Monitoring the Session

HB 1478

bill widening when the state can withhold registrar money

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Briscoe CainRHouse 128

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 failure of a voter registrar to comply with voter registration laws.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Any registration duty in the Election Code, not one subchapter.

The bill moves the rule that lets the Texas secretary of state hold back state election money from a county voter registrar who misses a deadline, and widens it to cover any registration duty under the Election Code instead of just one subchapter. It now also covers late hearings on voter challenges, late decisions on those challenges, and late notices, along with approving, changing, or canceling a voter's registration. If a registrar finishes the overdue work within 30 days after the money is held back, the secretary must release it.

Labels

Labels: BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 1938 by Sen. Bettencourt (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.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1478 · 2024-11-26

SOLD BY

Rep. Briscoe CainRHouse 128 Rep. Benjamin BumgarnerRHouse 63

+ 13 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the failure of a voter registrar to comply with voter registration laws.

WHAT IT DOES

Any registration duty in the Election Code, not one subchapter.

The bill moves the rule that lets the Texas secretary of state hold back state election money from a county voter registrar who misses a deadline, and widens it to cover any registration duty under the Election Code instead of just one subchapter. It now also covers late hearings on voter challenges, late decisions on those challenges, and late notices, along with approving, changing, or canceling a voter's registration. If a registrar finishes the overdue work within 30 days after the money is held back, the secretary must release it.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 21, 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 Elections
  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 public hearing
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  10. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  11. Committee report distributed
  12. Committee report sent to Calendars
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Briscoe Cain

Donors

Adam Loewy$7,500Emerson Hankamer$5,205Teans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$5K

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 May 28, 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.

Adam Loewy$7,500.00
Emerson Hankamer$5,205.08
Teans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$5,000.00

Teans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$5,000.00

Cash
$5,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$5,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jul 3, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jul 3, 2025. 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: 101033926.

Money

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

×

Teans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$5,000.00

Cash
$5,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$5,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jul 3, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jul 3, 2025. 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: 101033926.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses19
For
5
Against
12
On
2
Names

For

  • Self4 registrations
  • Self; Harris county ballot security1 registration

Against

  • ACLU of Texas1 registration
  • Common Cause Texas1 registration
  • Self7 registrations
  • Self; MOVE Texas Civic Fund1 registration
  • Self; Texas Impact1 registration
  • Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration

On

  • Texas Secretary of State2 registrations
Sources

19 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 21, 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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R SB 1938

by Sen. Bettencourt, different lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Apr 28, 2023: Referred to Elections

Relating to the failure of a voter registrar to comply with voter registration laws.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 26, 2024

04/22/2025 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
Daniel AldersRHouse 6 Cody HarrisRHouse 8 Richard HayesRHouse 57 Hillary HicklandRHouse 55 Andy HopperRHouse 64 Lacey HullRHouse 138 Mitch LittleRHouse 65 Will MetcalfRHouse 16 Brent MoneyRHouse 2 Tom OliversonRHouse 130 Joanne ShofnerRHouse 11 Shelby SlawsonRHouse 59 Wes VirdellRHouse 53

House committee · Elections · Committee vote 6 aye, 3 nay · Out of committee

Companion

SB 510 by Bettencourt (identical)

Subjects

Elections--Administration

Elections--Election Officers

Elections--Registration & Suffrage

State Finances--Management & Control

SECRETARY OF STATE

Text

The text as introduced · 236 words

89R2064 LRM-F

By: Cain
H.B. No. 1478

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the failure of a voter registrar to comply with voter

registration laws.

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

SECTION 1. Section 16.039, Election Code, is transferred to

Subchapter A, Chapter 12, Election Code, redesignated as Section

12.007, Election Code, and amended to read as follows:

Sec. 12.007 [ 16.039 ]. FAILURE BY REGISTRAR TO TIMELY

PERFORM DUTY. (a) The secretary of state may withhold funds

administered and distributed by the secretary under Chapter 19 or

Section 31.009 from a registrar if the [ If a ] registrar fails to

timely perform a duty imposed on the registrar under this code

[ subchapter ] requiring :

(1) the approval, change, or cancellation of a voter's

registration ;

(2) the scheduling of a hearing under Section 16.064

or 16.093;

(3) the determination of a challenge under Section

16.066 or 16.095; or

(4) the delivery of notice under Section 16.0921 [ , the

secretary of state may withhold funds administered and distributed

by the secretary under Chapter 19 or Section 31.009 from the

registrar ].

(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), the secretary of state

shall distribute funds under Chapter 19 or Section 31.009 if the

registrar performs the registrar's duty not later than 30 days

after the funds are withheld.

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