Monitoring the Session

HB 2126

bill takes test strips off the drug paraphernalia list

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. John BryantDHouse 114

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 definition of drug paraphernalia and the criminal offense of possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Testing a drug’s strength or purity stops being a paraphernalia offense.

The bill removes drug testing equipment from the Texas definition of drug paraphernalia. People who use, carry or hand out tools that test or analyze a controlled substance for strength or purity, such as test strips, would no longer fall under the paraphernalia offenses. Starting September 1, 2025, possessing or delivering testing equipment stops being a paraphernalia offense, and all other paraphernalia rules stay the same.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 1365 by Rep. Campos (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 1365 by Rep. Campos (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Jan 27, 2025 and referred to the House Public Health committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2126 · 2025-01-27

SOLD BY

ITEM

relating to the definition of drug paraphernalia and the criminal offense of possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia.

WHAT IT DOES

Testing a drug’s strength or purity stops being a paraphernalia offense.

The bill removes drug testing equipment from the Texas definition of drug paraphernalia. People who use, carry or hand out tools that test or analyze a controlled substance for strength or purity, such as test strips, would no longer fall under the paraphernalia offenses. Starting September 1, 2025, possessing or delivering testing equipment stops being a paraphernalia offense, and all other paraphernalia rules stay the same.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Public Health
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donors

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.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$16,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$16,500.00

Cash
$16,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$16,500.00

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 19, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 100986384, 101011678, 101030225, 101071800.

Stephan McNally$10,000.00
Blackridge$7,000.00

Blackridge

$7,000.00

Cash
$7,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$7,000.00

Also funds 86 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 5, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 4, 2025 to Jun 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: 101030225, 101062403.

Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$16,500.00

Cash
$16,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$16,500.00

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 19, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 100986384, 101011678, 101030225, 101071800.

×

Blackridge

$7,000.00

Cash
$7,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$7,000.00

Also funds 86 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 5, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 4, 2025 to Jun 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: 101030225, 101062403.

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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 1365

by Rep. Campos, different lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 3, 2023: Referred to Public Health

Relating to equipment used or intended for use in testing or analyzing a controlled substance.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Jan 27, 2025

03/14/2025 H Referred to Public Health: Mar 14 2025 2:36PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

House committee · Public Health · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Crimes--Drugs

Text

The text as introduced · 803 words

By: Bryant
H.B. No. 2126

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the definition of drug paraphernalia and the criminal

offense of possession or delivery of drug paraphernalia.

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

SECTION 1. Section 481.002(17), Health and Safety Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(17) "Drug paraphernalia" means equipment, a product,

or material that is used or intended for use in planting,

propagating, cultivating, growing, harvesting, manufacturing,

compounding, converting, producing, processing, preparing,

[ testing, analyzing, ] packaging, repackaging, storing, containing,

or concealing a controlled substance in violation of this chapter

or in injecting, ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing into

the human body a controlled substance in violation of this chapter.

The term includes:

(A) a kit used or intended for use in planting,

propagating, cultivating, growing, or harvesting a species of plant

that is a controlled substance or from which a controlled substance

may be derived;

(B) a material, compound, mixture, preparation,

or kit used or intended for use in manufacturing, compounding,

converting, producing, processing, or preparing a controlled

substance;

(C) an isomerization device used or intended for

use in increasing the potency of a species of plant that is a

controlled substance;

(D) [ testing equipment used or intended for use

in identifying or in analyzing the strength, effectiveness, or

purity of a controlled substance;

[ (E) ] a scale or balance used or intended for use

in weighing or measuring a controlled substance;

(E) [ (F) ] a dilutant or adulterant, such as

quinine hydrochloride, mannitol, inositol, nicotinamide, dextrose,

lactose, or absorbent, blotter-type material, that is used or

intended to be used to increase the amount or weight of or to

transfer a controlled substance regardless of whether the dilutant

or adulterant diminishes the efficacy of the controlled substance;

(F) [ (G) ] a separation gin or sifter used or

intended for use in removing twigs and seeds from or in otherwise

cleaning or refining marihuana;

(G) [ (H) ] a blender, bowl, container, spoon, or

mixing device used or intended for use in compounding a controlled

substance;

(H) [ (I) ] a capsule, balloon, envelope, or other

container used or intended for use in packaging small quantities of

a controlled substance;

(I) [ (J) ] a container or other object used or

intended for use in storing or concealing a controlled substance;

and

(J) [ (K) ] a hypodermic syringe, needle, or other

object used or intended for use in parenterally injecting a

controlled substance into the human body; and

(K) [ (L) ] an object used or intended for use in

ingesting, inhaling, or otherwise introducing marihuana, cocaine,

hashish, or hashish oil into the human body, including:

(i) a metal, wooden, acrylic, glass, stone,

plastic, or ceramic pipe with or without a screen, permanent

screen, hashish head, or punctured metal bowl;

(ii) a water pipe;

(iii) a carburetion tube or device;

(iv) a smoking or carburetion mask;

(v) a chamber pipe;

(vi) a carburetor pipe;

(vii) an electric pipe;

(viii) an air-driven pipe;

(ix) a chillum;

(x) a bong; or

(xi) an ice pipe or chiller.

SECTION 2. Section 481.125, Health and Safety Code, is

amended by amending Subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:

(a) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly or

intentionally uses or possesses with intent to use drug

paraphernalia to plant, propagate, cultivate, grow, harvest,

manufacture, compound, convert, produce, process, prepare, [ test,

analyze, ] pack, repack, store, contain, or conceal a controlled

substance in violation of this chapter or to inject, ingest,

inhale, or otherwise introduce into the human body a controlled

substance in violation of this chapter.

(b) A person commits an offense if the person knowingly or

intentionally delivers, possesses with intent to deliver, or

manufactures with intent to deliver drug paraphernalia knowing that

the person who receives or who is intended to receive the drug

paraphernalia intends that it be used to plant, propagate,

cultivate, grow, harvest, manufacture, compound, convert, produce,

process, prepare, [ test, analyze, ] pack, repack, store, contain, or

conceal a controlled substance in violation of this chapter or to

inject, ingest, inhale, or otherwise introduce into the human body

a controlled substance in violation of this chapter.

SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.

An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect at the time the offense was committed,

and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For

purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the

effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred

before that date.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.