Rep. Hillary Hickland

Maddy summaryHB 3548 clarifies that open-enrollment charter schools must comply with existing education code requirements regarding health instruction on human sexuality, sexual orientation, and gender identity. It amends Section 12.104(b) of the Education Code to explicitly include charter schools under the same regulatory framework as traditional public schools for these topics. The bill ensures charter schools follow established rules for curriculum content, monitoring, and reporting related to this instruction. It does not change the content of required instruction but specifies that charter schools must adhere to the same standards as other public schools. The bill is currently in the Public Education committee for review.

Maddy summaryHB 3404 requires certain large Texas cities (population over 60,000 in counties with over 420,000 residents) and counties (population over 420,000) to allow mixed-use residential and multifamily residential development in zoning areas already permitting commercial uses. It prohibits local governments from demanding zoning changes, variances, or special approvals before permitting such projects, which include conversions of commercial buildings to housing. The bill defines "mixed-use residential" as developments where residential space makes up at least 65% of total square footage and "multifamily residential" as projects with three or more dwelling units (including condos). This law aims to reduce regulatory barriers for housing development in designated high-population areas.

Maddy summaryHB 3222 amends Texas education law to expand appeal rights for school employees harmed financially by school district violations, such as breaches of employment contracts. It gives the commissioner of education new authority to send cases back to districts for additional evidence or to order corrective actions when violations are found. The bill also creates a specific process for remanding appeals to districts for new hearings if original appeals failed due to procedural errors, incorrect claims, or missing evidence. This law directly affects school districts, employees, and the commissioner, but excludes student disciplinary actions and extracurricular activities.

Maddy summaryHB 3013 prohibits Texas school districts from using public funds to pay or contract with individuals or entities that have a financial or vested interest in the passage of a school bond proposal. Specifically, it bans school boards from spending taxpayer money to promote or advocate for bond approval through third parties, such as consultants or campaign groups, who stand to benefit if the bond passes. The law directly affects school districts and any outside contractors they might hire for bond-related advocacy. It becomes effective September 1, 2025, and aims to prevent potential conflicts of interest in bond campaigns.

Maddy summaryHB 3147 requires Texas public school districts to provide more detailed fiscal reports to the Texas Education Agency. Specifically, districts must break down annual spending by category (including instruction, support, administration, operations, and debt service) and compare it to the previous year's actual spending. The bill also adds a new requirement for districts to annually report the percentage of funds spent on contracts that improve student outcomes, as defined by commissioner rules. This directly affects all 1,200+ Texas public school districts and the Texas Education Agency, which will collect and review these reports starting September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 3160 requires Texas public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to adopt internet safety policies that comply with federal law (Children's Internet Protection Act) and mandate vendors to certify they won't provide obscene or harmful content to minors. It also requires schools to create a public process for reporting and responding to internet safety concerns, with annual reports submitted to the education agency. Public libraries must adopt similar policies protecting minors accessing online resources, including vendor certifications. Non-compliant school districts face withheld state funding under Chapters 46 and 48 until they meet the requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 3210 requires state contractors, local governments (political subdivisions), and private employers in Texas to use the federal E-Verify program to confirm employee work authorization. The bill mandates that state agencies cannot award contracts to entities not registered with E-Verify, and contracts must include a certification statement confirming compliance. Contractors must maintain E-Verify participation throughout the contract term, and violations would be referred to the comptroller for action. This policy directly affects businesses and government entities entering into state contracts by making federal employment verification a contractual condition. The bill focuses on implementing existing federal verification requirements through state contract rules.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a legal defense for property owners who use a legally carried firearm to disable or destroy drones entering their property without permission. To qualify, the person must be on their own property, not prohibited from discharging a firearm there, and the drone must not have been authorized to be on the property. It applies to criminal charges under Texas Penal Code Sections 28.03-28.04 and civil liability claims for drone-related property damage. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, and only covers incidents occurring after that date.

Maddy summaryHB 2752 would add Subchapter H to Texas Property Code, creating new restrictions on foreign individuals or entities from "designated countries" purchasing or acquiring title to Texas real property. A "designated country" is defined as one identified by U.S. intelligence as a national security risk, designated as a state sponsor of terrorism, or subject to U.S. sanctions related to arms transfers. The bill requires that transactions involving such foreign buyers comply with these new provisions, though it does not ban all foreign purchases. This policy change directly affects foreign buyers from the specified countries and modifies existing property rights language in the Texas Property Code. The bill is currently pending in committee and has not yet become law.

Maddy summaryHB 2816 protects healthcare providers and facilities from being required to participate in or provide certain health care services that conflict with their sincerely held religious or philosophical beliefs. It defines key terms like "conscience," "health care provider" (including students and non-licensed staff), and "health care service" (covering family planning, abortion-related counseling, and treatment). The bill creates a civil remedy for violations and authorizes disciplinary action against entities that force non-participation in services due to conscience objections. It directly affects hospitals, clinics, pharmacists, and all healthcare workers who may decline services like abortion care or contraception-related counseling. The law aims to prevent adverse actions against providers who refuse such services based on personal beliefs.