Sen. Chuy Hinojosa

Maddy summarySB 42 limits towing fees during declared disasters in Texas. It prohibits towing companies from charging excessive fees for consent tows (where vehicle owners agree to towing) during emergencies declared by the governor or president. County judges can establish specific fee caps for different vehicle types: light-duty (10,000 lbs or less), medium-duty (10,000-25,000 lbs), and heavy-duty (over 25,000 lbs) tows. The bill directly affects towing companies and vehicle owners during disaster events. It takes effect 91 days after the legislative session ends.

Maddy summarySJR 3 proposes a constitutional amendment to create an independent redistricting commission that would draw district boundaries for Texas's U.S. House, Texas Senate, and Texas House of Representatives elections. Currently, the Texas legislature draws these district lines, but this amendment would transfer that responsibility to the commission. The commission would have sole authority to establish and adjust district maps for these three elected bodies after each census, removing the legislature's direct role in redistricting. The amendment requires voter approval to become part of the Texas Constitution.

Maddy summaryThis bill proposes a constitutional amendment that would restrict when the Texas legislature can redraw election districts for both the Texas state legislature and the U.S. House of Representatives. It would require redistricting to occur only during specific, defined timeframes: when the legislature is constitutionally required to act, or within a 120-day window after the federal census is released. Exceptions allow redistricting within one year if courts invalidate districts, but not during periods when the Legislative Redistricting Board has exclusive authority. The amendment must be approved by voters in the November 2026 election to take effect.

Maddy summarySB 32 creates a second probate court in Hidalgo County, redesignating the existing probate court as Probate Court No. 1 and establishing a new Probate Court No. 2. This directly affects Hidalgo County residents who use probate courts for estate matters like wills, inheritances, and guardianships. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025, pending legislative approval, and modifies the county’s court structure without changing other court jurisdictions.

Maddy summarySB 1937 requires the state to have nuclear DNA testing performed on all biological evidence collected in capital cases (cases seeking the death penalty) before trial. The testing must be done by a state laboratory or an accredited lab, with the lab covering the costs. It creates a process where the state, defense, and lab expert must agree on which evidence qualifies for testing, with a presumption favoring the defendant's requests if they disagree. If evidence is destroyed during testing, the lab must provide the defendant with testing notes and results. The bill applies only to capital cases with indictments filed after its effective date and was vetoed by the governor on June 22, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2518 prohibits third-party premium financing arrangements for Texas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) policies, requiring policyholders to use installment payment plans directly through TWIA at no additional cost. It applies to all TWIA policies issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, and became effective September 1, 2025. The bill directly affects Texas homeowners and property owners insured through TWIA who previously relied on third-party financing options. This change eliminates fees associated with external premium financing by mandating that TWIA provide its own no-cost installment plans.

Maddy summarySB 2878 creates new judicial districts in Texas, including the 490th and 491st districts for Brazoria County and the 501st and 502nd districts for Fort Bend County, effective September 1, 2025. It also amends existing district boundaries, such as updating the 522nd Judicial District to cover Colorado, Gonzales, Guadalupe, and Lavaca counties, and adjusting the jurisdiction of the 274th Judicial District in Comal, Guadalupe, and Hays counties. These changes reorganize court operations, directly affecting case handling and administrative procedures in the specified counties. The bill was passed by the legislature but vetoed by the governor in June 2025.

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 summaryThis concurrent resolution (HCR 108) urges the U.S. Department of Commerce to maintain the Tomato Suspension Agreement, which prevents a 17.09% tariff on Mexican tomatoes entering the U.S. It directly affects Texas tomato importers, growers, and businesses in the Rio Grande Valley - particularly those in Pharr and Laredo - where Mexican tomatoes contribute over $1.5 billion annually and support 32,000 jobs. The resolution cites that terminating the agreement would cause an estimated $4.5 billion in economic losses for Texas and threaten the closure of many produce warehouses. It does not change laws but formally requests the U.S. Department of Commerce to preserve the existing trade arrangement.

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.