HB 2448: bill lets defense lawyers sign arraignment waivers

Caption

relating to the waiver of a defendant's arraignment.

Summary

The lawyer signs for the defendant.

The bill lets a defendant's lawyer sign a waiver of arraignment for the defendant. It touches criminal defendants, their lawyers, and court clerks. Starting September 1, 2025, a lawyer can sign and file the waiver without the defendant coming to court, and the clerk cannot demand that the defendant appear.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 110 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 110 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 7, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2448 · 2025-02-05

SOLD BY

Rep. Joe MoodyDHouse 78

ITEM

relating to the waiver of a defendant's arraignment.

WHAT IT DOES

The lawyer signs for the defendant.

The bill lets a defendant's lawyer sign a waiver of arraignment for the defendant. It touches criminal defendants, their lawyers, and court clerks. Starting September 1, 2025, a lawyer can sign and file the waiver without the defendant coming to court, and the clerk cannot demand that the defendant appear.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 7, 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 Criminal Jurisprudence
Apr 8, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 8, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 8, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 8, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 22, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 22, 2025Failed to receive affirmative vote in comm.
Apr 22, 2025Vote reconsidered in committee
Apr 22, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 24, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 24, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 29, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 29, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 30, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 2, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 5, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 6, 2025Read 2nd time
May 6, 2025Postponed 5/6/25 3:30 PM
May 6, 2025Laid out as postponed business
May 6, 2025Passed to engrossment
May 6, 2025Record vote RV#1527
May 6, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 7, 2025Read 3rd time
May 7, 2025Passed
May 7, 2025Record vote RV#1601
May 7, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 7, 2025Reported engrossed
May 7, 2025Received from the House

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 102 yea · 40 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 7, 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

Joe Moody

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$85K Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$25K Texas Sands PAC$14K

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 9, 2024 to Jun 29, 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$85,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$85,000.00

Cash: $85,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $85,000.00

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 · Oct 8, 2024 to Jun 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: 100979067, 101003930, 101054759.

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$25,000.00

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jun 24, 2025. 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: 101003930.

Texas Sands PAC$14,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$14,000.00

Cash: $14,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $14,000.00

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 · Oct 1, 2024 to May 18, 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: 100979067, 101024872, 101054759.

Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$85,000.00

Cash: $85,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $85,000.00

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 · Oct 8, 2024 to Jun 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: 100979067, 101003930, 101054759.

×

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jun 24, 2025. 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: 101003930.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$14,000.00

Cash: $14,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $14,000.00

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 · Oct 1, 2024 to May 18, 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: 100979067, 101024872, 101054759.

Votes2

House May 7, 2025

Yea: 102
Nay: 40
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 7
Excused: 0

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1601

HB 2448 was passed by (Record 1601): 102 Yeas, 40 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 102 (published)
Nay: 40 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 7 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

House May 6, 2025

Yea: 107
Nay: 34
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 6
Excused: 2

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1527

HB 2448 was passed to engrossment by (Record 1527): 107 Yeas, 34 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 107 (published)
Nay: 34 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 6 (derived from named list)
Excused: 2 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses2

For: 2
Against: 0
On: 0

Names

For

Self2 registrations

Sources

2 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 I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 7, 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

05/07/2025 S Received from the House

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

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

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Committee vote 7 aye, 4 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Criminal Procedure--Defense Counsel

Criminal Procedure--General

Criminal Procedure--Pretrial Procedure

Text

The text as introduced · 110 words

89R9126 JDK-D

By: Moody
H.B. No. 2448

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the waiver of a defendant's arraignment.

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

SECTION 1. Article 26.011, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended to read as follows:

Art. 26.011. WAIVER OF ARRAIGNMENT. (a) An attorney

representing a defendant may present a waiver of arraignment, and

the clerk of the court may not require the presence of the defendant

as a condition of accepting the waiver.

(b) An attorney representing a defendant may sign a waiver

of arraignment on the defendant's behalf.

SECTION 2. 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

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

Texas Sands PAC

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

Texas Sands PAC

House May 7, 2025

House May 6, 2025

For