Rep. David Spiller

Maddy summarySB 1173 reduces the threshold requiring competitive procurement for Texas school districts, municipalities, and counties from $100,000 to $50,000 for most contracts. It applies to purchases of goods and services (excluding produce/fuel for schools and sole-supplier items), mandating methods like competitive bidding, sealed proposals, or reverse auctions. The bill clarifies that purchases from a single supplier aren’t subject to these rules and prohibits splitting contracts to avoid the threshold. This procedural change affects all local government spending above $50,000, effective September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 198, known as the Wade Cannon Act, requires Texas cities and counties that employ firefighters to provide free occupational cancer screenings starting in a firefighter's fifth year of service, with annual screenings thereafter. The screenings must include specific tests: urine, pulmonary function, electrocardiogram, infectious disease screening, breast cancer screening, blood tests, and chest x-rays (limited to once every five years). Political subdivisions may exempt themselves if they already offer annual occupational medical exams meeting standards set by the National Fire Protection Association and approved by the Texas Commission on Fire Protection. The law takes effect June 1, 2026, directly affecting all Texas firefighters employed by local governments.

Maddy summaryHB 4 restricts Texas public school districts and campuses from obtaining exemptions or waivers for specific requirements, including graduation standards, school accountability measures under Chapters 39 and 39A, health and safety rules, and programs for special education and bilingual students. The bill explicitly prohibits waivers for federal mandates, essential knowledge/skills, class size limits (except as allowed by law), extracurricular activities, and other key areas listed in the legislation. It also changes the appeal process for challenges to the commissioner's decisions, requiring appeals to be filed in Travis County district court with specific procedural steps. This bill directly affects school districts, the Texas Education Agency, and individuals seeking to challenge educational decisions.

Maddy summaryHB 3520 sets new insurance requirements for ride-hailing drivers (like Uber or Lyft drivers) in Texas. It requires their auto insurance policies to provide minimum coverage of $50,000 per person for bodily injury, $100,000 per incident, and $25,000 for property damage when they are logged into the app but not carrying passengers. When drivers are actively transporting passengers, policies must cover up to $1 million total for bodily injury, death, or property damage per incident. These changes apply only to insurance policies delivered, issued, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 3029 allows the Far North Fort Worth Municipal Utility District No. 1 (serving Tarrant and Wise Counties) to establish specific service areas - potentially noncontiguous tracts - and impose local taxes or issue bonds to fund improvements (like water or sewer infrastructure) that primarily benefit those designated areas. It overrides a standard acreage requirement in Texas Water Code, permitting the district to finance projects that directly serve targeted properties rather than the entire district. This bill specifically modifies the district’s authority under existing law, with no impact on other districts or statewide policy. The changes apply only to this single utility district’s operations.

Maddy summaryHB 1610 adds new chapters (5A, 9A, 49A, 50A) to Texas' Code of Criminal Procedure focused on family violence cases. It establishes specific duties for peace officers (like prioritizing victim protection regardless of relationship), prohibits delays in criminal prosecutions based on civil proceedings, and bans referrals to mediation in criminal cases. The bill affects law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and courts handling family violence allegations by clarifying procedural requirements. It reorganizes existing law without changing substantive penalties or creating new offenses, primarily streamlining how family violence cases are investigated and prosecuted.

Maddy summaryHB 1620 is a procedural bill focused on administrative maintenance of Texas law, not policy changes. It updates the state's legal codes by codifying laws omitted from existing codes, correcting minor errors, and aligning references across statutes without altering substantive rules. For example, it revises the Agriculture Code to reflect prior legislative updates (like H.B. 2308) while preserving the original law's meaning. This bill affects how legal references are organized but does not change any rights, obligations, or regulations for citizens or businesses. It became law automatically on September 1, 2025, after passing both chambers and being filed without the governor's signature.

Maddy summaryHB 21 amends Texas Local Government Code provisions affecting housing finance corporations that develop or manage low- and moderate-income housing. It defines qualifying residential developments as those where at least 90% of units are intended for households with adjusted gross income below state-defined moderate income levels. The bill also requires these corporations to follow open meetings and public records laws (Chapter 551 and 552, Government Code) and restricts their development to areas within the boundaries of their sponsoring local governments - unless approved by those governing bodies. These changes clarify operational rules and transparency requirements for housing finance corporations serving low- and moderate-income residents.

Maddy summaryHB 796 would allow the Texas legislature to declare certain federal laws, executive orders, or agency rules unconstitutional if they infringe on state powers under the Tenth Amendment or limit Texas's ability to protect public health, safety, or welfare. The bill creates a process where the legislature could pass a concurrent resolution to declare a federal directive unconstitutional and then prohibit state and local government employees from enforcing it. This would directly affect most state and local officials, including county, city, school district, and charter school employees, but exclude the lieutenant governor, legislators, and their staff. The bill does not create new penalties but establishes a formal legislative mechanism to block state enforcement of federal actions deemed unconstitutional by the legislature.

Maddy summaryHB 1615 creates a new legal framework for the Willacy County Navigation District by adding Chapter 5008 to Texas' Special District Local Laws Code. The bill establishes definitions, board structure (five commissioners with staggered four-year terms), election rules (four single-member districts plus one at-large seat), and administrative procedures for the district. It does not change the district's operational policies or funding but organizes its legal structure by updating references to existing 1953 laws. This technical revision directly affects Willacy County Navigation District operations and governance. The bill passed both chambers in 2025 and was filed without the governor's signature, becoming effective upon filing.