Sen. Bryan Hughes

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 summarySB 15 limits zoning restrictions for small residential lots (4,000 sq ft or less) in certain large Texas municipalities (population over 90,000 in counties over 300,000). It prohibits municipalities from requiring lots larger than 1,400 sq ft, wider than 20 feet, or deeper than 60 feet, and mandates a minimum density of 31.1 units per acre. The bill also bans restrictions on covered parking, parking space limits, building height (requiring at least 3 stories), and excessive open space requirements for small lots. Municipalities may still charge permitting fees equivalent to single-family lot fees but cannot impose other zoning rules inconsistent with these provisions.

Maddy summaryHB 2402 sets new rules for how Texas Medicaid pays for medical services. It requires that fees, charges, or rates for Medicaid-covered benefits must match the "usual and customary" rates in the local community, unless federal law restricts them. The bill also explicitly excludes fees from monthly membership discount programs when determining payments. This directly affects healthcare providers who accept Medicaid by changing how they are reimbursed, and beneficiaries who receive covered services through Medicaid. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryTexas Senate Bill 1940 (SB 1940) allows owners of manufactured homes classified as personal property under Texas law to designate beneficiaries who automatically inherit the home upon the owner's death. It creates a new legal mechanism (Chapter 116 of the Estates Code) that enables this transfer without requiring a will, court approval, or beneficiary acceptance during the owner's lifetime. The bill specifies that such beneficiary designations are revocable by the owner at any time and override any conflicting provisions in a will. This directly affects owners of manufactured homes treated as personal property, streamlining inheritance for these properties. The law took effect September 1, 2025, after being signed by the Governor on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2522 requires the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to collect fingerprints from only one manager or employee per 100-mile radius cluster of locations for dealers applying for or renewing a "dealer general distinguishing number" for 75 or more locations. This replaces previous requirements that would have needed fingerprints for each individual location. The bill directly affects large auto dealers operating across multiple sites, streamlining the application process by allowing a single fingerprint set to cover all locations within a 100-mile radius of the employee's regular workplace. The change applies to original applications and renewals, effective September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 130, the Texas Genomic Act of 2025, prohibits medical facilities, research organizations, companies, and nonprofits conducting genome sequencing in Texas from providing residents' genetic data to foreign adversaries. It creates a private right for individuals to sue entities that violate this rule and imposes civil penalties for noncompliance. The law applies to any entity handling human genome sequencing or testing within the state, defining "foreign adversary" per federal regulations. This policy directly affects organizations processing genetic data in Texas, requiring them to safeguard residents' information from unauthorized foreign access. The bill became effective September 1, 2025, after being signed by the governor.

Maddy summaryHB 3642 designates three specific highway segments as memorial highways in Texas: U.S. Highway 183 in Eastland County as the Deputy Sheriff David Bosecker Memorial Highway, U.S. Highway 79 in Freestone and Leon Counties as the Cecil and Dorothy Bell Memorial Highway, and State Highway 315 in Panola County as the Hamby-Webb Memorial Highway. The bill requires the Texas Department of Transportation to install markers at both ends and key intermediate points along each designated highway segment. These markers will display the memorial name, the phrase "In Memory Of," and the names of the honorees. The legislation, signed into law on June 20, 2025, and effective September 1, 2025, is a commemorative measure honoring specific individuals through highway naming.

Maddy summaryHB 1851 allows the Texas Facilities Commission to transfer surplus motor vehicles and law enforcement equipment from the Texas Department of Public Safety to school districts located in economically disadvantaged areas. The bill requires that school districts receiving this equipment cannot sell it for two years and must use it solely for law enforcement duties by school resource officers or security personnel, as defined in the Education Code. This policy change directly affects school districts in economically disadvantaged communities by providing them with additional law enforcement resources. The bill took effect on September 1, 2025.

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 summarySB 1346 prohibits lottery retailers from knowingly selling tickets to individuals attempting to purchase all or nearly all possible winning tickets in a single drawing. This law directly affects licensed lottery sales agents (retailers) who could face license revocation for each location where they violate this rule. The bill establishes a formal process where the lottery commission must revoke licenses after a hearing for such violations, and revocation subjects the retailer to a one-year ban on reapplying for a sales license. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, aiming to prevent ticket aggregation schemes that could undermine lottery fairness.