HB 2273: Bonnen Bill Lets One Unnamed Gulf County Judge Hand Off Duties

Caption

relating to the delegation of certain authority of a county judge in certain counties.

Summary

350,000 to 370,000 people, on the Gulf, next to 3.3 million. The caption’s “certain counties” is one.

The bill expands an existing state law that lets the county judge in a very large county delegate some of the judge's duties. It adds one more county: one with 350,000 to 370,000 people that sits on the Gulf of Mexico next to a county of at least 3.3 million. Starting September 1, 2025, the judge in that one added county gains the same power to hand off duties that big-county judges already have.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2273 · 2025-01-30

SOLD BY

Rep. Greg BonnenRHouse 24

Rep. Terri Leo WilsonRHouse 23

ITEM

relating to the delegation of certain authority of a county judge in certain counties.

WHAT IT DOES

350,000 to 370,000 people, on the Gulf, next to 3.3 million. The caption’s “certain counties” is one.

The bill expands an existing state law that lets the county judge in a very large county delegate some of the judge's duties. It adds one more county: one with 350,000 to 370,000 people that sits on the Gulf of Mexico next to a county of at least 3.3 million. Starting September 1, 2025, the judge in that one added county gains the same power to hand off duties that big-county judges already have.

CHARGES

[x] BRACKET BILLanalysis confidence 60%

THE TEXT

“(2) with a population of at least 350,000 and not more”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

A narrow population band, combined with Gulf adjacency and a neighbor of 3.3 million or more, describes what looks like a single county without naming it. The caption only says "certain counties," so it admits the bill is narrow but does not say which county.

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 17, 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 30, 2025Filed
Mar 14, 2025Read first time
Mar 14, 2025Referred to s/c on County & Regional Government by Speaker
Apr 7, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 7, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 7, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 7, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
Apr 28, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
Apr 28, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 28, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 1, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 2, 2025Committee report distributed
May 2, 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#2384
May 13, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 14, 2025Read 3rd time
May 14, 2025Passed
May 14, 2025Record vote RV#2463
May 14, 2025Reported engrossed
May 14, 2025Received from the House
May 15, 2025Read first time
May 15, 2025Referred to Local Government
May 19, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
May 19, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 19, 2025Testimony taken in committee
May 19, 2025Vote taken in committee
May 20, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
May 20, 2025Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
May 20, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
May 25, 2025Placed on local & uncontested calendar
May 25, 2025Laid before the Senate
May 25, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to 3rd reading
May 25, 2025Vote recorded in Journal
May 25, 2025Three day rule suspended
May 25, 2025Record vote
May 25, 2025Read 3rd time
May 25, 2025Passed
May 25, 2025Record vote
May 25, 2025Senate passage reported
May 26, 2025Reported enrolled
May 27, 2025Signed in the House
May 27, 2025Signed in the Senate
May 28, 2025Sent to the Governor
Jun 20, 2025Signed by the Governor
Jun 20, 2025Effective on 9/1/25

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 141 yea · 0 nay

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 14, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · May 25, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Greg Bonnen

Donors

Donors report through Friends of Dr. Greg Bonnen.

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 1, 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.

Money

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

Votes5

Senate May 25, 2025

Final passage

Yea: 31
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to third reading, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records final passage. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

HB 2273 (Middleton) Relating to the delegation of certain authority of a county judge in certain counties. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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

Yea: 31 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

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

Senate May 25, 2025

Suspension of the three-day rule

Yea: 31
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to third reading, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records suspension of the three-day rule. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

HB 2273 (Middleton) Relating to the delegation of certain authority of a county judge in certain counties. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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

Yea: 31 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

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

Senate May 25, 2025

Passage to third reading

Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to third reading, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records passage to third reading. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.

Sources

HB 2273 (Middleton) Relating to the delegation of certain authority of a county judge in certain counties. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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

Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

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

House May 14, 2025

Yea: 141
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 4
Excused: 3

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2463

HB 2273 was passed by (Record 2463): 141 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 141 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

House May 13, 2025

Yea: 134
Nay: 2
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 8
Excused: 4

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2384

HB 2273 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2384): 134 Yeas, 2 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 134 (published)
Nay: 2 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 8 (derived from named list)
Excused: 4 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses13

For: 11
Against: 0
On: 2

Names

For

Comal County, County Judges & Commissioners Association of Texas1 registration
Conference of Urban Counties2 registrations
County Judges and Commissioners Association of Texas2 registrations
Galveston County Commissioners Court1 registration
Self1 registration
Self; Galveston County4 registrations

On

Self2 registrations

Sources

13 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.

Senate witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 17, 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 30, 2025

06/20/2025 E Effective on 9/1/25

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed · Senate Committee Report · Enrolled

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

Companion

SB 1813 by Middleton (identical)

Subjects

GALVESTON COUNTY

County Government--Employees/Officers

County Government--General

Courts--County & Statutory

Courts--Judges

Text

The text as introduced · 195 words

89R10183 AMF-D

By: Bonnen
H.B. No. 2273

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the delegation of certain authority of a county judge in

certain counties.

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

SECTION 1. The heading to Section 81.028, Local Government

Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 81.028. DELEGATION OF DUTIES OF [ A ] COUNTY JUDGE IN

CERTAIN COUNTIES [ WITH POPULATION OF MORE THAN 1.5 MILLION ].

SECTION 2. Section 81.028(a), Local Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) This section applies only [ exclusively ] to a county

judge in a county :

(1) with a population of more than 1.5 million ; or

(2) with a population of at least 350,000 and not more

than 370,000 that is adjacent to the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent to

a county with a population of at least 3.3 million .

SECTION 3. The heading to Section 81.029, Local Government

Code, is amended to read as follows:

Sec. 81.029. DELEGATION OF DUTIES OF [ A ] COUNTY JUDGE TO

COUNTY COMMISSIONER IN CERTAIN COUNTIES.

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

Verdict: Smells

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Senate May 25, 2025

Senate May 25, 2025

Senate May 25, 2025

House May 14, 2025

House May 13, 2025

For

On

Companion