HB 2242: Dutton Bill Makes Constables Final Policy Makers In 1983 Suits

Caption

relating to policy-making authority of constables for the purpose of a federal civil rights action.

Summary

People suing over a constable’s decisions skip the fight over who sets county policy.

The bill declares that a constable is a final policy maker on law enforcement decisions for the constable's county when someone files a federal civil rights lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983. It touches constables, the counties they serve, and people who sue over constable law enforcement actions. On the ground, people suing over a constable's decisions no longer have to fight over who sets county law enforcement policy, for claims that arise on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 1920 (Died in committee) and this bill (Did not pass). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 1920 (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.QUICK READ: 124 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 124 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 14, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2242 · 2025-01-29

SOLD BY

Rep. Harold V. Dutton Jr.DHouse 142

ITEM

relating to policy-making authority of constables for the purpose of a federal civil rights action.

WHAT IT DOES

People suing over a constable’s decisions skip the fight over who sets county policy.

The bill declares that a constable is a final policy maker on law enforcement decisions for the constable's county when someone files a federal civil rights lawsuit under 42 U.S.C. Section 1983. It touches constables, the counties they serve, and people who sue over constable law enforcement actions. On the ground, people suing over a constable's decisions no longer have to fight over who sets county law enforcement policy, for claims that arise on or after September 1, 2025.

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 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

Jan 29, 2025Filed
Mar 14, 2025Read first time
Mar 14, 2025Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Apr 23, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 23, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 23, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 23, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 28, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 28, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 6, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 6, 2025Committee report distributed
May 7, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 8, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 10, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 13, 2025Read 2nd time
May 13, 2025Passed to engrossment
May 13, 2025Record vote RV#2403
May 13, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 14, 2025Read 3rd time
May 14, 2025Passed
May 14, 2025Record vote RV#2474
May 14, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 14, 2025Reported engrossed
May 15, 2025Received from the House

FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

…“a constable is a final policy maker on law enforcement decisions for the constable's county”

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The bill settles a key question in federal civil rights lawsuits, making it easier to tie a constable's law enforcement decisions to the county as a defendant.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 87 yea · 52 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 14, 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

Harold V. Dutton Jr.

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$66K Texas Sands PAC$58K Charter Schools Now PAC$36K

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 · Jul 29, 2024 to Oct 17, 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$65,748.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$65,748.00

Cash: $32,500.00
Paid by others: $33,248.00
Total: $65,748.00

mail $33,248.00

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 · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 17, 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: 100986461, 101011085, 101033172, 101044523, 101044526, 101072841.

Texas Sands PAC$58,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$58,000.00

Cash: $58,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $58,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Feb 3, 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: 100986461, 101044526.

Charter Schools Now PAC$36,000.00

Charter Schools Now PAC

$36,000.00

Cash: $1,000.00
Paid by others: $35,000.00
Total: $36,000.00

Other filed descriptions $35,000.00

Also funds 89 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jan 22, 2026 to Feb 28, 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: 101044523, 101061631.

Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$65,748.00

Cash: $32,500.00
Paid by others: $33,248.00
Total: $65,748.00

mail $33,248.00

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 · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 17, 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: 100986461, 101011085, 101033172, 101044523, 101044526, 101072841.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$58,000.00

Cash: $58,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $58,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Feb 3, 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: 100986461, 101044526.

×

Charter Schools Now PAC

$36,000.00

Cash: $1,000.00
Paid by others: $35,000.00
Total: $36,000.00

Other filed descriptions $35,000.00

Also funds 89 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jan 22, 2026 to Feb 28, 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: 101044523, 101061631.

Votes2

House May 14, 2025

Yea: 87
Nay: 52
Present, not voting: 3
Absent: 5
Excused: 3

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2474

HB 2242 was passed by (Record 2474): 87 Yeas, 52 Nays, 3 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 87 (published)
Nay: 52 (published)
Present, not voting: 3 (published)
Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

House May 13, 2025

Yea: 83
Nay: 54
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 1
Excused: 10

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2403

HB 2242 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2403): 83 Yeas, 54 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 83 (published)
Nay: 54 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 1 (derived from named list)
Excused: 10 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses3

For: 2
Against: 1
On: 0

Names

For

Self1 registration
Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration

Against

Bexar County Commissioners Court1 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

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R HB 1920

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

Introduced text

Last action, Apr 19, 2023: Left pending in committee

Relating to policy-making authority of constables for the purpose of a federal civil rights action.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Jan 29, 2025

05/15/2025 S Received from the House

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 11 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

County Government--Employees/Officers

Courts--Civil Procedure

Law Enforcement

CONSTABLES

Text

The text as introduced · 124 words

89R11478 MZM-D

By: Dutton
H.B. No. 2242

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to policy-making authority of constables for the purpose

of a federal civil rights action.

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

SECTION 1. Section 86.021, Local Government Code, is

amended by adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

(f) For the purpose of a civil rights action brought under

42 U.S.C. Section 1983, a constable is a final policy maker on law

enforcement decisions for the constable's county.

SECTION 2. The change in law made 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 September 1, 2025.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texas Sands PAC

Charter Schools Now PAC

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texas Sands PAC

Charter Schools Now PAC

House May 14, 2025

House May 13, 2025

For

Against

88R HB 1920