Rep. Brooks Landgraf

Maddy summaryHB 3120 requires owners or operators of facilities housing unaccompanied immigrant children under federal contracts (like those with ICE or HHS) to conduct criminal background checks on staff applicants and employees. It permits these checks for employment screening only, prohibits using the results for any other purpose, and bans disclosure without consent or a court order. Facilities must destroy all such background information within 180 days of receiving it or after an employee's probationary period. The bill also mandates facilities to create agreements with local governments for reporting illnesses and health issues. This law directly affects private facilities contracted by federal agencies to house immigrant youth.

Maddy summarySB 2037 creates a faster review process for environmental permits needed to build or modify liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminals in Texas. It requires the state commission to respond to permit applications within 120 days after public comments end and establishes a new expedited review track. Applicants who choose this faster process must pay an additional fee, which covers administrative costs and is deposited into a special account. The bill also sets specific rules for resolving disputes about permit approvals, including requiring applicants to respond to concerns within 20 days if a hearing is requested. This law applies only to LNG terminal projects and took effect on September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2844 requires mobile food vendors (like food trucks) to obtain a state-issued license and pay regulatory fees, while authorizing administrative penalties for violations. It exempts small-scale food businesses - defined as those with under $1.5 million in annual revenue (including farmers, sole proprietors, and small retail stores) - from local permit or fee requirements if they already hold a state department permit or food manufacturing license. The bill preempts local governments from imposing conflicting regulations on these exempt businesses. It also establishes new state-level rules for mobile food vendor operations under Chapter 437B of the Health and Safety Code.

Maddy summaryHB 43 amends Texas law to update the definition of "agricultural business" in the Agriculture Code, explicitly including rural recreational businesses (like hiking or fishing on farmland) and nonprofit land conservation groups. It also revises the composition of the Texas Agricultural Finance Authority's board, requiring the governor to appoint nine members with specific representation: two young farmers/ranchers, two representatives from rural entities (chambers, trade associations), and others with agricultural lending expertise. These changes directly affect entities applying for the Authority's loan and grant programs, such as farmers, ranchers, rural tourism businesses, and conservation nonprofits. The bill became law on June 20, 2025, after passing both chambers unanimously.

Maddy summaryHB 1916 clarifies that the court issuing a final divorce decree retains exclusive authority to divide property not previously divided in that decree. It directly affects Texas divorcing couples whose property division was incomplete at the time of their divorce. The bill amends the Texas Family Code to require that any subsequent suit to divide such undivided property must be handled by the original divorce court, not a new court. This eliminates uncertainty about which court has jurisdiction for these cases. The law applies to all pending or future cases filed on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 127 creates the Higher Education Research Security Council to protect universities from foreign espionage risks. The council, made up of security officers from university systems and select research institutions, will identify best practices for securing academic research while mitigating threats from foreign adversaries. It directly affects public and private research-focused universities in Texas, particularly those designated as "tier one" institutions. The bill establishes this council as a formal body to coordinate security efforts across higher education, without changing existing trade secret laws. The council’s role is limited to advising institutions on security protocols, not enforcing new penalties.

Maddy summaryHB 4226 exempts nonprofit food banks and specific housing providers from Texas state sales, use, and rental taxes on motor vehicles they purchase, use, or rent. It directly affects food banks (as defined in Section 162.001) and housing providers serving homeless individuals with disabilities who meet strict criteria (continuously homeless for 1+ year or four homelessness episodes in 3 years). The bill adds new Tax Code sections requiring vehicles to be used "primarily" for the organization's core services. This exemption applies only to vehicles acquired on or after its September 1, 2025 effective date. The law was signed by the Governor on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 40 is a procedural bill that clarifies and streamlines operations for Texas' business court. It requires all business court prefiling orders to apply statewide (Section 1), mandates that appeals from business court cases go directly to the 15th Court of Appeals with a 120-day resolution deadline (Section 2), and specifies how to replace lost business court records (Section 3). The bill also adds business court clerks to authorized personnel for taking depositions (Section 4) and requires specific information in initial pleadings for all business court cases (Section 5). These changes directly affect parties involved in business court litigation and court staff handling business court cases. The bill became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the Governor.

Maddy summaryHB 4623 creates new liability standards for Texas public schools and their employees regarding student sexual misconduct. It holds schools financially responsible if they act with gross negligence or intentional misconduct in hiring or supervising employees who commit sexual misconduct against students or fail to report suspected abuse. The law caps damages at $500,000 per victim in successful claims and requires the employee who committed the act to be named as a defendant. This directly affects public school districts, charter schools, and all professional school employees covered by the definition, including teachers, administrators, and even student interns. The law became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor.

Maddy summaryHB 1481 requires Texas public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to adopt written policies prohibiting student use of personal communication devices (such as cell phones, tablets, and smartwatches) during the school day on school property or at school events. Exceptions allow device use for students with documented medical needs, individualized education plans (IEPs), or health/safety protocols. Schools may implement either a full device ban or a secure storage system for devices during school hours, and must return confiscated devices or dispose of them after providing parents 90 days' written notice. The law takes effect immediately upon the governor's signature.