Monitoring the Session

HB 2066

bill expunging old handgun-carry deferred adjudications

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Wes VirdellRHouse 53

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 expunction of arrest records and files for certain defendants placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for the unlawful carrying of a handgun.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Covers deferred adjudication before September 1, 2021, not just convictions.

The bill lets people who were placed on deferred adjudication for unlawfully carrying a handgun before September 1, 2021, get their arrest records expunged, not just people who were convicted. It touches Texans who were charged under the old handgun-carry law that was changed in 2021 and who finished deferred adjudication rather than a conviction. Those people would become entitled to have their arrest records and files wiped, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 4 Republicans, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Criminal Jurisprudence committee 11-0 on Apr 1, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2066 · 2025-01-24

SOLD BY

Rep. Wes VirdellRHouse 53 Rep. Senfronia ThompsonDHouse 141 Rep. Tom OliversonRHouse 130

+ 2 more authors, 23 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the expunction of arrest records and files for certain defendants placed on deferred adjudication community supervision for the unlawful carrying of a handgun.

WHAT IT DOES

Covers deferred adjudication before September 1, 2021, not just convictions.

The bill lets people who were placed on deferred adjudication for unlawfully carrying a handgun before September 1, 2021, get their arrest records expunged, not just people who were convicted. It touches Texans who were charged under the old handgun-carry law that was changed in 2021 and who finished deferred adjudication rather than a conviction. Those people would become entitled to have their arrest records and files wiped, starting September 1, 2025.

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 24, 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 Criminal Jurisprudence
  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 public hearing
  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
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Wes Virdell

Donors

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$25KPhysicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$25KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$23K

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 · Nov 3, 2024 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.

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$25,000.00

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jun 24, 2025. 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: 101012375.

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$25,000.00

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 22, 2025. 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: 101031736.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$22,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash
$22,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$22,500.00

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 · Nov 25, 2024 to Jul 13, 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: 100987242, 101012375, 101060151, 101072158.

Money

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

×

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jun 24, 2025. 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: 101012375.

×

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 22, 2025. 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: 101031736.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash
$22,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$22,500.00

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 · Nov 25, 2024 to Jul 13, 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: 100987242, 101012375, 101060151, 101072158.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses9
For
9
Against
0
On
0
Names

For

  • Dallas Criminal District Attornry John Creuzot1 registration
  • Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP #391 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
  • Self; Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)1 registration
  • Texas Appleseed1 registration
  • Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)1 registration
  • Texas State Rifle Association2 registrations
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 24, 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 24, 2025

04/30/2025 H Considered in Calendars

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Trent AshbyRHouse 9 Brad BuckleyRHouse 54 Benjamin BumgarnerRHouse 63 Briscoe CainRHouse 128 Mark DorazioRHouse 122 Ryan GuillenRHouse 31 Richard HayesRHouse 57 Hillary HicklandRHouse 55 Andy HopperRHouse 64 Helen KerwinRHouse 58 Mitch LittleRHouse 65 AJ LouderbackRHouse 30 Shelley LutherRHouse 62 Don McLaughlinRHouse 80 Terry MezaDHouse 105 Joe MoodyDHouse 78 Katrina PiersonRHouse 33 Keresa RichardsonRHouse 61 Nate SchatzlineRHouse 93 Tony TinderholtRHouse 94 Steve TothRHouse 15 Ellen TroxclairRHouse 19 Cody VasutRHouse 25

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Companion

SB 394 by Sparks (identical)

Subjects

Crimes--Miscellaneous

Criminal Procedure--General

Weapons

CRIMINAL RECORDS

DEFERRED ADJUDICATION

EXPUNCTION OF RECORDS

MANDATORY & COMMUNITY SUPERVISION

Text

The text as introduced · 163 words

89R4483 JRR-D

By: Virdell
H.B. No. 2066

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the expunction of arrest records and files for certain

defendants placed on deferred adjudication community supervision

for the unlawful carrying of a handgun.

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

SECTION 1. Article 55A.005, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended to read as follows:

Art. 55A.005. UNLAWFUL CARRYING OF HANDGUN. A person to

whom this subchapter applies is entitled to have all records and

files relating to the arrest expunged if:

(1) the person was :

(A) tried for and convicted of the offense for

which the person was arrested; or

(B) placed on deferred adjudication community

supervision under Subchapter C, Chapter 42A, for the offense for

which the person was arrested; and

(2) the offense was committed before September 1,

2021, under Section 46.02(a), Penal Code, as that section existed

before that date.

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