Rep. Matt Shaheen

Maddy summaryHB 671 restricts cities, counties, and other local governments from using public funds to hire lobbyists or pay nonprofit associations that hire lobbyists for general legislative advocacy. The bill prohibits spending taxpayer money to influence most state legislation, with key exceptions allowing lobbying related to military, veterans, or service members' issues, and permitting nonprofit staff to provide non-lobbying services like bill tracking or testimony. Taxpayers can seek court orders to stop prohibited spending and recover legal fees if they win a lawsuit. This bill updates Texas law to limit how local governments spend public funds on legislative advocacy efforts.

Maddy summaryHB 725 requires Texas school districts to spend at least 55% of bilingual education funds on bilingual/special language programs. It specifies that these funds may only be used for program evaluation, instructional materials, staff development, teacher salary supplements, costs for smaller class sizes, and other supplies needed for quality instruction. The bill directly affects school districts receiving bilingual education allotments under the Foundation School Program. It takes effect for the 2025-2026 school year, pending legislative approval for immediate implementation.

Maddy summaryHB 717 would protect public school employees in Texas from being prohibited from engaging in religious speech or prayer during work hours, unless a school district or government entity demonstrates a compelling state interest that requires the restriction and uses the least restrictive means possible. The bill specifically prohibits schools from infringing on this right except in narrowly defined circumstances, such as preventing disruption to school operations. This proposed law directly affects all public school employees (teachers, staff, etc.) in Texas school districts and charter schools, but it is still pending in committee and has not become law. The bill would take effect immediately if passed by a two-thirds vote in both legislative chambers, otherwise on September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 340 would require public school districts to include a provision in their student codes of conduct that bans students from wearing clothing or displaying items indicating membership in or support for certain organizations. This rule would directly affect students in public schools by restricting specific types of expression during school hours. The bill does not specify which organizations are covered, so the exact scope of the prohibition remains undefined in the provided information. The bill was recently referred to the Public Education committee for further consideration.

Maddy summaryHB 389 prohibits purchasing lottery tickets via telephone or internet/mobile applications and bans facilitating such play for compensation. It directly affects individuals attempting to buy tickets digitally and third parties who arrange or sell tickets on behalf of others through these platforms. The bill creates Class C misdemeanors for purchasing tickets and Class A misdemeanors for facilitating play (e.g., accepting orders or selling tickets for payment). If enacted, it would make these activities illegal starting September 1, 2025, aligning with existing Texas lottery regulations. The bill is currently pending in the Licensing & Administrative Procedures committee.

Maddy summaryThe full text of HB 239 is not available in the provided context, only its title and basic status. The title indicates the bill relates to regulations for entering or using private spaces and authorizes civil penalties, but specific provisions, affected parties, or mechanisms cannot be described without the bill text. Recent actions show it was filed in November 2024 and referred to State Affairs in February 2025. Without access to the bill's content, a detailed summary of its policy changes cannot be generated. For accurate details, consult the official bill PDF or legislative database.