HB 2656

bill barring traffic stops from unmarked police cars

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 19, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to motor vehicle stops by a peace officer operating an unmarked law enforcement motor vehicle.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Unmarked car? No pulling anyone over.

The bill bars a peace officer from pulling over a driver while the officer is in a vehicle that is not clearly marked as a law enforcement vehicle. It touches every peace officer in Texas who drives an unmarked car and every driver who might be stopped by one. Starting September 1, 2025, traffic stops have to be made from clearly marked vehicles, with no exceptions written into the text.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 2 Republicans, 3 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.QUICK READ: 145 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 145 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).NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 11, 2025 and referred to the House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2656 · 2025-02-11

SOLD BY

Rep. Wes VirdellRHouse 53

Rep. Ron ReynoldsDHouse 27

Rep. Senfronia ThompsonDHouse 141

+ 2 more authors, 12 coauthors

ITEM

relating to motor vehicle stops by a peace officer operating an unmarked law enforcement motor vehicle.

WHAT IT DOES

Unmarked car? No pulling anyone over.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Feb 11, 2025Filed
Mar 18, 2025Read first time
Mar 18, 2025Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

FILED UNDER

Beats not yet reviewed.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Wes Virdell

Donors

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$25K Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$25K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$23K

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 · Nov 3, 2024 to Oct 21, 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 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: 101012375.

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$25,000.00

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$25,000.00

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

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 22, 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: 101031736.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$22,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash: $22,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $22,500.00

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 · Nov 25, 2024 to Jul 13, 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: 100987242, 101012375, 101060151, 101072158.

Money

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

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: 101012375.

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$25,000.00

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

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 22, 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: 101031736.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash: $22,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $22,500.00

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 · Nov 25, 2024 to Jul 13, 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: 100987242, 101012375, 101060151, 101072158.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 19, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 11, 2025

03/18/2025 H Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs: Mar 18 2025 11:56AM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Coauthors

Mark DorazioRHouse 122

Richard HayesRHouse 57

Andy HopperRHouse 64

Helen KerwinRHouse 58

Don McLaughlinRHouse 80

Terry MezaDHouse 105

Brent MoneyRHouse 2

Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148

Katrina PiersonRHouse 33

Keresa RichardsonRHouse 61

Nate SchatzlineRHouse 93

Steve TothRHouse 15

House committee · Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Law Enforcement

Vehicles & Traffic--Rules of Road

PEACE OFFICERS

Text

The text as introduced · 145 words

89R12528 MZM-D

By: Virdell
H.B. No. 2656

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to motor vehicle stops by a peace officer operating an

unmarked law enforcement motor vehicle.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 2B, Code of Criminal

Procedure, is amended by adding Article 2B.0060 to read as follows:

Art. 2B.0060. PROHIBITION ON MOTOR VEHICLE STOPS BY PEACE

OFFICERS OPERATING UNMARKED VEHICLES. Notwithstanding any other

law, a peace officer may not make a motor vehicle stop while

operating a motor vehicle unless the officer's vehicle is clearly

marked as a law enforcement motor vehicle.

SECTION 2. Article 2B.0060, Code of Criminal Procedure, as

added by this Act, applies only to a motor vehicle stop occurring on

or after the effective date of this Act.

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