Sen. Joan Huffman

Maddy summarySB 2 creates a grant program administered by the governor to help municipalities and counties cover the costs of installing outdoor warning sirens in flood-prone areas. The bill defines "flood-prone areas" as regions affected by a specific 2025 flood event and requires local governments to install sirens in locations with a history of severe flooding and high risks to life or property. The grant program must include clear rules for eligibility, application processes, and monitoring of funds to ensure proper use. This legislation amends both the Government Code (to establish the grant) and Water Code (to mandate siren requirements).

Maddy summaryThis bill modifies Texas law regarding death investigations by allowing justices of the peace to skip inquests for deaths resulting from natural disasters, provided clear evidence shows the death was caused by disaster-related injuries and not unlawful acts. It directly affects local courts and families seeking death investigations in disaster-impacted areas. The key provision requires justices to verify disaster causation through clear evidence before waiving the inquest, with similar rules applying to autopsy certifications. The bill expires April 1, 2027, and applies to deaths occurring in the justice's county.

Maddy summarySB 8 establishes a new statewide "instructionally supportive assessment program" for Texas public schools, requiring the Texas Education Agency (TEA) to create assessments focused on student growth rather than punitive measures. It mandates that school districts provide parents with one-click access to their child’s test results through a secure parent portal, meeting specific security and privacy standards. The bill also requires districts to adopt local accountability plans with TEA grants and ensures transparency in school performance ratings and interventions. Directly affecting parents, school districts, and the TEA, the law aims to shift accountability toward supporting student learning through accessible data and updated assessment practices.

Maddy summarySB 9 amends Texas Tax Code sections to update how local taxing units (like cities, counties, and school districts) calculate voter-approval tax rates when implementing or adjusting sales taxes. It introduces specific formulas that account for new sales tax revenue by adding a "sales tax gain rate" to the calculation, ensuring the voter-approval rate reflects the impact of the new revenue source. The bill differentiates rules based on the taxing unit type, applying multipliers of 1.08 for special districts, 1.035 for small municipalities/counties (<30,000 population), and 1.025 for others. These changes directly affect how local governments determine tax rates that require voter approval when they add or modify sales taxes.

Maddy summarySB 37 creates two new judicial districts (the 501st and 502nd) entirely within Fort Bend County, Texas. The bill amends the Government Code to establish these districts, specifying that each is composed solely of Fort Bend County. This is a procedural change to the state's judicial district structure, directly affecting court operations in Fort Bend County. The bill takes effect 91 days after the legislative session ends.

Maddy summaryThis bill creates a new 490th Judicial District specifically for Brazoria County, Texas. It amends the Government Code to formally define this district's boundaries and establishes it to take effect on September 1, 2026. The bill directly affects Brazoria County by adding a dedicated judicial district for handling court cases within that county.

Maddy summaryHB 449 would have made it a crime to create or share deepfake sexual media without the depicted person's consent, targeting AI-generated content that falsely shows real people in explicit situations. It defined "deep fake media" as computer-altered videos appearing authentic, and prohibited distributing such content showing a person's private body parts or sexual conduct. The bill applied only to offenses occurring after its effective date (September 1, 2025), and would have governed cases involving non-consensual deepfake content. However, the bill was vetoed by the Governor on June 22, 2025, so it never became law.

Maddy summaryHB 413 would have limited pretrial detention for defendants charged with Class B misdemeanors or more serious offenses, preventing jail stays longer than the maximum sentence they could receive if convicted. It required courts to calculate whether a defendant’s cumulative time in jail before trial exceeded the potential sentence for their offense, mandating release if it did. Exceptions included defendants undergoing competency evaluations or subject to Chapter 46B commitment orders. The bill was vetoed by the governor on June 22, 2025, and never took effect.

Maddy summarySB 2206 creates a state franchise tax credit for businesses conducting qualifying research and development (R&D) activities within Texas. It applies to companies that incur R&D expenses attributable to Texas operations, linking the credit to the federal R&D tax credit reported on IRS Form 6765. The bill defines "qualified research expense" as the portion of federal R&D costs tied to Texas activities, excluding non-Texas expenses. This policy change makes Texas R&D more financially accessible by allowing businesses to claim a state tax credit for eligible local expenses, effective January 1, 2026.

Maddy summarySB 25 requires Texas public school districts and open-enrollment charter schools to provide daily moderate or vigorous physical activity for students in prekindergarten through grade 8. Specifically, it mandates at least 30 minutes daily for grades K-5 and 30 minutes daily for at least four semesters in grades 6-8, with alternatives for scheduling challenges (e.g., 135 minutes weekly). The bill prohibits schools from restricting student participation in physical activity as punishment for academic or behavioral issues. It directly affects K-8 students and school employees responsible for implementing physical education curricula, effective September 1, 2025.