HB 1044

bill adds imams, pundits, monks and granthis as officiants

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 persons authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Alongside ministers and rabbis.

The bill rewrites the Texas list of people who may conduct a marriage ceremony to add Buddhist monks or priests, Hindu pundits, Muslim imams and Sikh granthis alongside Christian ministers and Jewish rabbis. It also drops the requirement that a person authorized by a religious organization be an officer of that organization. Starting September 1, 2025, anyone a religious organization authorizes can officiate a wedding, and judges keep their existing authority.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 2 Republicans, 3 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee 8-1 on May 1, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1044 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Salman BhojaniDHouse 92

Rep. Joe MoodyDHouse 78

Rep. John LujanRHouse 118

+ 2 more authors, 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to persons authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony.

WHAT IT DOES

Alongside ministers and rabbis.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 4, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Mar 7, 2025Read first time
Mar 7, 2025Referred to s/c on Family & Fiduciary Relationships by Speaker
Apr 7, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 7, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 7, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 7, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
Apr 28, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
Apr 28, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 28, 2025Failed to receive affirmative vote in comm.
May 1, 2025Considered in formal meeting
May 1, 2025Vote reconsidered in committee
May 1, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 9, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 9, 2025Committee report distributed
May 10, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Salman Bhojani

Donors

6301 ECC LLC$36KSam Mahrouq$25,000Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$21K

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 · Jul 1, 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.

6301 ECC LLC$36,400.00

6301 ECC LLC

$36,400.00

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $36,400.00
Total: $36,400.00

Other filed descriptions $36,400.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 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: 100978329, 101005348, 101026340, 101056439, 101069774, 101071921.

Sam Mahrouq$25,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$21,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$21,000.00

Cash: $21,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $21,000.00

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 4, 2024 to Oct 9, 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: 100978329, 101026340, 101056439, 101071921.

Money

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

6301 ECC LLC

$36,400.00

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $36,400.00
Total: $36,400.00

Other filed descriptions $36,400.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 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: 100978329, 101005348, 101026340, 101056439, 101069774, 101071921.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$21,000.00

Cash: $21,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $21,000.00

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 4, 2024 to Oct 9, 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: 100978329, 101026340, 101056439, 101071921.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses4

For: 1
Against: 3
On: 0

Names

For

The Texas Catholic Conference of Bishops1 registration

Against

Self1 registration
Self; Texas Eagle Forum1 registration
Texas Values1 registration

Sources

4 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 4, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

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

05/10/2025 H Committee report sent to Calendars

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Richard HayesRHouse 57

House committee · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Committee vote 8 aye, 1 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Family--Marriage Relationship

Religion

MARRIAGE CEREMONIES

Text

The text as introduced · 234 words

89R3594 PRL-F

By: Bhojani
H.B. No. 1044

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to persons authorized to conduct a marriage ceremony.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 2.202(a) and (b), Family Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) The following persons are authorized to conduct a

marriage ceremony:

(1) a licensed or ordained Christian minister or

priest;

(2) a Jewish rabbi;

(3) a Buddhist monk or priest;

(4) a Hindu pundit;

(5) a Muslim imam;

(6) a Sikh granthi;

(7) [ (3) ] a person who [ is an officer of a religious

organization and who ] is authorized by a religious [ the ]

organization to conduct a marriage ceremony; and

(8) [ (4) ] a current, former, or retired federal judge

or state judge.

(b) For the purposes of Subsection (a)(8) [ (a)(4) ],

"federal judge" and "state judge" have the meanings assigned by

Section 25.025, Tax Code.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to a marriage ceremony that is conducted on or after the effective

date of this Act. A marriage ceremony conducted before the

effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the

date the ceremony was conducted, and the former law is continued in

effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.