HB 3793 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to procedures for a commissioners court to close, abandon, or vacate certain county roads.

HB 3793 modifies procedures for Texas county commissioners courts to close, abandon, or vacate certain county roads. It specifically applies to roads in border counties (population under 300,000) adjacent to municipalities with 200,000+ residents, where the road abuts residential subdivisions within city limits. The bill allows courts to bypass standard property transfer rules if they determine transferring title would create a public safety hazard, instead permitting them to either petition the municipality to annex the road or repurpose it for non-vehicle uses like hiking trails. This changes how counties handle road removals in these specific border areas while maintaining existing rights for utilities.

Issues: ✓ Transportation

Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

May 2025

House Passage

May 2025

Senate Passage

Governor

Introduced Mar 26, 2025 Last action May 28, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced → Engrossed · 5 edits · May 16, 2025

MODERATE

This bill updates the procedures for closing, abandoning, or vacating county roads in Texas. It adds new subsections to clarify when commissioners courts can bypass standard conveyance procedures for roads abutting residential lots, and introduces options for repurposing such roads as trails or petitioning for annexation.

Scope change

The bill expands applicability from public roads to specifically include county roads, and adds new exemptions for roads abutting residential subdivisions in municipalities.

SCOPE

Added new subsection (b-2) specifying that the new provisions apply only to county roads located wholly or partly outside municipal limits that abut residential subdivisions within municipal limits.

Changed language from 'public roads' to 'county roads' in several sections to clarify the jurisdictional scope.

REQUIREMENT

Added new subsection (b-3) allowing commissioners courts to bypass standard conveyance procedures if they find that transferring the road would create a public nuisance or safety hazard.

Added new options for commissioners courts to either petition the municipality to annex the road or repurpose it for non-motorized uses like hiking and biking trails.

ELIGIBILITY

Modified eligibility criteria for exemptions to specifically address roads abutting single-family residential lots in planned residential subdivisions.

Floor votes · House May 15, 2025

How they voted

132–2

Passed · 12 other

Total votes 146

May 15, 2025

D Democratic60

51 Yea 1 Nay 8

85% Yea

R Republican86

81 Yea 1 Nay 4

94% Yea

Vote distribution

All Yea All Nay Mixed No data

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

May 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

Committee report printed and distributed

upper

May 25, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported favorably as substituted

upper

May 23, 2025

Upper · Passed

Vote taken in committee

upper

May 23, 2025

Committee

Referred to Economic Development

upper

May 23, 2025

Committee

Rereferred to committee

upper

May 19, 2025

Committee

Referred to Transportation

upper

May 19, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

upper

May 19, 2025

Introduced

Received from the House

upper

May 16, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed

lower

May 15, 2025

Lower · Passed

Passed to engrossment

lower

May 9, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report sent to Calendars

lower

May 8, 2025

Lower · Passed

Committee report distributed

lower

May 1, 2025

Lower · Passed

Reported favorably as substituted

lower

Apr 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

Left pending in committee

lower

Apr 29, 2025

Lower · Passed

Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee

lower

Mar 26, 2025

Committee

Referred to Transportation

lower

Mar 26, 2025

Introduced

Read first time

lower

2 primary · 0 co-sponsors