Monitoring the Session

HB 2370

Lopez Bill Lets One Border City Raise Hotel Tax Until 2054

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review
Rep. Janie LopezRHouse 37
Why it's charged
Bracket bill

THE TEXT

…“a municipality that has a population of at least 70,000 but not more than 180,000 and that is located in a county that borders the United Mexican States and the Gulf of Mexico”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The population range plus a county that touches both Mexico and the Gulf narrows a general Local Government Code change to one county's city. The caption's "certain municipalities" partly signals this narrowness.

Bracket bill

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 authority of certain municipalities to use hotel occupancy tax revenue for certain venue projects.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

70,000 to 180,000 people, in a county touching Mexico and the Gulf. That’s one city.

The bill lets one narrowly described city raise its hotel occupancy tax under an existing venue-tax law to pay for a convention center built before January 1, 2023. It covers only a city of 70,000 to 180,000 people in a county that borders both Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico, plus the hotel guests who pay the tax there. That city may charge the extra hotel tax until the convention center debt is paid off or January 1, 2054, whichever comes first.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 3 Republicans, 2 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 14, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Economic Development committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2370 · 2025-02-03

SOLD BY

Rep. Janie LopezRHouse 37 Rep. Sergio Muñoz Jr.DHouse 36 Rep. Ryan GuillenRHouse 31

+ 2 more authors

ITEM

relating to the authority of certain municipalities to use hotel occupancy tax revenue for certain venue projects.

WHAT IT DOES

70,000 to 180,000 people, in a county touching Mexico and the Gulf. That’s one city.

The bill lets one narrowly described city raise its hotel occupancy tax under an existing venue-tax law to pay for a convention center built before January 1, 2023. It covers only a city of 70,000 to 180,000 people in a county that borders both Mexico and the Gulf of Mexico, plus the hotel guests who pay the tax there. That city may charge the extra hotel tax until the convention center debt is paid off or January 1, 2054, whichever comes first.

CHARGES

[x] BRACKET BILLanalysis confidence 75%

THE TEXT

…“a municipality that has a population of at least 70,000 but not more than 180,000 and that is located in a county that borders the United Mexican States and the Gulf of Mexico”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The population range plus a county that touches both Mexico and the Gulf narrows a general Local Government Code change to one county's city. The caption's "certain municipalities" partly signals this narrowness.

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 3, 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 Ways & Means
  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 formal meeting
  9. Committee substitute considered in committee
  10. Reported favorably as substituted
  11. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  12. Committee report distributed
  13. Committee report sent to Calendars
  14. Considered in Calendars
  15. Placed on General State Calendar
  16. Read 2nd time
  17. Passed to engrossment
  18. Record vote RV#2381
  19. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  20. Read 3rd time
  21. Passed
  22. Record vote RV#2460
  23. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  24. Reported engrossed
  25. Received from the House
  26. Read first time
  27. Referred to Economic Development
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 97 yea · 39 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.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Janie Lopez

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$504KAssociated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$489KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$487K

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 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$504,349.82

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$504,349.82

Cash
$45,000.00
Paid by others
$459,349.82
Total
$504,349.82
advertising $380,541.56mail $48,297.91polling $30,510.35

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 · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 6, 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: 100977055, 101010818, 101036578, 101036586, 101058662, 101067886, 101070167.

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$488,665.88

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$488,665.88

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$488,665.88
Total
$488,665.88
television $202,708.00mailers $127,420.46mailer $47,655.97digital $47,523.75canvassing $20,149.00polling $16,200.00Other filed descriptions $10,991.57text $10,252.13radio $5,765.00

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 4, 2024 to 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: 100977055, 101010818, 101035068, 101036578, 101036586, 101067886, 101070167.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$486,622.50

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$486,622.50

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$436,622.50
Total
$486,622.50
advertising $181,100.00canvassing $140,822.50media $100,000.00polling $5,800.00Other filed descriptions $5,000.00texting $3,900.00

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 · Feb 13, 2026 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.

Report IDs: 101036586, 101067886, 101070167.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$504,349.82

Cash
$45,000.00
Paid by others
$459,349.82
Total
$504,349.82
advertising $380,541.56mail $48,297.91polling $30,510.35

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 · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 6, 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: 100977055, 101010818, 101036578, 101036586, 101058662, 101067886, 101070167.

×

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$488,665.88

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$488,665.88
Total
$488,665.88
television $202,708.00mailers $127,420.46mailer $47,655.97digital $47,523.75canvassing $20,149.00polling $16,200.00Other filed descriptions $10,991.57text $10,252.13radio $5,765.00

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 4, 2024 to 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: 100977055, 101010818, 101035068, 101036578, 101036586, 101067886, 101070167.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$486,622.50

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$436,622.50
Total
$486,622.50
advertising $181,100.00canvassing $140,822.50media $100,000.00polling $5,800.00Other filed descriptions $5,000.00texting $3,900.00

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 · Feb 13, 2026 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.

Report IDs: 101036586, 101067886, 101070167.

Votes2

House May 14, 2025

Yea
97
Nay
39
Present, not voting
2
Absent
9
Excused
3
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2460

HB 2370 was passed by (Record 2460): 97 Yeas, 39 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 97 (published)
  • Nay: 39 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 9 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

House May 13, 2025

Yea
99
Nay
36
Present, not voting
1
Absent
10
Excused
4
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2381

CSHB 2370 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2381): 99 Yeas, 36 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 99 (published)
  • Nay: 36 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 10 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 4 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses6
For
3
Against
0
On
3
Names

For

  • City of harlingen1 registration
  • Texas Hotel & Lodging Association1 registration
  • Texas Travel Alliance1 registration

On

  • Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts3 registrations
Sources

6 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 3, 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 Feb 3, 2025

05/21/2025 S Referred to Economic Development

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 · Ways & Means · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Economic Development · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

City Government--Finance

Taxation--Hotel, Motel Occupancy

BORDER

Text

The text as introduced · 192 words

By: Lopez of Cameron
H.B. No. 2370

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of certain municipalities to use hotel

occupancy tax revenue for certain venue projects.

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

SECTION 1. Section 334.0082, Local Government Code, is

amended by adding Subsections (d) and (e) to read as follows:

(d) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) and subject to this

subsection, this section also applies to a municipality that has a

population of at least 70,000 but not more than 180,000 and that is

located in a county that borders the United Mexican States and the

Gulf of Mexico. A municipality described by this subsection may

impose a tax as authorized under Subsection (b)(2) only to finance a

convention center constructed before January 1, 2023. The

authority of the municipality to impose the tax as authorized under

Subsection (b)(2) expires on the earlier of:

(1) the date the debt issued for the convention center

described by this subsection is repaid; or

(2) January 1, 2054. (e)Subsection (d) and this subsection

expire January 1, 2054.

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