Monitoring the Session

HB 1277

Bill Orders Yearly Plant Outbreak Reports, No Rules, No Money

Did not pass

Verdict: Smells

SmellsReviewed
Rep. Mary E. GonzálezDHouse 75
Why it's charged
Study, task force, commission, report

THE TEXT

“(e) Not later than January 1, 2028, the extension service”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill's only output is annual reports and a 2028 summary with policy recommendations, so any real action on outbreaks waits for a later bill. The caption honestly says it is a study.

Study, task force, commission, report

Reviewed · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the study of plant disease and pest outbreaks by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Final summary due January 1, 2028. The whole section expires January 31, 2028.

The bill orders the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to study every plant disease and pest outbreak in Texas each year, tracking how long each lasted and how it ended. It touches the extension service, which must post a yearly report online, and state leaders, who get a final summary with policy recommendations by January 1, 2028. Nothing changes on the ground beyond paperwork: no new rules, money or response program, and the whole section expires January 31, 2028.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 7, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1277 · 2024-11-13

SOLD BY

Rep. Mary E. GonzálezDHouse 75

ITEM

relating to the study of plant disease and pest outbreaks by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

WHAT IT DOES

Final summary due January 1, 2028. The whole section expires January 31, 2028.

The bill orders the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service to study every plant disease and pest outbreak in Texas each year, tracking how long each lasted and how it ended. It touches the extension service, which must post a yearly report online, and state leaders, who get a final summary with policy recommendations by January 1, 2028. Nothing changes on the ground beyond paperwork: no new rules, money or response program, and the whole section expires January 31, 2028.

CHARGES

[x] STUDY, TASK FORCE, COMMISSION, REPORTanalysis confidence 60%

THE TEXT

“(e) Not later than January 1, 2028, the extension service”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill's only output is annual reports and a 2028 summary with policy recommendations, so any real action on outbreaks waits for a later bill. The caption honestly says it is a study.

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 17, 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

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Agriculture & Livestock
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in formal meeting
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  10. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  11. Committee report distributed
  12. Committee report sent to Calendars
  13. Considered in Calendars
  14. Placed on General State Calendar
  15. Read 2nd time
  16. Passed to engrossment
  17. Record vote RV#1536
  18. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  19. Read 3rd time
  20. Passed
  21. Record vote RV#1609
  22. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  23. Reported engrossed
  24. Received from the House
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 102 yea · 46 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 7, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Mary E. González

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$10KCoalition for Working Families PAC$10KTexas Sands PAC$8K

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 16, 2024 to Jun 13, 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$10,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

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 · Dec 11, 2024 to Mar 30, 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: 100985912, 101032788, 101058648.

Coalition for Working Families PAC$10,000.00

Coalition for Working Families PAC

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 24 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 25, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 5, 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: 101058648.

Texas Sands PAC$8,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash
$8,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$8,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 22, 2024 to Dec 9, 2024. 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: 100985912.

Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

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 · Dec 11, 2024 to Mar 30, 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: 100985912, 101032788, 101058648.

×

Coalition for Working Families PAC

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 24 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 25, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 5, 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: 101058648.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash
$8,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$8,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 22, 2024 to Dec 9, 2024. 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: 100985912.

Votes2

House May 7, 2025

Yea
102
Nay
46
Present, not voting
1
Absent
1
Excused
0
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 1609

HB 1277 was passed by (Record 1609): 102 Yeas, 46 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 102 (published)
  • Nay: 46 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 1 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House May 6, 2025

Yea
98
Nay
46
Present, not voting
1
Absent
3
Excused
2
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 1536

HB 1277 was passed to engrossment by (Record 1536): 98 Yeas, 46 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 98 (published)
  • Nay: 46 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 2 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses5
For
4
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • Self1 registration
  • Texas Farm Bureau1 registration
  • Texas Nursery and Landscape Association1 registration
  • Texas Pest Control Association1 registration

On

  • Texas A&M AgriLife Extension1 registration
Sources

5 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 significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 17, 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 13, 2024

05/07/2025 S Received from the House

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 3:09 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Agriculture & Livestock · Committee vote 6 aye, 2 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Agriculture

TEXAS A&M AGRILIFE EXTENSION SERVICE

Text

The text as introduced · 303 words

89R4226 MP-D

By: González of El Paso
H.B. No. 1277

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the study of plant disease and pest outbreaks by the

Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 71, Agriculture Code, is amended by

adding Subchapter Z to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER Z. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Sec. 71.901. REPORT ON DISEASES AND PESTS. (a) In this

section, "extension service" means the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension

Service.

(b) The extension service shall annually conduct a study of

each plant disease or pest outbreak in this state.

(c) In conducting the study under Subsection (b), the

extension service shall determine for each outbreak of a plant

disease or pest:

(1) the duration of the outbreak;

(2) how the outbreak was resolved, if applicable; and

(3) any other information the extension service

determines is relevant.

(d) Not later than January 1 of each year, the extension

service shall prepare and publish on the extension service's

Internet website a report of the previous year's study conducted

under this section.

(e) Not later than January 1, 2028, the extension service

shall prepare and publish on the extension service's Internet

website a report summarizing each annual report published under

Subsection (d) and providing policy recommendations to address

outbreaks of plant diseases and pests. The extension service shall

provide the report to the governor, commissioner, lieutenant

governor, and speaker of the house of representatives.

(f) This section expires January 31, 2028.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.