Monitoring the Session

HB 1058

bill drops the local residency rule for election watchers

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Mark DorazioRHouse 122

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 eligibility requirements to serve as an election watcher.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Any qualified voter with training can watch.

The bill rewrites the rules for who can serve as an election watcher, dropping the requirement that a watcher be a voter in the county, part of the county, or local district holding the election. A watcher now only has to be a qualified voter and complete the required watcher training. Starting September 1, 2025, campaigns and parties can send registered voters from anywhere in Texas to watch elections outside their home county or district.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 2944 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 2944 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the House Elections committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1058 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Mark DorazioRHouse 122

ITEM

relating to the eligibility requirements to serve as an election watcher.

WHAT IT DOES

Any qualified voter with training can watch.

The bill rewrites the rules for who can serve as an election watcher, dropping the requirement that a watcher be a voter in the county, part of the county, or local district holding the election. A watcher now only has to be a qualified voter and complete the required watcher training. Starting September 1, 2025, campaigns and parties can send registered voters from anywhere in Texas to watch elections outside their home county or district.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Elections
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Mark Dorazio

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$381KTexans for Truth and Liberty PAC$211KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$160K

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 28, 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 Conservative Majority PAC$381,050.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$381,050.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$281,050.00
Total
$381,050.00
canvassing $239,000.00advertising $25,000.00polling $17,050.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 14, 2026 to Oct 23, 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: 101069938, 101072345.

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$211,000.00

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$211,000.00

Cash
$205,000.00
Paid by others
$6,000.00
Total
$211,000.00
polling $6,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 6, 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: 101007777, 101036063, 101041570, 101069938, 101072345.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$160,036.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$160,036.00

Cash
$125,000.00
Paid by others
$35,036.00
Total
$160,036.00
mail $35,036.00

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 · Jun 27, 2025 to Sep 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.

Report IDs: 101007777, 101036063, 101041570, 101061158, 101069938.

Money

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

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$381,050.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$281,050.00
Total
$381,050.00
canvassing $239,000.00advertising $25,000.00polling $17,050.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 14, 2026 to Oct 23, 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: 101069938, 101072345.

×

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$211,000.00

Cash
$205,000.00
Paid by others
$6,000.00
Total
$211,000.00
polling $6,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 6, 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: 101007777, 101036063, 101041570, 101069938, 101072345.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$160,036.00

Cash
$125,000.00
Paid by others
$35,036.00
Total
$160,036.00
mail $35,036.00

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 · Jun 27, 2025 to Sep 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.

Report IDs: 101007777, 101036063, 101041570, 101061158, 101069938.

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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 2944

by Rep. Dorazio, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 14, 2023: Referred to Elections

Relating to the eligibility requirements to serve as an election watcher.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

03/07/2025 H Referred to Elections: Mar 7 2025 2:33PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

House committee · Elections · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Elections--Election Officers

Elections--General

Text

The text as introduced · 198 words

89R1076 MLH-D

By: Dorazio
H.B. No. 1058

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the eligibility requirements to serve as an election

watcher.

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

SECTION 1. Section 33.031, Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 33.031. GENERAL ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS. [ (a) ] To

be eligible to serve as a watcher, a person must :

(1) be a qualified voter[ :

[ (1) of the county in which the person is to serve, in

an election ordered by the governor or a county authority or in a

primary election;

[ (2) of the part of the county in which the election is

held, in an election ordered by the governor or a county authority

that does not cover the entire county of the person's residence ];

and

(2) [ (3) of the political subdivision, in an election

ordered by an authority of a political subdivision other than a

county.

[ (b) In addition to the requirements of Subsection (a), to

be eligible to serve as a watcher, a person must ] complete training

under Section 33.008.

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