HB 1650: bill giving bail bond sureties four years to seek refunds

Caption

relating to a special bill of review to reform a final judgment of forfeiture of a bail bond.

Summary

Up from two years after a final forfeiture judgment.

The bill gives bail bond sureties four years instead of two after a final bond forfeiture judgment to ask the court to reform the judgment and refund some or all of the forfeited bond. It touches bail bond companies and other sureties, the counties that collect forfeited bond money, and the courts that hear these requests. On the ground, sureties get twice as long to try to win back forfeited money, but only for forfeiture judgments entered on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 1709 (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 1709 (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.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 10, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Criminal Justice committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1650 · 2024-12-18

SOLD BY

Rep. Terry CanalesDHouse 40

ITEM

relating to a special bill of review to reform a final judgment of forfeiture of a bail bond.

WHAT IT DOES

Up from two years after a final forfeiture judgment.

The bill gives bail bond sureties four years instead of two after a final bond forfeiture judgment to ask the court to reform the judgment and refund some or all of the forfeited bond. It touches bail bond companies and other sureties, the counties that collect forfeited bond money, and the courts that hear these requests. On the ground, sureties get twice as long to try to win back forfeited money, but only for forfeiture judgments entered on or after September 1, 2025.

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 · April 14, 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 18, 2024Filed
Mar 12, 2025Read first time
Mar 12, 2025Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
Apr 15, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 15, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 15, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 24, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 24, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 30, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 30, 2025Committee report distributed
May 1, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 7, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 9, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 9, 2025Read 2nd time
May 9, 2025Passed to engrossment
May 9, 2025Record vote RV#1979
May 9, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 10, 2025Read 3rd time
May 10, 2025Passed
May 10, 2025Record vote RV#2056
May 10, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 10, 2025Reported engrossed
May 12, 2025Received from the House
May 21, 2025Read first time
May 21, 2025Referred to Criminal Justice

ALSO NOTED · NOT CHARGED (1)

CARVE-OUT · analysis confidence 30%

THE TEXT

…“the surety on the bond may file with the court a special bill of review”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The only party that gains the longer window is the bail bond surety. But the caption openly names this bail bond forfeiture process, so the benefit is honestly described.

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 102 yea · 29 nay

Sources

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

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Terry Canales

Donors

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC$65K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$35KCurtis E. Ford$30,605

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 · Aug 9, 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.

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC$65,000.00

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

$65,000.00

Cash: $65,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $65,000.00

Also funds 120 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 6, 2024 to Oct 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: 100986692, 101072185.

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 · Aug 9, 2024 to Sep 29, 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: 100986692, 101030306, 101068017, 101072185.

Curtis E. Ford$30,605.00

Money

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

×

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

$65,000.00

Cash: $65,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $65,000.00

Also funds 120 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 6, 2024 to Oct 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: 100986692, 101072185.

×

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 · Aug 9, 2024 to Sep 29, 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: 100986692, 101030306, 101068017, 101072185.

Votes2

House May 10, 2025

Yea: 102
Nay: 29
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 0
Excused: 17

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2056

HB 1650 was passed by (Record 2056): 102 Yeas, 29 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 102 (published)
Nay: 29 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 17 (derived from named list)

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

House May 9, 2025

Yea: 132
Nay: 6
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 5
Excused: 6

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1979

HB 1650 was passed to engrossment by (Record 1979): 132 Yeas, 6 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 132 (published)
Nay: 6 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
Excused: 6 (derived from named list)

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

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 14, 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 HB 1709

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

Introduced text

Last action, May 4, 2023: Referred to Criminal Justice

Relating to a special bill of review to reform a final judgment of forfeiture of a bail bond.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Dec 18, 2024

05/21/2025 S Referred to Criminal Justice

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

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

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Committee vote 9 aye, 2 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · Criminal Justice · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Criminal Procedure--Bail & Pretrial Release

Text

The text as introduced · 266 words

89R2946 CMO-D

By: Canales
H.B. No. 1650

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a special bill of review to reform a final judgment of

forfeiture of a bail bond.

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

SECTION 1. Article 22.17(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) Not later than the fourth anniversary of [ two years

after ] the date a final judgment is entered in a bond forfeiture

proceeding, the surety on the bond may file with the court a special

bill of review. A special bill of review may include a request, on

equitable grounds, that the final judgment be reformed and that all

or part of the bond amount be remitted to the surety, after

deducting the costs of court, any reasonable costs to the county for

the return of the principal, and the interest accrued on the bond

amount from the date of forfeiture. The court in its discretion may

grant or deny the bill in whole or in part.

SECTION 2. Article 22.17(a), Code of Criminal Procedure, as

amended by this Act, applies only to a bail bond for which a final

judgment of forfeiture is entered on or after the effective date of

this Act. A bail bond for which a final judgment of forfeiture is

entered before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law

in effect on the date the judgment was entered, and the former law

is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

House May 10, 2025

House May 9, 2025

88R HB 1709