Monitoring the Session

HB 1946

Luther Bill Keeps Cement Plants 10 Miles From Chip Factories

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review
Rep. Shelley LutherRHouse 62
Why it's charged
Carve-out

THE TEXT

…“that will be located within 10 miles of a semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The permit ban exists only to protect one industry, semiconductor wafer makers, from one other industry, cement plants. Other neighbors such as homes, schools or other factories get no such buffer. The caption does name semiconductor facilities, so the favor is disclosed rather than hidden.

Carve-out

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 denial of certain applications for a permit or other authorization under the Texas Clean Air Act on the basis of proximity to a semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

One industry gets a 10-mile buffer from one other. Homes and schools get none.

The bill orders the state air-quality commission to deny certain air permits for new permanent cement plants, including cement kilns, that would sit within 10 miles of a semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility. It touches cement producers seeking new-source-review air permits and gives a protective buffer to any factory that does even one listed chip-production step, such as cleaning or metrology. Starting September 1, 2025, no new cement plant of that kind can get that air permit inside that 10-mile ring, no matter what any other law says.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Jan 17, 2025 and referred to the House Environmental Regulation committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1946 · 2025-01-17

SOLD BY

Rep. Shelley LutherRHouse 62

ITEM

relating to the denial of certain applications for a permit or other authorization under the Texas Clean Air Act on the basis of proximity to a semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility.

WHAT IT DOES

One industry gets a 10-mile buffer from one other. Homes and schools get none.

The bill orders the state air-quality commission to deny certain air permits for new permanent cement plants, including cement kilns, that would sit within 10 miles of a semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility. It touches cement producers seeking new-source-review air permits and gives a protective buffer to any factory that does even one listed chip-production step, such as cleaning or metrology. Starting September 1, 2025, no new cement plant of that kind can get that air permit inside that 10-mile ring, no matter what any other law says.

CHARGES

[x] CARVE-OUTanalysis confidence 40%

THE TEXT

…“that will be located within 10 miles of a semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The permit ban exists only to protect one industry, semiconductor wafer makers, from one other industry, cement plants. Other neighbors such as homes, schools or other factories get no such buffer. The caption does name semiconductor facilities, so the favor is disclosed rather than hidden.

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Environmental Regulation
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Shelley Luther

Donors

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC$45KDon Huffines Campaign$30KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$25K

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 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.

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC$45,000.00

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC

$45,000.00

Cash
$45,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$45,000.00

Also funds 30 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 3, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 24, 2025 to May 12, 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: 101011243, 101066315.

Don Huffines Campaign$30,000.00

Don Huffines Campaign

$30,000.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$30,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 25, 2026 to Feb 27, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Feb 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: 101066315.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$25,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$5,000.00
Total
$25,000.00
Other filed descriptions $5,000.00

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 9, 2024 to Feb 9, 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: 100981952, 101011243, 101028556, 101066315.

Money

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

×

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC

$45,000.00

Cash
$45,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$45,000.00

Also funds 30 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 3, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 24, 2025 to May 12, 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: 101011243, 101066315.

×

Don Huffines Campaign

$30,000.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$30,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 25, 2026 to Feb 27, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Feb 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: 101066315.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$5,000.00
Total
$25,000.00
Other filed descriptions $5,000.00

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 9, 2024 to Feb 9, 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: 100981952, 101011243, 101028556, 101066315.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

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 17, 2025

03/14/2025 H Referred to Environmental Regulation: Mar 14 2025 2:36PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

House committee · Environmental Regulation · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Environment--Air

PERMITS

ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY, TEXAS COMMISSION ON

Text

The text as introduced · 208 words

89R4891 JRR-D

By: Luther
H.B. No. 1946

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the denial of certain applications for a permit or other

authorization under the Texas Clean Air Act on the basis of

proximity to a semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 382, Health and Safety

Code, is amended by adding Section 382.0595 to read as follows:

Sec. 382.0595. DENIAL OF CERTAIN APPLICATIONS FOR PERMIT OR

OTHER AUTHORIZATION ON BASIS OF PROXIMITY TO SEMICONDUCTOR WAFER

MANUFACTURING FACILITY. (a) In this section, "semiconductor wafer

manufacturing facility" means a manufacturing facility that

includes any of the following processes with respect to

semiconductor production:

(1) growing single-crystal ingots or boules;

(2) wafer slicing;

(3) etching and polishing;

(4) bonding;

(5) cleaning;

(6) epitaxial deposition; or

(7) metrology.

(b) Notwithstanding any other law, the commission shall

deny an application for a permit or other authorization under this

chapter that is subject to new source review if the permit or other

authorization is for a permanent cement production plant, including

a cement kiln, that will be located within 10 miles of a

semiconductor wafer manufacturing facility.

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