (venue) in criminal cases where the defendant is or was a peace officer at the time of the alleged offense and is charged with a crime committed while acting in their official capacity. This law directly affects peace officers accused of crimes related to their job duties. The bill mandates venue changes if both conditions are met: the defendant's status as a peace officer and the offense occurring under color of their employment. The law applies only to offenses committed on or after its effective date (September 1, 2025, unless passed with two-thirds support for immediate effect), not to past cases.

Maddy summaryHJR 98 is a Texas legislative resolution requesting Congress to call a constitutional convention under Article V of the U.S. Constitution. It seeks to propose amendments that would impose spending limits on the federal government, reduce federal power over states, and establish term limits for federal officials and members of Congress. Texas formally applies to Congress to initiate this process, with the resolution intended as a continuing application until at least 34 states (two-thirds) support the same purpose. This is a procedural request - Texas has no authority to create new laws, but aims to join other states in advancing this constitutional mechanism.

Maddy summaryHB 2587 requires Texas hospitals to report costs of providing care to patients without legal immigration status. Hospitals must ask about immigration status during intake (without affecting care) and submit quarterly data on costs and financial impact to a state agency. The agency then compiles an annual report for lawmakers by November 1, detailing total costs and how these expenses affected hospitals. This applies to all Texas hospitals serving patients who were not lawfully present at the time of care, focusing on transparency about uncompensated care expenses.

Maddy summaryHB 1325 allows students who are children of judges, peace officers, prosecuting attorneys, or active-duty servicemembers to request a school transfer within their district or to another district under existing agreements. School districts must honor these transfer requests when made by a parent in one of these professions, but are not required to provide transportation for the transfer. The bill amends Texas Education Code to establish this process, replacing a previous 2023 provision. It takes effect September 1, 2025, and directly affects eligible students and their families in these public service roles.

Maddy summaryHB 2031 prevents landlords from banning tenants from lawfully possessing firearms in specific areas of rental properties. It allows tenants to keep firearms in their rental units, vehicles parked in landlord-provided lots, and areas needed to access their unit or premises. Landlords who violate this law face civil penalties: $1,000-$1,500 for a first offense and $10,000-$10,500 for repeat violations. Tenants must first give landlords written notice of the violation and allow 3 business days to fix it before reporting to the attorney general. The collected penalties fund crime victim compensation.

Maddy summaryHB 1128 amends Texas Penal Code Section 46.03 to create an exception allowing licensed election judges and certain early voting staff to carry concealed handguns while performing their duties at polling places. This directly affects election judges (as defined in Election Code Chapter 32) and early voting clerks/deputies serving as election judges at early voting locations. The bill modifies the existing prohibition on concealed carry at polling places to exclude these specific election personnel who hold valid handgun licenses. The change applies only to offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025, the bill's effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill limits late payment fees charged by municipal water utilities in Texas. It caps fees at $5 or 2% of the overdue amount before day 32, $5 or 5% between days 32-41, and $5 or 10% after day 41. Utilities cannot begin charging penalties before 21 days after billing a customer, and penalties end when the full amount is paid. The rules apply only to fees charged on or after the bill's effective date (September 1, 2025, unless passed by two-thirds vote).

Maddy summaryHB 3717 establishes a Texas grant program to fund private entities conducting U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) drug development trials using ibogaine. The program targets organizations (for-profit, nonprofit, or public benefit corporations) that can design and execute FDA trials to seek approval of ibogaine as a medication for treating opioid use disorder, co-occurring substance use disorder, and other neurological or mental health conditions where ibogaine shows effectiveness. Applicants must submit detailed trial designs, team expertise, and FDA approval strategies. The grant covers costs for these trials, aiming to advance ibogaine's potential approval as a treatment option.

Maddy summaryHB 3219 would allow Texas pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without a doctor's prescription by requiring the state health commissioner to issue a statewide order. The bill mandates standardized protocols for pharmacists, including providing patient instructions on proper use, and protects pharmacists from liability when acting in good faith. It also requires pharmacists to submit annual reports on dispensing volumes. This directly affects licensed pharmacists and patients seeking ivermectin, changing current requirements that typically require a prescription.