Rep. Mando Martinez

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 4331 requires the Texas Water Development Board to study ways to streamline the state environmental review process for flood control and drainage projects seeking financial assistance from the flood infrastructure fund (under Water Code Chapter 15). The study must be completed by January 1, 2027, and the Board must then implement new internal procedures based on the findings. This directly affects flood infrastructure projects eligible for state funding, aiming to reduce delays in environmental reviews. The bill expires September 1, 2027, and takes effect in 2025 if passed with a two-thirds vote.

Maddy summaryHB 4329 requires the Texas Water Development Board to study factors affecting the costs of developing drainage infrastructure across Texas, with a report due by January 1, 2027. The study must identify cost drivers like location, materials, and project scale, then compare regional cost differences. The Board must submit a written report to the legislature based on this analysis. The bill expires September 1, 2027, and does not allocate funding or mandate specific infrastructure projects.

Maddy summaryHB 2088 creates a legal framework for establishing a public law school in Cameron or Hidalgo County (Rio Grande Valley) within Texas university systems. It allows governing boards to create the law school, set courses, award degrees, and manage operations, but requires coordination with the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to assess need, demand, and feasibility. The bill explicitly prohibits state funding for the school before 2031 and mandates a feasibility study before establishment. This legislation directly affects universities in the Rio Grande Valley seeking to launch law programs and sets the procedural path for future implementation. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, following its passage on May 10, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 256 authorizes the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) to conduct rapid DNA tests using mouth swabs on individuals detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) at the Texas-Mexico border who are suspected of falsely claiming family relationships with others detained by CBP. The program requires DPS to destroy biological samples after testing and prohibits creating a DNA database from these tests. Results must be shared with CBP for federal immigration enforcement, and the agreement with CBP must include these destruction and database restrictions. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1777 requires Texas driver's licenses and personal ID certificates to include a visible designation indicating the holder is a registered sex offender, as mandated by a court order under Texas law. This designation applies only to licenses issued or renewed on or after September 1, 2025, leaving existing licenses unaffected. The bill directly affects individuals subject to sex offender registration under Chapter 62 of the Texas Code of Criminal Procedure. It does not change registration requirements but adds a standardized visual identifier to identification documents for public awareness. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, as specified in Section 3.

Maddy summaryHB 2109 requires Texas' state water agency to automatically remove proposed reservoir projects from the State Water Plan if construction hasn't begun within 50 years of their inclusion in the plan. This directly affects reservoir projects listed in the plan for 50 or more years, such as those proposed decades ago without progress. Once removed, these projects cannot be reinstated in future versions of the water plan. The law applies retroactively to projects included in the plan for 50+ years and takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 3223 shortens the time limit for lawsuits related to construction or repair defects on real property. It reduces the deadline from 10 years to 8 years after substantial completion for claims against architects, engineers, or contractors. If a written claim is submitted during this period, the deadline extends by two years (for most claims) or one year (for specific cases). This bill directly affects construction professionals and property owners by changing when legal action must be filed for defective work.

Maddy summaryHB 2275 requires that surplus lines insurance contracts (specialized policies for high-risk or hard-to-place coverage) containing arbitration agreements must specify that any arbitration occurs in Texas and follows Texas law. It mandates that both the arbitration process and contract interpretation be governed by Texas statutes, applying only to contracts delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026. Existing contracts before that date remain subject to prior law. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and directly affects insurers writing surplus lines policies in Texas.

Maddy summaryHJR 161 proposes amending the Texas Constitution to explicitly prohibit non-citizen residents from voting in Texas elections. The bill would add "persons who are not citizens of the United States" as a new category barred from voting, alongside existing restrictions for minors, those declared mentally incompetent, and convicted felons. If approved by voters in November 2025, this constitutional change would formally enshrine the current legal standard - non-citizens already cannot vote in Texas - into the state constitution. The amendment requires voter approval at the 2025 general election, with ballot language specifying the change. This is a procedural constitutional amendment, not a new voting law.