Rep. Cecil Bell

Maddy summaryHB 3098 would increase criminal penalties for assaults committed against employees of primary and secondary schools, upgrading certain offenses from misdemeanors to third-degree felonies. The bill specifies that assaults occurring while an employee is performing job duties or in retaliation for their work would trigger these enhanced penalties. It also adds stricter conditions for community supervision (probated) for offenders convicted under this provision. This bill directly affects school staff, including teachers and administrators, by strengthening legal protections against workplace violence.

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 4660 establishes that space flight activities in Texas fall under both federal and state jurisdiction, prohibiting counties, municipalities, or other local entities from banning or regulating these activities (except as specified in Section 61.132 of the Natural Resources Code). The bill specifically applies to counties bordering the Gulf of Mexico with FAA-approved spaceports and smaller municipalities (under 150,000 population) that have beach access plans. It requires advance notice to local governments for launch dates between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. (to the municipality) or 5 p.m. to 8 a.m. (to the commissioners court), and allows temporary beach closures near launch sites for public safety during those dates. The bill does not create new regulations but clarifies local governments' limited authority over space flight activities near coastal areas.

Maddy summaryHB 626 would amend Texas law to grant specific federal law enforcement officers limited state authority to arrest, search, and seize for felony offenses only. It directly affects 20 federal agency personnel, including FBI agents, ICE officers, Secret Service agents, IRS special agents, and military criminal investigators. The bill lists these officers explicitly under Texas law, allowing them to exercise state-level powers while clarifying they remain "not peace officers." This change would take effect immediately if passed with a two-thirds vote or on September 1, 2025, if not. The bill does not expand authority to misdemeanors or alter existing state law enforcement structures.

Maddy summaryHB 2068 amends the governance structure of the Harris County Flood Control District, clarifying its boundaries and establishing a process for adjacent counties to join the district. The bill specifies that the district’s territory matches Harris County’s boundaries unless modified by specific laws, and adds a new section (Sec. 1C) allowing neighboring counties to petition to join the district via their commissioners court resolution. The district’s governing body, the Harris County Commissioners Court, would approve such petitions after a hearing if the addition benefits the district. This bill directly affects Harris County’s flood management operations and potentially adjacent counties seeking to participate in regional flood control efforts.

Maddy summaryHB 8 reduces the maximum tax rate school districts can collect for the 2025-2026 school year by $0.0331, calculated using a new method in Section 48.2554 of the Education Code. It directly affects all Texas public school districts by adjusting how their maximum tax rates are determined, ensuring rates don’t drop below 90% of neighboring districts’ rates. The bill updates references to "maximum compressed tax rate" in multiple education funding laws to reflect this change and expires on September 1, 2027. It takes effect September 1, 2025, with no additional funding or program changes beyond the tax rate adjustment.

Maddy summaryHB 1745 changes the process for property owners who dispute their tax appraisals before appraisal review boards. It sets new deadlines for hearings: protests filed March 1-July 1 must have a hearing by October 1, while other filings require a hearing within 90 days. The bill also requires appraisers to provide property owners with key documents 14 days before hearings, including the comptroller's pamphlet, data used in valuation, and a summary of why property values changed. This bill directly affects Texas property owners challenging their tax appraisals and takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 329 requires appraisal review boards to use an appraisal of residential property prepared by a licensed appraiser and submitted by the property owner when reviewing a protest about the property's assessed value for tax purposes. This bill directly affects homeowners challenging their property tax assessments and the appraisal review boards that handle these disputes. The key provision mandates that the board must rely solely on the owner's submitted appraisal rather than conducting its own evaluation or using other appraisal methods. This change would standardize the process for residential property value protests in tax assessment disputes.

Maddy summaryThe context provided does not include the actual text or content of HB 5612. Only the bill title ("Relating to state preemption of certain municipal and county regulation"), filing date (2025-03-14), and procedural status (referred to State Affairs on 2025-04-07) are available. Without access to the bill's specific provisions or language, a summary of its policy changes, affected parties, or mechanisms cannot be generated. The note "This version is not currently available" confirms the necessary details are missing from the provided context.