Rep. Cody Vasut

Maddy summaryHB 298 creates a rule for when Texas state legislators lose their seats due to missing sessions. If a senator or representative misses 14 unexcused floor sessions during a regular legislative session (or 3 during a special session) without majority approval from their chamber, their seat becomes vacant. This applies only to absences occurring after the bill’s effective date and does not affect existing terms. The bill directly affects legislators who fail to attend sessions without valid justification approved by their chamber’s majority.

Maddy summaryHR 58 amends the Texas House of Representatives' permanent rules to remove a restriction preventing the minority party from appointing a member as vice-chair of standing committees. It also eliminates a separate budget for the vice-chair position. These changes directly affect committee leadership structure by allowing bipartisan appointments for vice-chairs and removing dedicated funding for that role. The bill specifically revises Rule 4, Section 4A (removing the party restriction) and adds Rule 4, Section 6A(c) (ending the separate budget). This is a procedural rule change focused on internal committee operations, not a policy affecting public programs or services.

Maddy summaryHB 291 requires Texas medical schools to ensure at least 50% of required coursework for medical degrees uses letter grades (A-F) or equivalent tiered systems for assessment. It prohibits medical schools from using standardized test scores as the sole factor in admissions decisions and mandates that schools must notify the legislature and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board before revising admission or academic standards. The bill also explicitly prohibits medical schools from considering race, sex, color, ethnicity, or national origin in admissions or employment decisions. These provisions apply to all medical schools in Texas offering medical degrees or certificates.

Maddy summaryHB 5 allocates $324 million in supplemental funds from Texas' economic stabilization fund for disaster relief and preparedness. It provides $200 million to match federal disaster aid and support state disaster funds, $50 million for flood warning systems and equipment in 27 counties affected by a July 2025 flood declaration, and $24 million to improve weather forecasting and flood management in the Texas Hill Country. An additional $50 million is contingent on passing related legislation about emergency communication systems. The bill directly affects local governments in designated counties and state agencies managing disaster response.

Maddy summaryHB 2 requires justices of the peace in counties without a medical examiner to complete training on managing mass fatality events within one year of election. The training covers autopsy decisions, body identification protocols, missing persons data collection, interagency coordination, and real-time family notifications. Failure to complete this training is defined as "incompetency" for removal under local government law. The bill also allows the Texas Commission on Fire Protection to access criminal history records for license applicants and employees while restricting disclosure of that information. It authorizes fees related to these requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 226 requires youth camp operators in Texas to provide each camper with an active radio frequency identification (RFID) tag capable of tracking location if a camper goes missing or during severe weather/disasters. The bill directly affects youth camp operators and requires them to obtain written consent from a camper’s parent or legal guardian before issuing a tag. Key provisions include mandating the tags for emergency location tracking, prohibiting their use without parental consent, and directing the health commissioner to adopt implementing rules. The bill does not require ongoing tracking but only activates the tag during specific emergency scenarios.

Maddy summaryHB 64 creates a rule that Texas state senators and representatives lose their seats if absent from all legislative proceedings without approved leave for seven consecutive days when their house is in session. This provision directly affects legislators who miss sessions without permission, triggering an immediate vacancy. The bill specifies that the absence must occur during days the house is meeting, not just calendar days. It would take effect immediately if passed with a two-thirds vote, otherwise 91 days after the legislative session ends.

Maddy summaryHB 236 creates an affirmative defense for individuals prosecuted under certain laws if they were victims of human trafficking or compelled prostitution. It applies when a person engaged in criminal conduct (like prostitution or other offenses) directly because they were subjected to force, fraud, or coercion by traffickers, and would not have committed the act otherwise. The defense requires showing the conduct was compelled by such means, that a reasonable person in similar circumstances would have been compelled, and that the person wasn’t merely offered an opportunity without coercion. This applies to prosecutions for offenses under Sections 20A.02 (human trafficking) or 43.05 (prostitution) but excludes specific offenses listed in state law. The bill affects individuals prosecuted for crimes committed while trafficked, shifting legal focus to their victim status during prosecution.

Maddy summaryHB 77 creates a statewide 6.72% value-added tax (VAT) on business transactions in Texas, replacing certain existing local property taxes for school districts. It directly affects businesses (including small businesses, which are exempt), school districts (through the repeal of some local property taxes), and taxpayers who supply goods or services. The bill calculates tax as the difference between "output tax" (tax on sales) and "input tax" (tax paid on business purchases), with exemptions for governments, nonprofits, and specific services like financial transactions. This tax would fund school finance reforms while modifying how local and state taxes are collected.

Maddy summaryHB 186 restricts how local governments (like cities, counties, and school districts) can use public funds for lobbying. It prohibits spending public money to hire registered lobbyists or pay nonprofit groups that represent local governments and employ lobbyists. Exceptions include activities by elected officials, employees providing information to legislators, travel expenses for such activities, and services by associations representing sheriffs or law enforcement. The bill allows taxpayers to sue to stop prohibited spending and recover legal fees if they win. This directly affects local government budget decisions regarding legislative advocacy.