A new bill authored by State Rep. Gates in the Texas House seeks to update election code rules to improve transparency and efficiency in campaign finance reporting, according to the Texas Legislature website.
The bill on City Government, County Government, and Property Interests category, introduced as HB 189 during the 89(1) legislative session on Wednesday, July 23, was formally listed with the short title: ’Relating to municipal and county permitting requirements to conduct certain repairs on residential buildings’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends various sections of the Texas Election Code related to campaign treasurer appointments and the filing of reports for political contributions and expenditures. It requires political committees to notify the Texas Ethics Commission of changes in their campaign treasurer’s address within 10 days. Campaign treasurers must file detailed appointments, including affidavits to ensure political contributions are not misused. The commission is tasked with developing rules to terminate appointments for inactive candidates or committees and requires reports to be filed electronically where applicable. The bill mandates consistent filing procedures and report preservation by the commission for at least two years. Several provisions are repealed or amended for clarity and efficiency, with an effective date of Jan. 1, 2026.
Gary Gates, the chair of the House Committee on Land & Resource Management, proposed no other bills during the 89(1) legislative session. He is also a member of the House Committee on Energy Resources.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB 5662 | 04/01/2025 | Relating to the powers, duties, and authority to issue bonds of the Fort Bend County Water Control and Improvement District No. 12 related to roads |
| HB 5661 | 04/01/2025 | Relating to the creation of the Fort Bend County Municipal Utility District No. 286; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes |
| HB 5655 | 03/25/2025 | Relating to the creation of the Fort Bend County Water Control and Improvement District No. 13; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes |
| HB 5648 | 03/18/2025 | Relating to the creation of the Fort Bend County Water Control and Improvement District No. 13; granting a limited power of eminent domain; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, and taxes |
| HB 5431 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to the exclusion of at-large and mayoral seats from the requirement of re-election following apportionment |
| HB 5408 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to General Land Office and Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs reviews of real property owned by the state |
| HB 1595 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to public housing authorities; authorizing a fee |
| HB 1590 | 03/14/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments owned by public facility corporations |
| HB 5132 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to an exclusion for mixed beverage gross receipts tax and mixed beverage sales tax |
| HB 4753 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the municipal issuance of a document verifying that a certificate of occupancy has been issued for certain buildings |
| HB 4308 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to the creation of industrial development districts in certain counties; providing authority to issue bonds; providing authority to impose assessments, fees, or taxes |
| HB 4307 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments financed, owned, or operated by public facility corporations |
| HB 4306 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments owned by public facility corporations |
| HB 4305 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to disclosure of rent and certain fees and charges by a landlord |
| HB 4108 | 03/07/2025 | Relating to the bidding process in a county commissioners court |
| HB 3919 | 03/06/2025 | Relating to size and density requirements for residential lots in certain municipalities; authorizing a fee |
| HB 3534 | 02/28/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments financed, owned, or operated by public facility corporations |
| HB 3533 | 02/28/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments financed, owned, or operated by public facility corporations |
| HB 3532 | 02/28/2025 | Relating to multifamily residential developments owned by public facility corporations |
| HB 3172 | 02/21/2025 | Relating to municipal regulation of multifamily and mixed-use development on religious land |
| HB 2867 | 02/14/2025 | Relating to late payment fees charged by a municipally owned water utility |
| HB 21 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to housing finance corporations; authorizing a fee |
| HB 20 | 12/23/2024 | Relating to establishing the Applied Sciences Pathway program |
| HB 1228 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to municipal and county permitting requirements to conduct certain repairs on residential buildings |
| HB 1227 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to municipal solid waste management services contracts; limiting the amount of a fee |
| HB 1226 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the dissolution by petition of a municipal management district; making conforming changes related to ship channel security districts |
| HB 1225 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the establishment of a bundled-pricing program to reduce certain health care costs in the state employees group benefits program |
