Monitoring the Session

HB 240

tax levy quorum rule for counties of 3.3 million-plus

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Valoree SwansonRHouse 150

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 quorum requirement for a tax levy vote in certain counties.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Applies only to counties with 3.3 million or more people.

The bill changes how many county commissioners must be present before a county can vote to levy a tax, but only in counties with 3.3 million or more people. In those counties, all five members of the commissioners court must be present, or four if the absent member files a written notice of absence for illness or other good cause before the meeting starts. Every other county keeps the current rule that four members present is enough, and the change applies to meetings held on or after the effective date.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 1891 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 1891 (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.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB240 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Valoree SwansonRHouse 150 Rep. Sam HarlessRHouse 126 Rep. Mike SchofieldRHouse 132

+ 2 more authors, 4 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the quorum requirement for a tax levy vote in certain counties.

WHAT IT DOES

Applies only to counties with 3.3 million or more people.

The bill changes how many county commissioners must be present before a county can vote to levy a tax, but only in counties with 3.3 million or more people. In those counties, all five members of the commissioners court must be present, or four if the absent member files a written notice of absence for illness or other good cause before the meeting starts. Every other county keeps the current rule that four members present is enough, and the change applies to meetings held on or after the effective date.

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 20, 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 s/c on County & Regional Government by Speaker
  4. Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
  5. Considered by s/c in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
  7. Left pending in subcommittee
  8. Recalled from subcommittee
  9. Considered in formal meeting
  10. Failed to receive affirmative vote in comm.
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Valoree Swanson

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$314KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$116KKathaleen Wall$11,000

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 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$314,216.50

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$314,216.50

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$279,216.50
Total
$314,216.50
advertising $251,088.00polling $15,200.00mail $12,928.50

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 · Jun 27, 2025 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: 101029008, 101031437, 101068777, 101071636.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$116,200.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$116,200.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$91,200.00
Total
$116,200.00
canvassing $76,000.00polling $15,200.00

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 · Sep 18, 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: 101068777, 101071636.

Kathaleen Wall$11,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$314,216.50

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$279,216.50
Total
$314,216.50
advertising $251,088.00polling $15,200.00mail $12,928.50

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 · Jun 27, 2025 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: 101029008, 101031437, 101068777, 101071636.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$116,200.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$91,200.00
Total
$116,200.00
canvassing $76,000.00polling $15,200.00

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 · Sep 18, 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: 101068777, 101071636.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 20, 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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R HB 1891

by Rep. Swanson, same lead author · Died in committee · reworked

Introduced text

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

Relating to the quorum requirement for a tax levy vote in certain counties.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

05/14/2025 H Failed to receive affirmative vote in comm.

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Coauthors
Briscoe CainRHouse 128 Charles CunninghamRHouse 127 Lacey HullRHouse 138 Tom OliversonRHouse 130

House committee · Intergovernmental Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

County Government--Finance

County Government--General

Taxation--County

Text

The text as introduced · 240 words

89R65 KBT-F

By: Swanson
H.B. No. 240

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the quorum requirement for a tax levy vote in certain

counties.

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

SECTION 1. Section 81.006, Local Government Code, is

amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to

read as follows:

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (b-1), a [ A ] county tax

may be levied at any regularly scheduled meeting of the court when

at least four members of the court are present.

(b-1) In a county with a population of 3.3 million or more, a

county tax may be levied at any regularly scheduled meeting of the

court only:

(1) when five members of the court are present; or

(2) when four members of the court are present if the

absent member submits to the court a written notice of absence for

illness or other good cause before the meeting is convened.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to a commissioners court meeting held on or after the effective date

of this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.