Rep. Cole Hefner

Maddy summaryHB 1583 requires Texas peace officers to file a standardized notification form when detaining someone for mental health reasons. The form must include specific details like the officer's belief that the person has mental illness, poses an imminent risk of serious harm, and evidence of recent behavior causing that risk. Facilities receiving the detained person must include this form in their clinical file. This bill directly affects peace officers, mental health facilities, and individuals experiencing mental health crises requiring emergency detention under Texas law.

Maddy summaryHB 3285 would require smart device manufacturers and service providers (like those making smart speakers, wearables, or home appliances) to provide consumers with clear, mobile app-based summaries about how their personal data is handled. The bill mandates that operators explain what data is collected (including biometrics or recordings), why it's collected, how it's captured, where it's stored (locally or sent to others), and the security policies protecting it. This directly affects users of smart devices and operators who sell, manufacture, or process data from these devices in Texas. The law would apply to most commercial smart devices but exclude state agencies, local governments, and utility providers.

Maddy summaryHB 54, titled "Relating to the display of and allowance for non-human behaviors in Texas schools," is a procedural bill that amends school discipline requirements. It mandates that Texas public school districts include specific factors in their student conduct codes, such as self-defense, intent, disability considerations, and homelessness status, when making disciplinary decisions like suspensions or expulsions. The bill requires schools to post these codes prominently and consider these factors in all disciplinary actions. It does not ban specific activities but standardizes how schools evaluate student behavior. The bill is currently pending in the Education Committee.

Maddy summaryHB 118 establishes the Texas Advisory Committee on Pacific Conflict to advise the state on preparing for potential conflicts in the Pacific Ocean region. The bill defines "Pacific conflict" as threats involving U.S. allies in the Pacific, including attacks on U.S. homeland or disruptions to supply chains with China or Taiwan. The committee will focus on reducing security vulnerabilities in Texas, protecting critical infrastructure (like oil/gas systems, water supply, and communications networks), and ensuring critical procurement for state operations. This is a procedural bill creating an advisory body, not a direct policy change, with no voting record yet as it remains pending in committee.

Maddy summaryHB 4483 establishes a funding mechanism for regulating workers' compensation insurance in Texas by authorizing annual surcharges on workers' compensation insurance policies. The bill requires the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) to set these surcharge rates each year and notify the state comptroller 45 days before payment deadlines. These surcharges will fund TDI's regulatory operations related to workers' compensation insurance. The bill does not alter workers' compensation benefits or insurance requirements, only the process for collecting and managing regulatory fees.

Maddy summaryHB 2436 amends Texas Penal Code Section 22.05 to create a legal exception for peace officers prosecuted under deadly conduct laws. It directly affects peace officers (such as police officers) who are actively discharging official duties. The bill states that an officer cannot be prosecuted for deadly conduct if they reasonably believed their actions were necessary or justified under specific use-of-force statutes (Sections 9.31-9.33) at the time. This exception applies to conduct occurring on or after the bill's effective date of September 1, 2025, but does not affect existing final convictions.

Maddy summaryHB 4675 makes it a third-degree felony for someone not lawfully present in the United States to possess a firearm. This bill directly affects undocumented immigrants who own or carry guns, as it creates a new criminal offense under Texas Penal Code Section 46.04. The key provision adds Subsection (a-2), specifying that firearm possession by non-lawfully present individuals constitutes a crime. This amendment increases penalties for this specific violation, distinguishing it from other firearm offenses that carry lesser penalties. The law does not apply to U.S. citizens or legal residents.

Maddy summaryThis resolution declares the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) unwelcome at the Texas Capitol. It directly affects CAIR's access to state legislative facilities based on the resolution's stated reasons. The resolution cites alleged ties between CAIR and terrorist organizations (including Hamas and the Muslim Brotherhood), FBI actions suspending contacts with CAIR, and specific legal cases involving CAIR associates convicted of terrorism-related offenses. The policy change is purely symbolic, establishing a formal statement of inaccessibility for CAIR at the Capitol without creating new legal requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 5510, titled the Women and Child Protection Act, creates civil liability for distributing abortion-inducing drugs and establishes a private civil right of action against individuals or organizations that facilitate access to elective abortions. The bill directly affects abortion assistance organizations - defined as entities providing financial support, travel arrangements, childcare, or logistical services to enable abortions - as well as those distributing abortion-inducing drugs. Key provisions include authorizing private lawsuits for damages related to these activities and creating criminal offenses for certain violations. The law harmonizes existing abortion-related provisions in Texas law while focusing on civil enforcement mechanisms rather than criminal penalties for patients.

Maddy summarySB 14, titled the Regulatory Reform and Efficiency Act, creates the Texas Regulatory Efficiency Office within the governor's office to streamline how state agencies develop and review regulations. The office will help agencies identify unnecessary rules, reduce costs for businesses and individuals, and establish a public online portal for searching regulatory information. This bill directly affects state agencies that create regulations and the public who interact with those regulations. The new office will operate until 2037 unless extended under the Sunset Act, with its work focused on improving regulatory efficiency and transparency.