HB 1555

Shaheen Ethics Committee Bill Expires A Day After Its Deadline

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsReviewed

Rep. Matt ShaheenRHouse 66

Both charges, and why

Study, task force, commission, report

THE TEXT

…“select interim committee is created to study and review the”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill's only operative act is to create a committee that studies ethics laws and reports recommendations by December 20, 2026. Any change to ethics law waits for a later bill.

Study, task force, commission, report

New fee, fund, board or appointees

THE TEXT

“four members appointed by the lieutenant governor”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill creates a new committee and new appointed seats, including one member of the public chosen by the lieutenant governor and one chosen by the speaker. The body is temporary and the caption openly says it is being created, so the pattern fires at low strength.

New fee, fund, board or appointees

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 creation of a select interim committee to review and make recommendations for substantive changes to ethics laws.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Report by December 20, 2026, gone December 21. Actual ethics changes wait for a later bill.

The bill creates a temporary select interim committee to study Texas ethics laws, including campaign finance, lobby and personal financial disclosure rules. The committee has three senators and one member of the public named by the lieutenant governor, three state representatives and one member of the public named by the speaker, and the presiding officer of the Texas Ethics Commission, with staff supplied by the Texas Legislative Council and the Ethics Commission. No ethics law changes under this bill; the committee must report its recommendations by December 20, 2026, and the committee and the Act expire December 21, 2026.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House State Affairs committee on Apr 14, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1555 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Matt ShaheenRHouse 66

ITEM

relating to the creation of a select interim committee to review and make recommendations for substantive changes to ethics laws.

WHAT IT DOES

Report by December 20, 2026, gone December 21. Actual ethics changes wait for a later bill.

CHARGES

[x] STUDY, TASK FORCE, COMMISSION, REPORTanalysis confidence 90%

THE TEXT

…“select interim committee is created to study and review the”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill's only operative act is to create a committee that studies ethics laws and reports recommendations by December 20, 2026. Any change to ethics law waits for a later bill.

[x] NEW FEE, FUND, BOARD OR APPOINTEESanalysis confidence 50%

THE TEXT

“four members appointed by the lieutenant governor”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 9, 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

Mar 14, 2025Filed
Mar 14, 2025Read first time
Mar 14, 2025Referred to State Affairs
Apr 14, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 14, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 14, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 14, 2025Left pending in committee

FILED UNDER

GOVERNMENT GROWTH UNDER A CONSERVATIVE BANNER

THE TEXT

…“select interim committee is created to study and review the”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill creates a new state committee with appointed seats for legislators and members of the public and directs two existing state bodies to staff it until it expires December 21, 2026.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Matt Shaheen

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$402K Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100K Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$86K

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 30, 2024 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.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$401,656.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$401,656.00

Cash: $60,000.00
Paid by others: $341,656.00
Total: $401,656.00

canvassing $317,206.00polling $24,450.00

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 25, 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: 101069212, 101071870.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 22, 2026 to Oct 10, 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: 101069212, 101071870.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$85,700.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$85,700.00

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $35,700.00
Total: $85,700.00

advertising $20,000.00polling $15,700.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 11, 2025 to Sep 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: 101028938, 101069212, 101071870.

Money

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

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$401,656.00

Cash: $60,000.00
Paid by others: $341,656.00
Total: $401,656.00

canvassing $317,206.00polling $24,450.00

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 25, 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: 101069212, 101071870.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 22, 2026 to Oct 10, 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: 101069212, 101071870.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$85,700.00

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $35,700.00
Total: $85,700.00

advertising $20,000.00polling $15,700.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 11, 2025 to Sep 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: 101028938, 101069212, 101071870.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 9, 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

Adversarial review by claude-fable-5-1 at high effort: Smells.

Analysis of text version I by claude-fable-5-1, Oct 21, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 14, 2025

04/14/2025 H Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

House committee · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Ethics

Interim Studies

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR

SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

ETHICS COMMISSION, TEXAS

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 419 words

89R18384 TYPED

By: Shaheen
H.B. No. 1555

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of a select interim committee to review and

make recommendations for substantive changes to ethics laws.

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

SECTION 1. INTERIM STUDY REGARDING ETHICS LAWS. (a) A

select interim committee is created to study and review the

statutes and regulations related to ethics, including campaign

finance laws, lobby laws, and personal financial disclosure laws.

(b) The study must consider:

(1) the purposes of the current laws and whether the

laws accomplish those purposes;

(2) the effectiveness of the current laws; and

(3) what changes, if any, should be made to more

effectively accomplish the purposes of the laws.

(c) The committee is composed of:

(1) four members appointed by the lieutenant governor

as follows:

(A) three senators, one of whom the lieutenant

governor shall designate as co-chair of the committee; and

(B) one member of the public;

(2) four members appointed by the speaker of the house

of representatives as follows:

(A) three state representatives, one of whom the

speaker shall designate as co-chair of the committee; and

(B) one member of the public; and

(3) the presiding officer of the Texas Ethics

Commission on the effective date of this Act.

(d) The committee shall convene at the call of the

co-chairs.

(e) The committee has all other powers and duties provided

to a special or select committee by the rules of the senate and the

house of representatives, by Subchapter B, Chapter 301, Government

Code, and by policies of the senate and house committees on

administration.

(f) Not later than December 20, 2026, the committee shall

report the committee's findings and recommendations to the

lieutenant governor, the speaker of the house of representatives,

and the governor. The committee shall include in its

recommendations specific statutory and rule changes that appear

necessary from the results of the committee's study under

Subsection (a) of this section.

(g) Not later than the 60th day after the effective date of

this Act, the lieutenant governor and the speaker of the house of

representatives shall appoint the members of the committee created

under this section.

(h) The Texas Legislative Council and the Texas Ethics

Commission shall provide any necessary staff and resources to the

committee created under this section.

SECTION 2. ABOLITION OF COMMITTEE. The committee is

abolished and this Act expires December 21, 2026.

SECTION 3. EFFECTIVE DATE. This Act takes effect September

1, 2025.