HB 2666

bill making government building arson a first-degree felony

Did not pass

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 the punishment for the offense of arson involving a government building.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Up from second-degree when the target is a government building.

The bill raises the penalty for arson when the target of the fire is a government building, moving it from a second-degree felony to a first-degree felony. It touches anyone prosecuted for arson of a government building, alongside the existing upgrades for fires that hurt someone or target a home or a place of assembly or worship. Starting September 1, 2025, setting fire to a government building carries the same top-tier felony range as burning a home or church.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Criminal Jurisprudence committee 10-1 on Apr 8, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2666 · 2025-02-11

SOLD BY

Rep. Wes VirdellRHouse 53

+ 21 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the punishment for the offense of arson involving a government building.

WHAT IT DOES

Up from second-degree when the target is a government building.

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 1, 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 11, 2025Filed
Mar 18, 2025Read first time
Mar 18, 2025Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
Mar 25, 2025Referred directly to subcommittee by chair
Apr 3, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 3, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 3, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 3, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
Apr 8, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
Apr 8, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 8, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 17, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 17, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 22, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

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.

Witnesses6

For: 6
Against: 0
On: 0

Names

For

Bexar County Commissioners Court1 registration
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP#391 registration
Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
Sheriffs’ Association of Texas (SAT)1 registration
Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)1 registration

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 significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 1, 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 11, 2025

04/22/2025 H Committee report sent to Calendars

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.

Coauthors

Brad BuckleyRHouse 54

Benjamin BumgarnerRHouse 63

Briscoe CainRHouse 128

Mark DorazioRHouse 122

Richard HayesRHouse 57

Andy HopperRHouse 64

Helen KerwinRHouse 58

Mitch LittleRHouse 65

Shelley LutherRHouse 62

Don McLaughlinRHouse 80

Terry MezaDHouse 105

Brent MoneyRHouse 2

Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148

Katrina PiersonRHouse 33

Keresa RichardsonRHouse 61

Nate SchatzlineRHouse 93

Valoree SwansonRHouse 150

Tony TinderholtRHouse 94

Steve TothRHouse 15

Ellen TroxclairRHouse 19

Cody VasutRHouse 25

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Committee vote 10 aye, 1 nay · Out of committee

Companion

SB 295 by Perry (identical)

Subjects

Crimes--Against Property

Criminal Procedure--Sentencing & Punishment

ARSON

Text

The text as introduced · 230 words

89R4107 SCR-D

By: Virdell
H.B. No. 2666

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the punishment for the offense of arson involving a

government building.

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

SECTION 1. Section 28.02(d), Penal Code, is amended to read

as follows:

(d) An offense under Subsection (a) is a felony of the

second degree, except that the offense is a felony of the first

degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that:

(1) bodily injury or death was suffered by any person

by reason of the commission of the offense; or

(2) the property intended to be damaged or destroyed

by the actor was a :

(A) government building;

(B) habitation ; or

(C) [ a ] place of assembly or worship.

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

to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.

An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,

and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For

purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the

effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred

before that date.

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