HB 2436

bill adds a peace officer exception to deadly conduct

Companion SB 1637 became law

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 an exception to the application of the offense of deadly conduct for certain peace officers discharging official duties.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Official duties plus a reasonable belief it was justified.

The bill adds an exception to the state's deadly conduct offense for peace officers. It covers an officer who was carrying out official duties and reasonably believed the conduct was necessary or justified under the existing self-defense and defense-of-others sections of the Penal Code. The exception reaches back to conduct before the bill takes effect on September 1, 2025, but leaves final convictions in place.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2436 · 2025-02-05

SOLD BY

Rep. Cole HefnerRHouse 5

ITEM

relating to an exception to the application of the offense of deadly conduct for certain peace officers discharging official duties.

WHAT IT DOES

Official duties plus a reasonable belief it was justified.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 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

Feb 5, 2025Filed
Mar 17, 2025Read first time
Mar 17, 2025Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
Apr 9, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 9, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 9, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 9, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 9, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 15, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 15, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 15, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
Apr 22, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 22, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 23, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 24, 2025Considered in Calendars
Apr 28, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
Apr 28, 2025Read 2nd time
Apr 28, 2025Postponed 4/29/25 10:00 AM
Apr 29, 2025Companion considered in lieu of SB 1637
Apr 29, 2025Laid on the table subject to call

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Cole Hefner

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$108K Dustin Burrows Campaign$46K Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC$20K

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 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$107,878.12

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$107,878.12

Cash: $65,000.00
Paid by others: $42,878.12
Total: $107,878.12

mail $42,794.79fundraiser $83.33

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 23, 2025 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: 100986158, 101009093, 101035205, 101069686.

Dustin Burrows Campaign$46,150.00

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$46,150.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $21,150.00
Total: $46,150.00

polling $21,150.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 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 · Sep 30, 2025 to Jan 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: 101009093, 101031796.

Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC$20,000.00

Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

Also funds 90 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 16, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 12, 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: 100986158, 101009093, 101035205, 101069686.

Money

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$107,878.12

Cash: $65,000.00
Paid by others: $42,878.12
Total: $107,878.12

mail $42,794.79fundraiser $83.33

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 23, 2025 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: 100986158, 101009093, 101035205, 101069686.

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$46,150.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $21,150.00
Total: $46,150.00

polling $21,150.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 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 · Sep 30, 2025 to Jan 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: 101009093, 101031796.

Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

Also funds 90 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 16, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 12, 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: 100986158, 101009093, 101035205, 101069686.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses24

For: 14
Against: 10
On: 0

Names

For

Austin Police Association1 registration
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP #391 registration
Houston Police Department1 registration
San Antonio Police Department1 registration
SAN ANTONIO POLICE OFFICERS ASSOCIATION1 registration
Self4 registrations
Self; San Antonio Police Officers Association1 registration
Self; Travis County Constble Pct 31 registration
Sheriffs’ Association of Texas (SAT)1 registration
TMPA1 registration

Against

American Civil Liberties Union of Texas1 registration
Dallas Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot1 registration
Self3 registrations
Self; Equity Action1 registration
Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration
Texas civil rights project1 registration
Travis County District Attorney’s Office1 registration
Urban Leagues of Texas1 registration

Sources

24 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 significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 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 Feb 5, 2025

04/29/2025 H Laid on the table subject to call

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

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

House committee · Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs · Committee vote 9 aye, 1 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 1637 by King (identical)

Subjects

Crimes--Against Persons--General

Fire Fighters & Police--General

PEACE OFFICERS

Text

The text as introduced · 170 words

89R8929 LHC-F

By: Hefner
H.B. No. 2436

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to an exception to the application of the offense of deadly

conduct for certain peace officers discharging official duties.

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

SECTION 1. Section 22.05, Penal Code, is amended by adding

Subsection (f) to read as follows:

(f) It is an exception to the application of this section

that:

(1) at the time of the offense the actor was engaged in

the actual discharge of official duties as a peace officer; and

(2) the actor reasonably believed the actor's conduct

was necessary or justified under Section 9.31, 9.32, or 9.33.

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

conduct that occurs before, on, or after the effective date of this

Act, except that a final conviction for an offense that exists on

the effective date of this Act is unaffected by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.