HB 1517

Hernandez Bill’s ‘Certain Constables’ Live In Counties Over Four Million

Did not pass

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review

Rep. Ana HernandezDHouse 143

Why it's charged

Bracket bill

THE TEXT

“A constable of a county with a population of more than four million may enforce an ordinance”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The four-million population bracket limits this statewide code change to the single largest county class. The caption only says "certain constables" and never names the place.

Bracket bill

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 enforcement of municipal ordinances by certain constables.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

They can enforce city ordinances once the city and the commissioners court sign off.

The bill lets a constable in a county of more than four million people enforce a city's ordinances if the city and the county commissioners court sign a written agreement allowing it. It touches constables, city governments and county commissioners courts in that one county size class, and the people living in cities there. On the ground, constables in that county could start enforcing city rules, but only inside the part of the city that lies within their county.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Intergovernmental Affairs committee 10-1 on Apr 28, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 15, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1517 · 2024-12-04

SOLD BY

Rep. Ana HernandezDHouse 143

ITEM

relating to enforcement of municipal ordinances by certain constables.

WHAT IT DOES

They can enforce city ordinances once the city and the commissioners court sign off.

CHARGES

[x] BRACKET BILLanalysis confidence 60%

THE TEXT

“A constable of a county with a population of more than four million may enforce an ordinance”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The four-million population bracket limits this statewide code change to the single largest county class. The caption only says "certain constables" and never names the place.

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 30, 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

Dec 4, 2024Filed
Mar 12, 2025Read first time
Mar 12, 2025Referred to Intergovernmental Affairs
Apr 1, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 1, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 1, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 1, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 28, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 28, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 28, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
May 12, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 12, 2025Committee report distributed
May 12, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 13, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 15, 2025Placed on General State Calendar

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Ana Hernandez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$35K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$15K Border Health PAC$10K

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 22, 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$35,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$35,000.00

Cash: $35,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $35,000.00

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 10, 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: 100987003, 101013859, 101020093, 101059809, 101070083.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$15,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$15,000.00

Cash: $15,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $15,000.00

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 1, 2024 to Sep 25, 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: 100987003, 101072690.

Border Health PAC$10,000.00

Border Health PAC

$10,000.00

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

Also funds 17 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 28, 2024 to Aug 26, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Nov 26, 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: 101020093.

Money

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

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$35,000.00

Cash: $35,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $35,000.00

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 10, 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: 100987003, 101013859, 101020093, 101059809, 101070083.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$15,000.00

Cash: $15,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $15,000.00

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 1, 2024 to Sep 25, 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: 100987003, 101072690.

Border Health PAC

$10,000.00

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

Also funds 17 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 28, 2024 to Aug 26, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Nov 26, 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: 101020093.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses3

For: 3
Against: 0
On: 0

Names

For

City of Houston1 registration
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
Houston Police Department1 registration

Sources

3 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 30, 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 Dec 4, 2024

05/15/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

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

House committee · Intergovernmental Affairs · Committee vote 10 aye, 1 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

County Government--Employees/Officers

Law Enforcement

CONSTABLES

SHERIFFS

Text

The text as introduced · 180 words

89R8534 MZM-D

By: Hernandez
H.B. No. 1517

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to enforcement of municipal ordinances by certain

constables.

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

SECTION 1. Section 86.021, Local Government Code, is

amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

(f) A constable of a county with a population of more than

four million may enforce an ordinance adopted by the governing body

of a municipality if the municipality and the commissioners court

of the county for which the constable serves have entered into a

written agreement authorizing the constable to enforce the

ordinance. The constable may only enforce an ordinance under this

subsection within the portion of the municipality located in the

county for which the constable serves.

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.