Monitoring the Session

HB 204

pay cap lifted for prosecutors in counties under 400,000

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84

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 the total annual salary from state and county sources for certain state prosecutors.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

County money no longer shrinks the state share. Bigger places stay capped.

The bill lifts the state cap on total pay for state prosecutors who serve in a judicial district or county with fewer than 400,000 people. Today, if a county adds enough of its own money that a prosecutor's total pay passes the pay of a comparable district judge, the comptroller cuts the state's share by the excess. Under this bill, smaller counties can raise their prosecutor's pay with county money without losing the state share, while prosecutors in larger places stay under the cap.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 1 Republican, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on Apr 9, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Finance committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB204 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84 Rep. Ann JohnsonDHouse 134

ITEM

relating to the total annual salary from state and county sources for certain state prosecutors.

WHAT IT DOES

County money no longer shrinks the state share. Bigger places stay capped.

The bill lifts the state cap on total pay for state prosecutors who serve in a judicial district or county with fewer than 400,000 people. Today, if a county adds enough of its own money that a prosecutor's total pay passes the pay of a comparable district judge, the comptroller cuts the state's share by the excess. Under this bill, smaller counties can raise their prosecutor's pay with county money without losing the state share, while prosecutors in larger places stay under the cap.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($279,000)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version H · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · March 24, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB204, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($558,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($279,000)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

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 Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. Committee report sent to Calendars
  15. Considered in Calendars
  16. Placed on General State Calendar
  17. Read 2nd time
  18. Passed to engrossment
  19. Record vote RV#86
  20. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  21. Read 3rd time
  22. Passed
  23. Record vote RV#96
  24. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  25. Reported engrossed
  26. Received from the House
  27. Read first time
  28. Referred to Finance
FILED UNDER

GOVERNMENT GROWTH UNDER A CONSERVATIVE BANNER

THE TEXT

“does not apply to the salary paid to a state prosecutor who serves in a judicial district or county, as applicable, with a population of less than 400,000”

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The bill changes government pay by letting smaller counties pay state prosecutors above the judge-matched cap without the comptroller cutting the state's share.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 118 yea · 29 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · Apr 9, 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

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Carl H. Tepper

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$100KTexans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25KBeef 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 9, 2025

Yea
118
Nay
29
Present, not voting
1
Absent
1
Excused
1
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 96

HB 204 was passed by (Record 96): 118 Yeas, 29 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 118 (published)
  • Nay: 29 (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 8, 2025

Yea
116
Nay
33
Present, not voting
1
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 86

CSHB 204 was passed to engrossment by (Record 86): 116 Yeas, 33 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 116 (published)
  • Nay: 33 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses3
For
2
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • Kaufman County Criminal District Attorney1 registration
  • Self1 registration

On

  • Texas District and County Attorneys Association (TDCAA)1 registration
Sources

3 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
Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($279,000)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version H · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · March 24, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for HB204, Committee Report 1st House, Substituted: a negative impact of ($558,000) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($279,000)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

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 Nov 12, 2024

04/24/2025 S Referred to Finance

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

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

House committee · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Committee vote 8 aye, 0 nay, 3 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Finance · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Courts--Prosecuting Attorneys

Salaries & Expenses

COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

Text

The text as introduced · 229 words

89R5213 BCH-D

By: Tepper
H.B. No. 204

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the total annual salary from state and county sources

for certain state prosecutors.

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

SECTION 1. Section 46.003, Government Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (c-1) to read as

follows:

(c) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) and except as provided

by Subsection (c-1) , if the amount of a state prosecutor's total

annual salary from state and county sources exceeds the amount of

the maximum combined base salary from all state and county sources

provided by Section 659.012 for a district judge with comparable

years of service as the state prosecutor, the comptroller shall

reduce the state prosecutor's state annual salary by the amount

equal to the excess amount, except that the comptroller may not

reduce the state prosecutor's state annual salary to an amount that

is less than the state base salary paid to a district judge as set by

the General Appropriations Act in accordance with Section

659.012(a).

(c-1) The limitation on the amount of a state prosecutor's

total annual salary under Subsection (c) does not apply to the

salary paid to a district attorney of a judicial district that

includes a county with a population of less than 400,000.

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