Maddy summaryHB 1652 establishes that parents of children diagnosed with cancer (under age 18) have the right to choose any available cancer treatment - including experimental options - or refuse all treatment, overriding other laws that might restrict this choice. Health care providers, insurers, and child protective services cannot penalize parents for these decisions. The bill also requires health facilities to notify parents about potential fertility risks from chemotherapy or radiation before treatment begins, though this notice requirement is separate from the parental choice provision. It directly affects parents of pediatric cancer patients and healthcare entities providing cancer care in Texas. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, unless approved for immediate effect by a two-thirds vote.
Sponsored bills
Maddy summaryHB 4786 repeals a requirement in Texas law that forced home-rule school districts to reduce their local revenue if it exceeded state funding entitlements. The bill removes specific language (previously listed as Section 12.013(b)(R)) from the Education Code that mandated this revenue adjustment under Chapter 49. This change directly affects Texas home-rule school districts, which operate independently with their own charters. The key mechanism is eliminating the budget constraint, allowing these districts to retain all locally raised revenue without needing to offset it against state entitlements. The bill does not alter other funding mechanisms or requirements for school districts.
Maddy summaryHB 4710 makes it a first-degree felony to travel from Texas with a child residing in Texas to another state to access gender transition or reassignment procedures or treatments that would be prohibited in Texas under existing law. It directly affects Texas parents, guardians, or caregivers who travel with minors for such care outside the state. The law creates a criminal offense unless the treatment is already authorized under current Texas law (Section 161.703). The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, and applies only to procedures prohibited within Texas.
Maddy summaryHJR 193 proposes a constitutional amendment to remove Texas land tax rules requiring agricultural land to stay in farming for a set period to qualify for lower property tax rates based on farm productivity. Currently, landowners using this tax appraisal method face an extra tax if they switch to non-farming uses or sell the land. The bill would eliminate both the requirement for continuous agricultural use and the penalty tax for changing land use. This change would directly affect Texas landowners who currently use the agricultural appraisal method for property tax purposes. The amendment must be approved by voters in November 2025 to take effect for tax years beginning January 1, 2026.
Maddy summaryHB 4962, titled "Relating to the disclosure of citizenship of a candidate for public office," would require candidates for public office to disclose their citizenship status as part of their filing documentation. This requirement directly affects candidates running for elected positions at the local or state level. The bill's key mechanism involves adding citizenship verification to standard candidate filing forms, though specific enforcement details are not provided in the available context. The bill was filed on March 13, 2025, and referred to the Elections committee on April 3, 2025, but its full text is unavailable for detailed analysis.
Maddy summaryHB 5021 requires Texas public school libraries to adopt collection development policies that prohibit materials deemed harmful under Texas Penal Code §43.24, sexually explicit by vendors, vulgar/unsuitable per *Pico v. Board of Education*, or listed by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice as restricted. It mandates that all library materials - including classroom, school, and online catalogs - must comply with these standards, while requiring schools to communicate with parents about collections and prohibiting removal of materials based solely on ideas or author/character backgrounds. The policy must also recognize that obscene content lacks First Amendment protection and affirm parents' primary role in student access decisions. This law applies to all public school libraries starting the 2025-2026 school year.
Maddy summaryHB 4705 requires a judge to disqualify a district or county attorney from prosecuting election law violations if they consistently refuse to pursue such cases under a policy. It allows the Texas Attorney General to step in and prosecute these cases when local prosecutors are disqualified. The law applies only to election offenses committed on or after its effective date (September 1, 2025), not past violations. This changes how election-related criminal cases are handled by shifting prosecution authority to the Attorney General when local offices have a pattern of inaction.
Maddy summaryHB 4785 eliminates the statute of limitations for personal injury lawsuits arising from specific crimes against children or disabled individuals. It removes time limits for filing suits related to offenses including sexual assault of a child (Penal Code §22.011(a)(2)), aggravated sexual assault (§22.021(a)(1)(B)), continuous sexual abuse (§21.02), certain sexual trafficking (§20A.02), compelling prostitution (§43.05), and indecency with a child (§21.11). The bill applies only to cases where the injury occurred on or after its effective date (September 1, 2025), leaving prior cases governed by existing law. This change directly affects victims of these specific crimes by allowing them to pursue legal action at any time, regardless of when the offense occurred.
Maddy summaryHJR 190 proposes a constitutional amendment to limit Texas House members to 12 consecutive years in office and Texas Senate members to 14 consecutive years. The amendment would apply only to future service in the same chamber and not affect current legislators. If approved by voters in the November 2025 election, it would prevent any individual from serving beyond these consecutive term limits. The measure does not alter current terms or apply to service across different offices.
Maddy summaryThis joint resolution proposes a constitutional amendment to clarify that Texas's Attorney General has the same authority as county or district attorneys to prosecute criminal violations of election laws. It would amend Article IV, Section 22 of the Texas Constitution to explicitly state the Attorney General shares "concurrent jurisdiction" with local prosecutors for election-related crimes. The amendment directly affects election law violators and defines the legal roles of state and local prosecutors. If approved by voters in November 2025, it would formalize an existing practice without changing election laws themselves.