Sen. Chuy Hinojosa

Maddy summarySB 447 allows specific Texas border municipalities with populations over 85,000 that host the annual Texas Citrus Fiesta to move their general election dates to the statewide November uniform election date. Currently, these municipalities hold elections on a different date, but the bill permits them to align with the standard November election cycle. Once a municipality switches to November, it must keep all future general elections on that date and cannot revert to another schedule. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, applying only to qualifying border communities.

Maddy summarySB 835, known as Trey's Law, invalidates any nondisclosure or confidentiality agreement that prevents someone from disclosing an act of sexual abuse. The law directly affects survivors of sexual abuse who may have signed such agreements, making those specific clauses unenforceable. Key provisions state that agreements cannot prohibit disclosure of sexual abuse details (defined using existing Texas Penal Code and Family Code offenses), though other settlement terms like payment amounts remain valid. This change applies to all agreements entered into before, on, or after its effective date of September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 4226 exempts nonprofit food banks and specific housing providers from Texas state sales, use, and rental taxes on motor vehicles they purchase, use, or rent. It directly affects food banks (as defined in Section 162.001) and housing providers serving homeless individuals with disabilities who meet strict criteria (continuously homeless for 1+ year or four homelessness episodes in 3 years). The bill adds new Tax Code sections requiring vehicles to be used "primarily" for the organization's core services. This exemption applies only to vehicles acquired on or after its September 1, 2025 effective date. The law was signed by the Governor on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 1894 designates November as "Veterans Month" in Texas to celebrate and honor military veterans' achievements and sacrifices. The bill amends the Government Code to establish November as an official month for recognizing veterans, encouraging state agencies and communities to hold appropriate programs and activities. It takes effect September 1, 2025, and directly affects all Texans by creating a formal observance period for veterans' contributions, without changing existing benefits or creating new obligations.

Maddy summaryHB 4219 amends Texas' Government Code to clarify how governmental bodies must respond to public information requests. It requires officials to notify requesters in writing within 10 business days if no responsive information exists (Section 1(f)) or if information is withheld based on a prior determination (Section 1(g)), specifying the exact prior decision used. The bill also creates a process for requesters to file complaints with the attorney general if a body fails to respond properly (Section 552.328), which could lead to mandatory open records training for the body and prohibit charging requesters for non-compliant responses. This directly affects all Texas governmental bodies handling public records requests and requesters seeking transparency.

Maddy summaryHB 5646 allows students enrolled in specific military-related programs - such as ROTC, senior military college cadet corps, or midshipmen programs - to pay Texas resident tuition rates at public colleges, regardless of their actual residence. This applies to tuition and fees for the 2025 fall semester and beyond. However, these students cannot use this residency status to qualify for state financial aid programs. The bill became effective immediately on June 20, 2025, after passing both chambers.

Maddy summaryHB 3062 requires public Texas institutions of higher education to provide research-based fentanyl prevention and drug poisoning awareness education to all entering undergraduate students during their first semester. The curriculum must cover suicide prevention, fentanyl abuse prevention, local resource access, and substance use education for young adults. Institutions may deliver this instruction online or through approved partners like libraries, health agencies, or mental health organizations. The requirement applies to students enrolling for the 2026 fall semester and became effective immediately after the governor signed it on June 20, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 754 requires Texas health care facilities to post bilingual signs (in English, Spanish, and other languages spoken by 10%+ of staff) displaying human trafficking indicators, reporting resources, and a statement that medical assistants must complete trafficking prevention training. It mandates training for medical assistants through the Health and Human Services Commission and prohibits facilities from disciplining employees who report suspected trafficking in good faith. The law also requires facilities to disclose trafficking information to authorities as specified. This bill affects all Texas health care facilities and their medical assistant staff, taking effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 783 creates civil liability for intentional online impersonation in Texas, defining it as using someone's name, voice, signature, photo, or likeness on social media without consent (or with a minor's guardian's consent). It allows affected individuals to sue for actual damages - including counseling or identity theft costs - and minimum $500 punitive damages if the impersonation was done with intent to harm, defraud, intimidate, or threaten. The law excludes liability for satire or parody (Sec. 98C.004(b)) and preserves Section 230 protections for social media platforms (Sec. 98C.003). It applies to private individuals, not law enforcement acting in investigations, and became effective September 1, 2025.

Maddy summarySB 243 increases civil penalties for violations of migrant labor housing regulations by reducing the minimum fine from $200 to $50 per person per day. It directly affects housing facility operators who fail to meet safety standards and qualifying migrant agricultural workers who live in those facilities. The bill adds a new provision allowing workers to sue for fines if they submit a complaint, live in the facility, and are not on an H-2A visa. It also specifies that enforcement actions cannot proceed while other legal processes (like inspections or relocation) are pending for the same facility. The law became effective September 1, 2025.