Rep. Andy Hopper

Maddy summaryHB 778 requires most health insurance plans in Texas to cover medical expenses related to complications ("adverse effects") from gender transition treatments and procedures to reverse those treatments. It applies to individual, group, and employer-sponsored health plans, including HMOs, nonprofit health plans, and certain government-sponsored coverage. The law specifically mandates coverage for medical/surgical expenses tied to complications or reversals of gender transition procedures, not for standard transition care itself. This affects insurers offering plans under Texas Insurance Code chapters 842-846, 884-885, 941-942, and 1501-1682.

Maddy summaryHB 1674 would ban the production, sale, and use of certain agricultural products containing PFAS chemicals (like pesticides or crop protectants). It directly affects agricultural businesses, manufacturers, and sellers of these products. The bill creates criminal penalties for violations, treating unauthorized PFAS use as a punishable offense. The bill is currently pending in the Environmental Regulation committee after committee hearings. (Note: Full bill text is not yet available; this summary is based on the title and pending status.)

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 summaryHB 1290 bans seven specific food additives - brominated vegetable oil (BVO), potassium bromate, propylparaben, azodicarbonamide, butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), red dye 3, and titanium dioxide - from free or reduced-price meals provided by Texas school districts and open-enrollment charter schools. The bill applies to meals served under federal programs like the National School Breakfast Program and National School Lunch Program. It prohibits these additives in all meals provided to eligible students through school meal programs, effective for contracts entered into or renewed on or after September 1, 2025. The law aims to remove these additives from school meals without specifying health outcomes or industry impacts.

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.

Maddy summaryHB 1387 amends Texas law to expand eligibility pathways for taking the bar exam to become a licensed attorney. It adds two new options beyond traditional law school: completing a two-year apprenticeship under a licensed Texas attorney or gaining two years of full-time paralegal work experience in Texas. The bill specifically defines "approved law school" and requires the Texas Supreme Court to establish rules ensuring candidates meet character, education, and practical experience standards. This change directly affects individuals seeking to practice law in Texas who do not attend a traditional law school. The bill is currently pending in committee as of May 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 3061 increases penalties for certain criminal offenses committed while wearing masks or disguises specifically to hide the offender's identity. It applies to offenses under Texas law covering assault, robbery, public disorder (Title 5, Chapters 28-30, or Sections 42.01/42.02). If proven, the punishment escalates to the next higher offense category, with a minimum 180-day jail term for Class A misdemeanors. Exceptions allow the penalty increase to be avoided if the disguise was for events like Halloween, proven by a preponderance of evidence.

Maddy summaryThis bill requires Texas licensing authorities to issue provisional occupational licenses for six months to applicants with criminal convictions who are otherwise qualified for the license, unless they have specific serious convictions listed in the Occupations Code. The provisional license begins upon the applicant's release from incarceration if they were imprisoned. It applies to most occupational licensing fields (like healthcare or trades) but excludes applicants convicted of offenses under Section 53.021(a). The bill provides a pathway for certain applicants to obtain licenses without full revocation of eligibility.

Maddy summaryHB 342 allows Texas counties with populations under 1.2 million (that don't use countywide polling) to combine election precincts under specific conditions. It permits combining precincts with fewer than 500 registered voters to reduce election costs, or for larger counties (250,000+ population) to combine precincts with 500-750 voters. Combined precincts must not exceed 10,000 voters and cannot dilute voting rights for protected groups under federal law. The bill affects county election administrators in smaller Texas counties managing precinct boundaries.

Maddy summaryHB 952 requires all mail-in early voting ballots to include a unique electronic code that election officials can scan to verify authenticity. It mandates that clerks and ballot boards use electronic devices to check these codes against issued ballots before counting, rejecting any ballot with a mismatched code. The bill explicitly prohibits creating records linking individual voters to these codes, ensuring voter anonymity. This change applies to all mail-in ballots processed under Texas election law, taking effect September 1, 2025.