Rep. Stan Kitzman

Maddy summaryHB 229 defines key terms like "boy," "father," "female," and "woman" based on biological sex for government data collection. It specifies that individuals with intersex conditions or disorders of sex development are not considered a third sex and must receive accommodations under existing law. The bill amends the Government Code to require state agencies to use these biological sex definitions when gathering information. It directly affects how Texas government entities collect and categorize personal data in records, programs, and services. The law became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor.

Maddy summaryHB 2 amends Texas education law to change how public school districts and charter schools compensate teachers. It requires schools to implement performance-based pay systems where teacher salaries differentiate based on appraisals, prohibits routine across-the-board raises, and mandates that all teachers be eligible for designations like "master" or "exemplary" based on evaluations. The bill also establishes criteria for districts to qualify for enhanced teacher incentive funding, including strategic evaluation systems for principals and placing highly effective teachers at high-need campuses. This directly affects school districts, charter schools, and classroom teachers by restructuring compensation and evaluation practices.

Maddy summaryHB 5665 creates Waller County Municipal Utility District No. 70 to provide water, sewer, and other utility services in specific areas of Waller County. The bill grants the district limited power to acquire private property (eminent domain) for utility infrastructure, authority to issue bonds for project financing, and the ability to impose taxes, fees, and assessments on properties within its boundaries. This district directly affects property owners in the designated territory who will pay associated costs. The bill became effective immediately after being signed by the governor on June 20, 2025, establishing the legal framework for the district's operations.

Maddy summarySB 21 establishes the Texas Strategic Bitcoin Reserve as a special fund outside the state treasury, managed by the comptroller of public accounts. The bill authorizes the state to invest in Bitcoin using defined custody methods, including "cold storage" (offline, physically secured storage) and requiring investments through "qualified custodians" (regulated financial institutions). This directly affects how the state manages certain funds, allowing the comptroller to allocate state resources into Bitcoin for financial resilience. The law became effective immediately upon the governor's signature on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2405 amends Texas Education Code sections governing the Windham School District, which provides education to incarcerated individuals. It requires the district to develop career-focused educational programs (including vocational training) that address barriers to certification/licensure for those with felony convictions, and to prioritize programs leading to certification. The bill mandates tracking specific outcomes for participants, such as employment rates, earnings, job retention, and whether employment relates to their training. It also requires informing inmates before enrollment about state agency certification barriers, historical success rates for certification, and appeal processes. These changes directly affect incarcerated individuals participating in Windham School District programs across Texas prisons.

Maddy summaryHB 3556 requires developers to notify Texas Parks and Wildlife Department before constructing structures taller than 500 feet in specific counties near national wildlife refuges. It applies to counties bordering the Gulf of Mexico with refuges or adjacent counties without cities over 300,000 residents. Developers must submit review requests 90 days before construction, and the department must recommend bird-impact minimization measures within 45 days. If alternatives don’t prevent material harm to migratory birds, the department can seek court injunctions to halt construction.

Maddy summarySB 23 increases the school district homestead tax exemption for elderly (65+) or disabled homeowners from $10,000 to $60,000 of their home's appraised value. This directly affects eligible homeowners who qualify for the exemption and school districts that may lose local tax revenue due to the change. The bill requires the state to provide additional aid to school districts to offset revenue losses from the higher exemption, starting with the 2025-2026 school year. The state aid calculation compares current revenue to what would have been collected under the previous exemption amount. The bill was signed into law on June 16, 2025, and is now effective.

Maddy summaryThis Texas bill (SB 4) increases the homestead exemption for school district property taxes from $100,000 to $140,000 per homeowner, directly affecting residential property owners. School districts will receive additional state aid to offset revenue losses from this exemption increase, calculated as the difference between current local revenue and what would have been available before the change. The compensation mechanism applies starting with the 2023-2024 school year for the initial exemption increase and will extend to future changes proposed for 2025. This ensures school districts maintain funding stability despite reduced local tax revenue from larger homestead exemptions.

Maddy summaryHB 9 creates a property tax exemption for businesses owning tangible personal property (like equipment or inventory) used to generate income. It exempts $125,000 of the appraised value of such property at each location within a taxing unit, regardless of the property's individual value. The exemption applies to all businesses holding income-producing property at a single address, and related businesses operating under a unified enterprise must aggregate their property to calculate the exemption. Additionally, businesses leasing such property receive the full $125,000 exemption for all leased items, even if located across different taxing units.

Maddy summaryHJR 7 proposes a constitutional amendment to dedicate a portion of Texas' state sales and use tax revenue to the Texas Water Fund. It would require that this dedicated revenue be allocated exclusively to water infrastructure projects, with new rules allowing temporary suspension during declared disasters. The bill would amend the state constitution to establish this dedicated funding stream, replacing current flexible allocation methods for water fund money. This proposal was reported adversely by the Senate Finance Committee with a 14-0 vote against in May 2025.