Rep. Cody Harris

Maddy summaryHB 16 expands funding options for water infrastructure projects under the Texas Water Development Board. It allows the state water fund to provide financial assistance to local governments (political subdivisions) for specific projects like desalination plants (marine and brackish water), produced water treatment (excluding oil/gas exploration), aquifer storage, reservoirs with federal/state permits, and potable water reuse systems. The bill also clarifies that funds can be transferred to designated state water programs, including the state water implementation fund and water bank account. This directly affects communities and local agencies developing new water sources to address Texas' growing demand. The changes amend existing Water Code sections to enable these financing mechanisms.

Maddy summaryHB 3665 increases criminal penalties for assaulting specific public servants and expands charges for interfering with their duties. It amends Texas Penal Code Sections 22.01 and 38.15 to upgrade assault against peace officers, emergency personnel, or firefighters performing duties to a Class B misdemeanor (or Class A for pregnant individuals pressured to have abortions). The bill also creates a legal presumption that an attacker knew the victim was a public servant if they wore a uniform or badge. This directly affects law enforcement, emergency responders, and correctional officers by making assaults against them more severely punishable. The changes apply to incidents occurring while these officials are actively performing their official responsibilities.

Maddy summaryHB 173 prohibits Texas public universities from soliciting or accepting money, gifts, or donations from specific foreign governments. It directly affects all public institutions of higher education in Texas by banning funds from China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, or any country that supports foreign terrorist organizations. The bill requires the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to create rules for implementation and takes effect September 1, 2025. This policy change aims to restrict financial ties between Texas universities and certain foreign entities.

Maddy summaryHB 4316 prevents counties and municipalities from banning or fining residents for using transportation modes (like bicycles or scooters) that are already permitted under state law on public roadways. The bill amends Texas Transportation Code sections 251.162 (for counties) and 311.905 (for cities) to prohibit local governments from: (1) restricting such transportation modes, or (2) imposing fines for their use. This directly affects local authorities' ability to create new local restrictions on non-motorized transportation. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, and only applies to modes not already restricted by state law.

Maddy summaryHB 4381 requires the Texas Education Agency to create a plain-language document in English and Spanish explaining parents' rights regarding their child's health information and decisions in public schools. The document must cover specific rights, including accessing health records (like counseling or immunization data), withholding consent for health activities, removing children from classes conflicting with religious beliefs, and opting out of certain screenings or vaccinations. School districts must post the document online and email it to all parents before the first day of each school year. The bill also authorizes administrative penalties for schools that fail to comply with these requirements.

Maddy summaryHB 1402 prohibits Texas state agencies, political subdivisions (like cities or counties), and the state itself from using public funds to alter roadways for high-speed rail construction projects. It specifically bars spending state or local money on road changes needed for high-speed rail, whether operated by public or private entities. The bill amends the Transportation Code to clarify that public funds cannot cover such roadway alterations, except where required by federal law or other existing state laws. This restriction applies to all high-speed rail projects defined as service reaching at least 110 mph.

Maddy summaryHB 4198 requires Texas school districts to update their library collection policies every five years to prohibit certain materials, including harmful content (per Penal Code), sexually explicit material rated by vendors, and content containing indecent or profane material. The bill mandates that policies must recognize parents as primary decision-makers for student library access, require transparency in cataloging, and prevent removal of materials based solely on ideas or author background. School districts that fail to comply face a civil penalty. This applies directly to all public school districts managing library collections, including classroom and online resources.

Maddy summaryHB 4195 prohibits Texas public schools and universities from entering contracts or accepting money from "foreign adversaries," defined as countries like China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, Qatar, or others designated under U.S. law. It specifically bans arrangements involving research partnerships, student exchanges, faculty collaborations, or intellectual property sharing with these entities. Violations could result in fines up to 150% of the contract value, with collected penalties deposited into the state’s foundation school fund. The bill directly affects all public school districts and institutions of higher education in Texas.

Maddy summaryHB 3856 requires non-citizens in Texas who are legally required to carry federal immigration documentation to present it to police during a lawful detention. It makes it a misdemeanor (Class C, or Class B for repeat offenses or false information) to refuse to provide truthful immigration status, fail to show required documents, or give false information. The bill also mandates that police notify federal immigration authorities within 12 hours if they determine a detained person is unlawfully present in the U.S. This law directly affects non-citizens subject to federal immigration documentation requirements and law enforcement officers.

Maddy summaryHB 3936 would automatically cancel all voter registrations in Texas on January 1 of the year following every presidential election. This affects every registered voter in the state, requiring them to re-register under Chapter 13 of the Election Code after each presidential election cycle. Key provisions include removing the option to challenge these cancellations (Section 16.040(b)), changing registration expiration dates from gubernatorial to presidential elections, and eliminating the suspense list cancellation process previously tied to November 30. The bill makes no changes to voting eligibility requirements or procedures beyond this mandatory re-registration cycle.