Rep. Brooks Landgraf

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 5337 requires Texas voters to submit proof of U.S. citizenship when registering to vote. Applicants must provide documents like a U.S. passport, birth certificate, or citizenship papers to county registrars. If proof isn't submitted, voters would only qualify for a limited federal ballot under Chapter 115. The bill creates criminal penalties for failing to provide required documentation and amends election code sections to implement these requirements. This directly affects all new voter registrants in Texas seeking full voting rights.

Maddy summaryHB 3426 requires the Texas Department of Public Safety to issue digital versions of driver's licenses, commercial driver's licenses, and personal identification certificates. These digital licenses must be accessible via smartphone apps, include all standard license information, and meet security verification standards. The bill specifies that digital licenses will be treated as legally equivalent to physical licenses under Texas law for most purposes. It also authorizes the department to charge a fee for providing this service.

Maddy summaryHB 441 adjusts the funding formula for rural school districts under Texas' Foundation School Program by lowering the minimum student attendance thresholds used to calculate basic allotments. Specifically, it reduces the required attendance basis from 350 to 130 students for districts offering K-12 programs meeting attendance or distance criteria (90+ students or 30+ miles from nearest high school district), from 75 to 50 students for K-8 districts (50+ students or 30+ miles), and from 60 to 40 students for K-6 districts (40+ students or 30+ miles). This change directly benefits small, rural school districts with low enrollment by providing more equitable funding relative to their actual student population. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and is currently pending in committee.

Maddy summaryHB 4290 amends Texas Utilities Code to clarify that certain energy facilities - specifically qualifying cogenerators serving digital product manufacturing and co-located desalination plants - do not count as retail electric utilities. The bill defines a qualifying cogenerator as one providing electricity and thermal/steam waste heat to a desalination facility on the same site, while primarily powering digital manufacturing operations. This exemption prevents such facilities from being regulated as retail electric providers under Texas law, streamlining their operations. The change applies to existing facilities that met specific environmental and construction timelines (e.g., pre-1998 permits and construction).

Maddy summaryHB 4952 protects certain fraud detection and deterrence information from public disclosure under Texas law. It makes specific materials - including risk assessments, fraud investigation reports, data protocols, and investigative techniques - confidential and exempt from standard public records requests. This applies directly to state and local government agencies that handle fraud prevention. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and aims to prevent public disclosure of methods used to detect or deter fraud.

Maddy summaryHJR 4 proposes a constitutional amendment that would prohibit Texas from imposing an occupation tax on financial firms regulated by federal agencies (like stock exchanges, brokers, and clearinghouses) or taxing their securities transactions. It directly affects entities such as stock exchanges, broker-dealers, and other registered securities market operators. The amendment explicitly allows existing taxes like sales taxes, insurance premiums, and general business taxes but blocks new state taxes targeting securities transactions or these specific firms. This is a constitutional change, not a regular law, requiring voter approval after legislative passage.

Maddy summaryHB 1943 exempts members of the Winkler County Juvenile Board from specific state compensation rules outlined in the Human Resources Code. The bill amends Section 152.2541(d) to exclude Winkler County's juvenile board from Sections 152.0002 through 152.0008, which govern compensation for certain local officials. This change directly affects Winkler County Juvenile Board members by altering their compensation structure under state law. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2 establishes a state-funded education savings account program in Texas, allowing eligible families to use public funds for approved educational expenses. The program directly affects Texas families with children who have disabilities or who live in low-income households (at or below 500% of the federal poverty level). The comptroller administers the program, funding accounts with state money that can cover approved education costs like tuition, books, or tutoring. The bill becomes effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor on May 3, 2025. This creates a new state-funded option alongside public schools for participating families.

Maddy summaryHB 54, titled "Relating to the display of and allowance for non-human behaviors in Texas schools," is a procedural bill that amends school discipline requirements. It mandates that Texas public school districts include specific factors in their student conduct codes, such as self-defense, intent, disability considerations, and homelessness status, when making disciplinary decisions like suspensions or expulsions. The bill requires schools to post these codes prominently and consider these factors in all disciplinary actions. It does not ban specific activities but standardizes how schools evaluate student behavior. The bill is currently pending in the Education Committee.