Texas Bills

in committee · Texas · House May 6, 2025

HB 4283: Relating to the penalties imposed on municipalities and counties for violating state law and the state constitution.

HB 4283 would establish penalties for Texas municipalities and counties that adopt local ordinances violating state law or the state constitution. If the Attorney General finds a violation, they must notify the municipality and require resolution within 30 days to avoid penalties. Failure to correct the violation would result in daily civil penalties of up to $3,000, restrictions on annexation or bond issuance, and withholding of state funds by the comptroller. The bill directly affects local governments that pass ordinances conflicting with state law or the constitution.

Topics ✓ Budget & Taxes

in committee · Texas · House May 6, 2025

HB 1418: Relating to the use of in-custody informant testimony in a criminal trial.

HB 1418, known as the John Nolley Act, establishes new rules for using testimony from individuals who are confined in the same jail as a defendant (in-custody informants) in serious criminal trials. It directly affects defendants charged with offenses like murder, kidnapping, sexual assault, or burglary, as well as prosecutors and judges. The bill requires prosecutors to notify defendants 21 days before trial if they plan to use such testimony, and mandates a pre-trial hearing outside the jury’s presence where a judge must find by clear and convincing evidence that: (1) any benefit offered to the informant wouldn’t unduly influence their testimony, (2) the informant is reliable, and (3) the testimony’s value outweighs potential prejudice. This aims to prevent unreliable or improperly influenced testimony from being used against defendants.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Texas · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 2917: Relating to the penalties for certain littering offenses.

Texas Senate Bill 2917 increases penalties for littering offenses based on the weight or volume of waste (5 pounds or more, or 5 gallons or more) and the offender’s prior convictions. It classifies first-time offenses as Class C misdemeanors (up to $2,000 fines), with penalties escalating to Class B ($5,000) for one prior conviction and Class A ($10,000) for two prior convictions. For three or more prior convictions, fines increase by $10,000 per offense (capped at $50,000). The bill also requires offenders to perform community service and reimburse local governments for cleanup costs.

Topics ✓ Environment

in committee · Texas · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 1659: Relating to requiring a warrant to search certain location information purchased by a governmental entity from a data broker or electronic personal data tracker.

SB 1659 requires government entities to obtain a warrant before searching location information they purchase from data brokers or electronic personal data trackers (like apps/websites that collect location data). This bill directly affects law enforcement and government agencies that buy such location data for investigations. It amends Texas law to explicitly include purchased location data under the list of items requiring a warrant, specifically adding it to Article 18.02(a)(15) of the Code of Criminal Procedure. The key mechanism is changing the legal standard for accessing this type of data, moving from no warrant requirement to judicial approval. This policy change applies to all location data acquired by government entities from third-party sources, not data collected directly by the government.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice ✓ Technology

in committee · Texas · House May 6, 2025

HB 3644: Relating to the verification of the veteran status of inmates and prisoners.

HB 3644 requires counties to verify and document the veteran status of inmates during transfers to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. Specifically, it amends criminal procedure law to mandate that counties include a verified copy of an inmate's veteran status - determined per Government Code Section 511.009(a)(17)(A) - in standard transfer documents. This affects all inmates transferred to state prison who may qualify as veterans, ensuring their status is formally recorded. The bill does not create new benefits but standardizes existing verification into the transfer process. It directly impacts county courts, jail staff, and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice during inmate intake.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Texas · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 2968: Relating to prohibiting certain deceptive trade practices by businesses assisting veterans with Department of Veterans Affairs claims.

SB 2968 prohibits businesses that assist veterans with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) claims from using deceptive practices, directly affecting these businesses and veterans who rely on their services. The bill bans specific actions like misleading veterans about costs, confusing them about services offered, providing personalized claim advice without VA accreditation, falsely claiming VA affiliation, or accessing veterans' VA benefit information without authorization. Violations carry a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per offense. The law aims to protect veterans from exploitation by unscrupulous claim assistance businesses.

Topics ✓ Veterans

in committee · Texas · Senate May 6, 2025

SB 1848: Relating to the disclosure of confidential juvenile records to a managed assigned counsel program.

SB 1848 amends Texas Family Code provisions to allow confidential juvenile records to be shared with "managed assigned counsel programs" that appoint attorneys for indigent youth in juvenile court cases. Specifically, it adds a new exception (Section 58.004(b)(6)) permitting disclosure to these programs for determining a child’s financial eligibility for counsel or managing appointed attorneys. This directly affects juvenile court-appointed lawyers and state-funded counsel programs by clarifying their legal access to sealed records. The bill does not change existing restrictions on sharing records with victims, law enforcement, or other entities.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

in committee · Texas · House May 6, 2025

HJR 110: Proposing a constitutional amendment requiring the filing of required political funding reports and personal financial statements to be eligible to hold certain public elective offices.

HJR 110 proposes a constitutional amendment requiring candidates for Texas Senate, House, and Governor to file all required political funding reports and personal financial statements by the 14th day after their due date to be eligible for office. This would add a new eligibility requirement to the Texas Constitution for these specific elected positions. The amendment does not create new disclosure rules but mandates that existing reports be filed on time as a condition of candidacy. If passed, it would apply to all future elections for these offices, making timely disclosure a legal prerequisite for running.

in committee · Texas · House May 6, 2025

HB 4999: Relating to the registration of vacant buildings in certain municipalities.

HB 4999 requires municipalities with populations of two million or more to create a system for registering vacant buildings. It defines a building as vacant if residential or commercial use stops for over 150 days, or if 75% of units in multi-unit buildings remain unused for that period. Building owners must renew their registration annually, and cities must maintain an online database listing registered vacant structures. This bill directly affects property owners in large Texas cities and the municipalities responsible for enforcing these registration requirements, taking effect September 1, 2025.

in committee · Texas · House May 6, 2025

HB 3819: Relating to the use of remote technology when conducting uncontested probate proceedings.

HB 3819 allows courts in Texas to conduct uncontested probate proceedings (like will validation or estate administration with no disputes) using remote technology such as video calls or phone conferences. It requires courts to offer parties the option to attend remotely and treats these remote proceedings as if held in person, including public access and official records. The bill mandates courts to maintain public access to remote hearings and provide clear guidelines for their conduct. This primarily affects individuals handling straightforward estate matters and probate courts, making the process more accessible without changing substantive probate law. The bill takes effect September 1, 2025.

in committee · Texas · House May 6, 2025

HB 1531: Relating to the definition of facility for purposes of workplace violence prevention requirements.

HB 1531 expands the definition of "facility" under Texas' workplace violence prevention law to include specific healthcare settings. It directly affects home health agencies (with ≥2 RNs), hospitals, nursing facilities, ambulatory surgical centers, emergency care facilities, and mental hospitals by requiring them to comply with Chapter 331 of the Health and Safety Code. The bill adds these facilities to the list of entities subject to workplace violence prevention requirements, such as safety plans and training. Agencies added by this bill must comply with these rules by September 1, 2026. The law takes effect September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Healthcare ✓ Labor & Employment

in committee · Texas · House May 6, 2025

HB 1194: Relating to the period during which an order for emergency protection remains in effect.

HB 1194 extends the duration of emergency protection orders in Texas criminal cases. For most orders (under Subsections (a) or (b)(1)), the order now remains effective for up to 91 days (minimum 31 days) instead of the previous 61 days (minimum 31 days). For specific orders under Subsection (b)(2), the duration increases to up to 121 days (minimum 61 days) from the prior 91 days (minimum 61 days). The bill also allows courts to modify orders after a hearing if the change won’t increase risk to the victim or endanger protected persons. This applies only to orders issued on or after September 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Criminal Justice

Bill results