Sen. Joan Huffman

Maddy summaryHB 1778 requires Texas district courts to report monthly on cases involving human trafficking, prostitution, and child pornography offenses to the Office of Court Administration. It creates a new council to coordinate state agency efforts, including the Attorney General, Department of Family and Protective Services, and other key agencies like the Texas Workforce Commission. The bill harmonizes statute of limitations for prosecuting sexual assault and failure-to-report offenses, aligning time limits across related crimes. These changes aim to improve data collection and interagency collaboration for addressing trafficking, prostitution, and child exploitation. The law became effective September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1020 requires personal bond offices to maintain and update detailed records for individuals released on personal bond before sentencing. These records must include court appearance history, warrant status, and whether a person tampered with an electronic monitoring device. The bill also mandates that bond offices immediately notify courts if they suspect electronic monitoring violations. This affects defendants on bond with electronic monitoring, bond offices, and the courts handling their cases, creating a clearer reporting process for supervision compliance. The law became effective September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 1018 changes how Texas distributes revenue from state traffic fines collected by the comptroller. It shifts the allocation from 70% to the general revenue fund and 30% to trauma/emergency medical services (previously 70/30) to a 50/50 split. The bill also sets a $250 million annual cap for the general fund portion; any excess revenue must go to the Texas mobility fund. This applies only to fines collected on or after September 1, 2025, and directly affects state budget allocations for emergency services and transportation infrastructure.

Maddy summaryHB 2027 allows Brazoria County's Commissioners Court to create "reinvestment zones" within the Port Freeport district and negotiate tax exemptions for specific properties. It directly affects property owners, leaseholders, and businesses with improvements on tax-exempt real property or district-owned land in that zone. The bill enables the county to reduce or eliminate property taxes on leasehold interests, tangible personal property, or improvements by entering formal agreements under Chapter 312 of the Tax Code. This provides a mechanism for targeted tax relief to encourage development and investment in the Port Freeport area.

Maddy summaryHB 3474 requires Texas public retirement systems with assets over $30 million to conduct regular evaluations of their investment practices and performance. Systems with assets of $100 million or more must evaluate every three years, while those with $30-$100 million in assets must evaluate every six years, unless pension liabilities reach $100 million during the cycle. The bill mandates that independent firms complete these evaluations and submit draft reports to the retirement systems for review, followed by final reports including any system responses. The law, signed by the Governor and effective September 1, 2025, applies to all qualifying public retirement systems in Texas.

Maddy summaryHB 1729 limits commissioners of Port Freeport to serving no more than two full terms. The bill prohibits anyone who has completed two or more full terms from running for re-election, though filling a vacancy (without completing a full term) does not count toward this limit. This change applies to terms beginning after the bill's effective date of September 1, 2025, for future elections at Port Freeport.

Maddy summaryHB 37 requires hospitals with maternal care designations to provide bereavement counseling options and perinatal bereavement devices (which delay tissue deterioration for up to 72 hours after pregnancy loss or infant death) to families following intrauterine fetal demise, neonatal death, or stillbirth. The Texas Department of State Health Services must establish a perinatal bereavement care initiative offering hospitals training for staff on compassionate communication and resources like devices with maintenance support. This law directly affects designated hospitals and families experiencing pregnancy or infant loss in Texas. The initiative aims to improve access to supportive care during this difficult time, with the law taking effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryThis proposed constitutional amendment (SJR 87) would require Texas judges to deny bail to people accused of specific serious felonies if they have prior convictions for similar offenses or were on bail for such offenses at the time of the new crime. It applies to charges like murder, aggravated assault with weapons or serious injury, sexual assault, human trafficking, and related offenses. Judges would need to hold a hearing to confirm probable cause for the new crime and the prior conviction/bail status before denying bail. The amendment requires voter approval (scheduled for November 2025) but failed adoption in the Texas Senate in May 2025.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment requiring Texas judges to deny bail to individuals classified as "illegal aliens" charged with felony offenses, if a judge determines probable cause exists. It defines "illegal alien" as someone who entered the U.S. without inspection or violated nonimmigrant visa terms. The amendment would automatically deny bail pending trial for such individuals, without requiring additional proof of flight risk or danger. If approved by voters in 2025, it would become part of the Texas Constitution. (Note: This is a procedural proposal requiring voter approval, not an immediate law.)

Maddy summarySB 18 prohibits Texas municipal libraries from receiving state or public funds if they host events where a person presenting as the opposite gender (e.g., a man presenting as a woman or woman presenting as a man) reads to minors for entertainment, with the gender presentation being a primary component of the event. Libraries hosting such events would lose funding for the fiscal year following the event. The law applies only to events occurring on or after September 1, 2025, and affects municipal libraries receiving state or public funds. It directly targets funding for specific library programming involving gender presentation in children's events. The bill does not restrict library access or content generally, only funding tied to these defined events.