Monitoring the Session

HB 1964

Spiller Bill Lets Farmers Sue Local Governments Under Right-To-Farm Law

Companion SB 1035 became law

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. David SpillerRHouse 68

Initial review · graded Oct 22, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to equitable relief from the enforcement of certain governmental requirements that affect agricultural operations.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Courts can block the rule. Win, and the local government pays your attorney’s fees.

The bill lets a person sue a city, county or other local government that enforces a rule against an agricultural operation in violation of the state's existing right-to-farm chapter. It touches farmers, ranchers and others hurt by such enforcement, and the local governments that enforce those rules. On the ground, an aggrieved person can ask a court to block the rule, and a person who wins can make the local government pay court costs and attorney's fees.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1964 · 2025-01-22

SOLD BY

Rep. David SpillerRHouse 68 Rep. Cody HarrisRHouse 8 Rep. Trent AshbyRHouse 9

+ 1 more author, 11 coauthors

ITEM

relating to equitable relief from the enforcement of certain governmental requirements that affect agricultural operations.

WHAT IT DOES

Courts can block the rule. Win, and the local government pays your attorney’s fees.

The bill lets a person sue a city, county or other local government that enforces a rule against an agricultural operation in violation of the state's existing right-to-farm chapter. It touches farmers, ranchers and others hurt by such enforcement, and the local governments that enforce those rules. On the ground, an aggrieved person can ask a court to block the rule, and a person who wins can make the local government pay court costs and attorney's fees.

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 · March 21, 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

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Agriculture & Livestock
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in formal meeting
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  10. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  11. Committee report distributed
  12. Committee report sent to Calendars
  13. Considered in Calendars
  14. Considered in Calendars
  15. Placed on General State Calendar
  16. Companion considered in lieu of SB 1035
  17. Laid on the table subject to call
FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

…“may recover court costs and reasonable attorney's fees.”

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The bill creates a fee-shifting lawsuit right that agricultural operators can use against local governments that enforce rules in violation of the right-to-farm chapter.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

David Spiller

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40KMax Poynor$10,000Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$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 · 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 for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash
$40,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$40,000.00

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 · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 18, 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: 101009978, 101031338, 101071836.

Max Poynor$10,000.00
Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

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

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Jun 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: 100987103, 101057871.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash
$40,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$40,000.00

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 · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 18, 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: 101009978, 101031338, 101071836.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

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

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Jun 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: 100987103, 101057871.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses9
For
8
Against
1
On
0
Names

For

  • Self1 registration
  • Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association1 registration
  • Texas Corn Producers1 registration
  • Texas Farm Bureau1 registration
  • Texas Forestry Association1 registration
  • Texas Forestry Association & Texas Beekeepers Association1 registration
  • Texas Nursery and Landscape Association1 registration
  • Texas Poultry Federation1 registration

Against

  • City of Irving1 registration
Sources

9 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 I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 21, 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 H by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Jan 22, 2025

04/29/2025 H Laid on the table subject to call

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.

Coauthors
Keith BellRHouse 4 Diego M. BernalDHouse 123 Ryan GuillenRHouse 31 Richard HayesRHouse 57 Helen KerwinRHouse 58 Stan LambertRHouse 71 Terri Leo WilsonRHouse 23 Janie LopezRHouse 37 Eddie MoralesDHouse 74 Angelia OrrRHouse 13 Trey WhartonRHouse 12

House committee · Agriculture & Livestock · Committee vote 7 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 1035 by Sparks (identical)

Subjects

Agriculture

City Government--Land Use & Zoning

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

Text

The text as introduced · 201 words

89R4596 MP-D

By: Spiller
H.B. No. 1964

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to equitable relief from the enforcement of certain

governmental requirements that affect agricultural operations.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 251, Agriculture Code, is amended by

adding Section 251.009 to read as follows:

Sec. 251.009. RIGHT OF ACTION. (a) If a political

subdivision enforces a governmental requirement in violation of

this chapter, a person aggrieved by the violation may bring an

action against the political subdivision to obtain declaratory or

injunctive relief to block the enforcement of the governmental

requirement.

(b) A person who prevails in an action under this section

may recover court costs and reasonable attorney's fees.

SECTION 2. Section 251.009, Agriculture Code, as added by

this Act, applies only to a cause of action that accrues on or after

the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. 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.