HB 1968: bill removing a limit on county election service contracts

Caption

relating to a duty to contract for election services furnished for an election held on the first Saturday in May in an even-numbered year.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Repeals Section 41.001(d) of the Election Code.

The bill removes a cross-reference that limited when a county elections administrator must contract to run elections for cities, school districts and other local governments, and it repeals Section 41.001(d) of the Election Code. The caption says this targets elections held on the first Saturday in May in even-numbered years, so county elections administrators and the local governments that hold those May elections are the ones touched. Once the bill takes effect on September 1, 2025, a county elections administrator asked by a political subdivision must contract to run that May election, at a cost both sides agree on.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 3 Republicans, 2 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 8, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the State Affairs committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB1968 · 2025-01-22

SOLD BY

Rep. David CookRHouse 96

Rep. Matt ShaheenRHouse 66

Rep. John H. Bucy IIIDHouse 136

+ 2 more authors

ITEM

relating to a duty to contract for election services furnished for an election held on the first Saturday in May in an even-numbered year.

WHAT IT DOES

Repeals Section 41.001(d) of the Election Code.

The bill removes a cross-reference that limited when a county elections administrator must contract to run elections for cities, school districts and other local governments, and it repeals Section 41.001(d) of the Election Code. The caption says this targets elections held on the first Saturday in May in even-numbered years, so county elections administrators and the local governments that hold those May elections are the ones touched. Once the bill takes effect on September 1, 2025, a county elections administrator asked by a political subdivision must contract to run that May election, at a cost both sides agree on.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 16, 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 22, 2025Filed
Mar 14, 2025Read first time
Mar 14, 2025Referred to Elections
Apr 17, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 17, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 17, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 17, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 28, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 28, 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 5, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 7, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 7, 2025Read 2nd time
May 7, 2025Passed to engrossment
May 7, 2025Record vote RV#1739
May 7, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 8, 2025Read 3rd time
May 8, 2025Passed
May 8, 2025Record vote RV#1841
May 8, 2025Reported engrossed
May 9, 2025Received from the House
May 12, 2025Read first time
May 12, 2025Referred to State Affairs

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 128 yea · 18 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 8, 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

David Cook

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$350K GOPAC Election Fund$115K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$60K

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 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$350,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$350,000.00

Cash: $350,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $350,000.00

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 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: 101012315, 101037124, 101037559, 101066332, 101070691.

GOPAC Election Fund$115,000.00

GOPAC Election Fund

$115,000.00

Cash: $115,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $115,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 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: 101066332.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$60,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$60,000.00

Cash: $60,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $60,000.00

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 · Sep 12, 2025 to Jul 16, 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: 101037124, 101037559, 101066332.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$350,000.00

Cash: $350,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $350,000.00

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 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: 101012315, 101037124, 101037559, 101066332, 101070691.

×

GOPAC Election Fund

$115,000.00

Cash: $115,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $115,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 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: 101066332.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$60,000.00

Cash: $60,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $60,000.00

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 · Sep 12, 2025 to Jul 16, 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: 101037124, 101037559, 101066332.

Votes2

House May 8, 2025

Yea: 128
Nay: 18
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 0
Excused: 2

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1841

HB 1968 was passed by (Record 1841): 128 Yeas, 18 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 128 (published)
Nay: 18 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 2 (derived from named list)

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

House May 7, 2025

Yea: 129
Nay: 14
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 2
Excused: 4

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1739

HB 1968 was passed to engrossment by (Record 1739): 129 Yeas, 14 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 129 (published)
Nay: 14 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
Excused: 4 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses9

For: 6
Against: 1
On: 2

Names

For

Self6 registrations

Against

Self; Harris county ballot security1 registration

On

Secretary of State1 registration
Self; Texas Association of County Election Officials1 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 fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 16, 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 22, 2025

05/12/2025 S Referred to State Affairs

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 · Elections · Committee vote 8 aye, 1 nay · Out of committee

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

Subjects

Elections--Administration

Text

The text as introduced · 181 words

89R3244 TSS-D

By: Cook
H.B. No. 1968

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a duty to contract for election services furnished for

an election held on the first Saturday in May in an even-numbered

year.

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

SECTION 1. Section 31.093(a), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) If [ Subject to Section 41.001(d), if ] requested to do so

by a political subdivision, the county elections administrator

shall enter into a contract to furnish the election services

requested, in accordance with a cost schedule agreed on by the

contracting parties.

SECTION 2. Section 41.001(d), Election Code, is repealed.

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

an election held on or after the effective date of this Act. An

election held before the effective date of this Act is governed by

the law in effect on the date the election was held, and that law is

continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 4. 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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

GOPAC Election Fund

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

GOPAC Election Fund

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

House May 8, 2025

House May 7, 2025

For

Against

On