HB 1722: bill barring TxDOT from blocking owners’ access inside right-of-way

Caption

relating to an owner's or lessee's access to private property located within a Texas Department of Transportation highway right-of-way.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Only property reachable solely through it, and built first.

The bill bars the Texas Department of Transportation from blocking or restricting an owner or tenant from reaching private property that sits inside a highway right-of-way the department acquires. It covers only property that can be reached solely through that right-of-way and that was built before the department took authority over the right-of-way. The department can still buy or condemn the property, but until it does, the owner or tenant keeps access starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on Apr 29, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Transportation committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1722 · 2025-01-02

SOLD BY

Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84

ITEM

relating to an owner's or lessee's access to private property located within a Texas Department of Transportation highway right-of-way.

WHAT IT DOES

Only property reachable solely through it, and built first.

The bill bars the Texas Department of Transportation from blocking or restricting an owner or tenant from reaching private property that sits inside a highway right-of-way the department acquires. It covers only property that can be reached solely through that right-of-way and that was built before the department took authority over the right-of-way. The department can still buy or condemn the property, but until it does, the owner or tenant keeps access starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 11, 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

Jan 2, 2025Filed
Mar 14, 2025Read first time
Mar 14, 2025Referred to Transportation
Apr 3, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 3, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 3, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 3, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 3, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 9, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 9, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 9, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
Apr 15, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 15, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 16, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 22, 2025Considered in Calendars
Apr 25, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
Apr 28, 2025Read 2nd time
Apr 28, 2025Passed to engrossment
Apr 28, 2025Record vote RV#618
Apr 28, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 29, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 29, 2025Passed
Apr 29, 2025Record vote RV#727
Apr 29, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 29, 2025Received from the House
May 5, 2025Read first time
May 5, 2025Referred to Transportation

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 146 yea · 1 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · Apr 29, 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

Carl H. Tepper

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$100K Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25K Beef 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 · Oct 27, 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$100,000.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$100,000.00

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

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 · on 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.

Report IDs: 101072176.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25,083.33

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,083.33

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $83.33
Total: $25,083.33

fundraiser $83.33

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 · Jun 25, 2025 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: 101009037, 101027338, 101072176.

Beef PAC$8,000.00

Beef PAC

$8,000.00

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

Also funds 80 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Oct 20, 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: 101012320, 101057498, 101072176.

Money

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

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$100,000.00

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

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 · on 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.

Report IDs: 101072176.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,083.33

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $83.33
Total: $25,083.33

fundraiser $83.33

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 · Jun 25, 2025 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: 101009037, 101027338, 101072176.

×

Beef PAC

$8,000.00

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

Also funds 80 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Oct 20, 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: 101012320, 101057498, 101072176.

Votes2

House Apr 29, 2025

Yea: 146
Nay: 1
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 1
Excused: 1

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 727

HB 1722 was passed by (Record 727): 146 Yeas, 1 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 146 (published)
Nay: 1 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 1 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

House Apr 28, 2025

Yea: 144
Nay: 1
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 3
Excused: 1

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 618

CSHB 1722 was passed to engrossment by (Record 618): 144 Yeas, 1 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 144 (published)
Nay: 1 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses5

For: 3
Against: 1
On: 1

Names

For

Self; Texas AFL-CIO1 registration
Self; TURF, Texans for Tollfree Highways, We the People - Liberty in Action1 registration
Texas Farm Bureau1 registration

Against

Self1 registration

On

Texas Department of Transportation1 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 11, 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 Jan 2, 2025

05/05/2025 S Referred to Transportation

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 · Transportation · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Transportation · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Highways

Property Interests--Real Property

TRANSPORTATION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 173 words

By: Tepper
H.B. No. 1722

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an owner's or lessee's access to private property

located within a Texas Department of Transportation highway

right-of-way.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter F, Chapter 203, Transportation Code,

is amended by adding Section 203.113 to read as follows:

Sec. 203.113. OWNER OR LESSEE ACCESS TO PRIVATE PROPERTY IN

HIGHWAY RIGHT-OF-WAY. (a) Notwithstanding any other law, the

department may not prohibit or otherwise restrict a person from

accessing private property the person owns or leases that:

(1) is located within a highway right-of-way the

department acquires;

(2) can only be accessed through the right-of-way; and

(3) was constructed before the department assumed

authority over the right-of-way.

(b) This section does not prohibit the department or the

commission from acquiring a person's interest in private property

described by Subsection (a) through purchase, condemnation, or

other means as authorized by Subchapter D or other law.

SECTION 2. 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

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Beef PAC

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Beef PAC

House Apr 29, 2025

House Apr 28, 2025

For

Against

On