Rep. John McQueeney

Maddy summaryHB 3441 creates legal liability for vaccine manufacturers who advertise a harmful vaccine within Texas. It defines "advertise" broadly to include paid promotions across media (TV, internet, influencers), but excludes doctor-patient discussions or clinic materials. If a manufacturer's advertised vaccine causes injury, victims can sue within three years for actual damages, attorney fees, and court costs. The law applies only to cases where harm occurs on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 34 prohibits Texas state investments in countries designated as "countries of concern" (including China, Iran, North Korea, Russia, and any country the governor designates) and in private companies operating in those countries that meet specific criteria. It defines "scrutinized companies" as those engaged in certain business activities (like those linked to the Darfur genocide) or meeting other conditions outlined in the bill. The law applies to all state investment entities, requiring them to divest from or avoid purchasing securities in these entities. An exception allows investments in companies excluded by U.S. federal sanctions regimes.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates Texas rules for handling license plates during vehicle sales. It requires dealers to remove plates when selling vehicles to other dealers and mandates private sellers to get DMV approval before transferring plates to another vehicle they own. The Texas Department of Motor Vehicles can also block dealers from accessing the plate database if fraud is suspected, after providing notice and a hearing opportunity. The bill, effective June 20, 2025, requires the DMV to adopt implementing rules by October 1, 2025. It directly affects auto dealers, vehicle sellers, and the DMV.

Maddy summaryHB 1106 amends Texas' Family Code definitions of child abuse and neglect. It explicitly states that a parent or guardian's refusal to affirm a child's gender identity (including using preferred names/pronouns) or sexual orientation does not constitute abuse. The bill also clarifies that neglect includes specific failures like withholding medical care or leaving a child in immediate danger, but the key change is excluding these gender/sexual orientation refusals from abuse definitions. This directly affects parents, guardians, and child welfare systems in Texas by altering what legally qualifies as abuse under state law.

Maddy summaryHB 20 establishes Texas' Applied Sciences Pathway program, allowing high school students to earn both diplomas and industry certificates through school-college partnerships. It requires courses in 20 specific high-wage, high-growth fields like plumbing, welding, IT, and oil/gas exploration, with a focus on successful job placement rates. Partnerships must offer non-duplicative, progressive coursework leading to both diplomas and certificates in these sectors. The program begins for the 2027-2028 school year, with industries reviewed every five years to match labor market needs.

Maddy summarySB 17 restricts certain foreign governments and entities from purchasing or acquiring title to specific types of real property in Texas if such ownership poses a risk to public health, safety, or welfare. It prohibits purchases of agricultural land, commercial, industrial, residential property, mines, minerals, or timber by organizations or governments from "designated countries" (identified by U.S. intelligence as national security risks). Exceptions include U.S. citizens/permanent residents, entities owned by them, homestead properties, and leaseholds under 100 years. The law creates a new Property Code Subchapter H (Sections 5.251-5.254) to implement these restrictions.

Maddy summaryHB 5115 increases criminal penalties for election fraud in Texas by elevating the offense from a Class A misdemeanor to a second-degree felony under Election Code Section 276.013. It directly affects individuals who commit specific election fraud acts, such as tampering with ballots, voting for deceased voters, or counting invalid votes. The bill amends the law to impose harsher penalties for these violations, excluding certain scenarios like election officials acting in their official capacity (which remains a state jail felony) or attempted offenses (classified as a third-degree felony). This change applies only to offenses committed on or after its September 1, 2025 effective date.

Maddy summaryThis bill, SB 1818, allows military service members, veterans, and military spouses to receive a provisional license while their full occupational license application is processed in Texas. State agencies must issue these provisional licenses immediately upon application submission, valid for up to 180 days or until the final license decision is made. The law requires agencies to adopt implementing rules by December 1, 2025, and takes effect September 1, 2025. It directly affects military-connected individuals seeking to work in licensed professions across Texas.

Maddy summaryHB 100 prohibits Texas public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools from using state funds to purchase or adopt instructional materials that contain obscene or harmful content or appear on the State Board of Education's rejected materials list. The bill requires the State Board to issue a 45-day notice before adding materials to the rejected list, allowing time for revisions. It also bans the use of any instructional materials - whether traditional or open education resources - listed as rejected, while permitting local funds for non-rejected materials. This law applies starting the 2025-2026 school year and became effective immediately after the governor signed it on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 2580 clarifies which law enforcement entities qualify as "designated" under Texas laws governing tracking equipment and communications access. It defines this term to include: (1) county sheriff's departments in counties with 500,000+ residents, (2) municipal police departments in cities with 200,000+ residents, (3) the Texas Department of Criminal Justice's inspector general office, and (4) the Texas Juvenile Justice Department's inspector general office. This definition directly affects those specific agencies by determining their eligibility to use certain surveillance tools under existing legal frameworks. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, without creating new powers but refining existing legal parameters.