Monitoring the Session

HB 1029

Morales Highway Sign Bill Waives The Rules For One Museum

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review
Rep. Eddie MoralesDHouse 74
Why it's charged
Carve-out

THE TEXT

“Notwithstanding any distance or attendance limitations established under the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for recreational and cultural interest area guide signs”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill waives the normal sign qualification limits for one named museum, the Museum of the Big Bend, while the caption speaks only of "certain cultural attractions." Any other attraction still has to meet the standard distance and attendance rules.

Carve-out

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the installation of highway signs for certain cultural attractions by the Texas Department of Transportation.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Caption: “certain cultural attractions”. Bill: the Museum of the Big Bend, distance and attendance limits waived.

The bill orders the Texas Department of Transportation to put up and maintain highway signs on Interstate 10, east and west of the U.S. Highway 67 intersection, pointing drivers to the Museum of the Big Bend. It sets aside the state traffic manual's distance and attendance limits for cultural attraction signs for this one museum, while still requiring the signs to follow every other state and federal sign rule. On the ground, one named museum gets state-built and state-maintained signs on I-10 starting September 1, 2025, even if it would not otherwise qualify.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the House Transportation committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1029 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Eddie MoralesDHouse 74

ITEM

relating to the installation of highway signs for certain cultural attractions by the Texas Department of Transportation.

WHAT IT DOES

Caption: “certain cultural attractions”. Bill: the Museum of the Big Bend, distance and attendance limits waived.

The bill orders the Texas Department of Transportation to put up and maintain highway signs on Interstate 10, east and west of the U.S. Highway 67 intersection, pointing drivers to the Museum of the Big Bend. It sets aside the state traffic manual's distance and attendance limits for cultural attraction signs for this one museum, while still requiring the signs to follow every other state and federal sign rule. On the ground, one named museum gets state-built and state-maintained signs on I-10 starting September 1, 2025, even if it would not otherwise qualify.

CHARGES

[x] CARVE-OUTanalysis confidence 55%

THE TEXT

“Notwithstanding any distance or attendance limitations established under the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices for recreational and cultural interest area guide signs”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill waives the normal sign qualification limits for one named museum, the Museum of the Big Bend, while the caption speaks only of "certain cultural attractions." Any other attraction still has to meet the standard distance and attendance rules.

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Transportation
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Withdrawn from schedule
  6. Posting rule suspended
  7. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Eddie Morales

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$101KLegacy 44$100KTexas REALTORS Political Action Committee$57K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$101,077.16

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$101,077.16

Cash
$80,000.00
Paid by others
$21,077.16
Total
$101,077.16
mailers $21,077.16

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101059340, 101067651, 101071574.

Legacy 44$100,000.00

Legacy 44

$100,000.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$70,000.00
Total
$100,000.00
digital $70,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 29, 2024 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101067651.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$56,517.22

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$56,517.22

Cash
$37,500.00
Paid by others
$19,017.22
Total
$56,517.22
mail $18,992.22grassroots $25.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 2, 2024 to Sep 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101031005, 101067651.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$101,077.16

Cash
$80,000.00
Paid by others
$21,077.16
Total
$101,077.16
mailers $21,077.16

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 27, 2024 to Oct 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101059340, 101067651, 101071574.

×

Legacy 44

$100,000.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$70,000.00
Total
$100,000.00
digital $70,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 29, 2024 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101067651.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$56,517.22

Cash
$37,500.00
Paid by others
$19,017.22
Total
$56,517.22
mail $18,992.22grassroots $25.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 2, 2024 to Sep 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100983216, 101031005, 101067651.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

05/12/2025 H Scheduled for public hearing on . . .

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Transportation · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 1011 by Blanco (identical)

Subjects

Highways

Historic Preservation & Museums

RECREATIONAL & CULTURAL FACILITIES

SIGNS

TRANSPORTATION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 161 words

89R3124 BCH-D

By: Morales of Maverick
H.B. No. 1029

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the installation of highway signs for certain cultural

attractions by the Texas Department of Transportation.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. (a) Notwithstanding any distance or attendance

limitations established under the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic

Control Devices for recreational and cultural interest area guide

signs, subject to Subsection (b) of this section, the Texas

Department of Transportation shall erect and maintain highway signs

on Interstate Highway 10 east and west of the United States Highway

67 intersection to guide road users to the Museum of the Big Bend.

(b) A sign erected under this section may not otherwise

violate the Texas Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices or the

Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices issued by the United

States Department of Transportation, Federal Highway

Administration.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.