Rep. Vikki Goodwin

Maddy summaryHB 1770 requires Texas school districts to receive annual adjustments to their basic funding under the Foundation School Program to keep pace with inflation. Beginning in the 2026-2027 school year, the funding increase will be the lesser of 3% or the annual inflation rate (based on the Consumer Price Index). This adjustment directly affects all public school districts receiving state funding through the Foundation School Program. The bill ensures school funding maintains its purchasing power over time without requiring annual legislative action for each adjustment. The legislature may still set a lower amount in the budget, but it must not fall below the original funding level.

Maddy summaryHB 1934 creates a tuition and fee exemption at Texas public colleges for child-care workers enrolled in specific programs. It directly affects licensed child-care workers employed at facilities under Texas Human Resources Code Chapter 42 who are pursuing an associate degree or certificate in child development or early childhood education. To qualify, students must meet academic progress requirements, apply before the registration deadline, and the exemption cannot exceed 20% of any class's enrollment. The exemption covers tuition and required fees but not security deposits, and applies starting the 2025 fall semester. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board must establish rules for eligibility and a uniform list of covered programs.

Maddy summaryHB 2252 requires the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) to follow specific steps before issuing new air quality permits or modifying existing permits for certain oil and gas facilities. It mandates that TCEQ conduct a regulatory analysis, base emissions limits on actual air quality monitoring data, and use credible modeling that avoids worst-case scenarios unless data confirms those scenarios reflect real conditions. The bill directly affects oil and gas facilities subject to these permits and TCEQ as the permitting agency. TCEQ must update relevant rules by September 1, 2026, to apply these requirements statewide, with the law taking effect September 1, 2025.

Maddy summaryHB 2251 amends Texas law to create specific exceptions allowing abortions when a pregnant person faces serious health risks, has a fetus with a severe congenital anomaly, experiences a multiple-pregnancy complication, suffers a miscarriage requiring intervention, or was impregnated through certain criminal acts (like rape). The bill directly affects licensed physicians performing abortions and pregnant individuals in these qualifying situations. Key provisions clarify that abortions within these exceptions do not violate the state's abortion ban, and any disciplinary action for alleged violations would be handled by the Texas Medical Board rather than criminal penalties. The bill does not repeal the general abortion prohibition but expands permitted circumstances under strict medical guidelines.

Maddy summaryHB 2047 increases criminal penalties for individuals who make firearms accessible to children by upgrading the offense from a Class C to a Class A misdemeanor under Texas Penal Code Section 46.13. This change directly affects parents, guardians, or responsible adults who fail to secure firearms, potentially leading to more severe penalties for such violations. The bill repeals an existing exception (Section 46.13(e)) and applies only to offenses committed on or after its effective date of September 1, 2025. It does not create new requirements but makes existing violations carry higher criminal consequences.

Maddy summaryHB 1810 establishes a state-funded workforce housing program administered by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA). The bill creates a "workforce housing fund" to provide grants or low-interest loans to Texas municipalities for constructing or rehabilitating housing developments that reserve units for households earning 30%-120% of the area median income (adjusted for family size). These developments must maintain affordability for at least 20 years after receiving funding. The program aims to expand access to affordable housing for working families in communities that participate in the initiative.

Maddy summaryThis bill updates the funding sources for a state fund that covers costs of plugging abandoned oil and gas wells. It specifies 28 specific revenue streams - including fees from waste haulers, well insurance proceeds, regulatory fees, and legislative appropriations - that must be deposited into the fund. Operators seeking to extend deadlines for plugging inactive wells must now provide evidence of a "good faith claim" to continuing operational rights and maintain current reporting with the state. The bill directly affects oil and gas operators and ensures the fund has stable, diversified funding for environmental cleanup obligations.

Maddy summaryHB 1935 would direct Texas to join the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, an agreement among states to award all their electoral votes to the presidential candidate who wins the national popular vote. If adopted, Texas would amend its election code to require the state to certify its electoral votes based on the national popular vote winner, rather than the state's own winner-take-all result. This would directly affect Texas voters and the state's 40 electoral votes in presidential elections. The bill establishes procedures for Texas to coordinate with other member states in determining the national popular vote total and certifying electors accordingly.

Maddy summaryHB 1919 allows individuals to sue the Texas state for damages if they were denied reproductive health care services (including abortion) due to state laws restricting such care. It waives the state's sovereign immunity for these specific claims, enabling recovery for bodily injury or psychological harm resulting from the denial. The law applies only to cases where the harm occurred on or after September 1, 2025, and does not change existing restrictions on reproductive care. This bill creates a new legal pathway for affected individuals but does not alter current laws governing reproductive health services.

Maddy summaryHB 2381 requires firearm owners who lose or have their guns stolen to report the incident to a police officer within 10 days of discovering the loss. Owners must provide their name, firearm details, and the date the loss was discovered. Failure to report within this timeframe is classified as a misdemeanor (Class C, escalating to Class B for repeat violations). The Texas Department of Public Safety will forward all reports to the National Crime Information Center for tracking. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.