Monitoring the Session

HB 2679

Ordaz Bill Moves Defense Incentive Talks Behind Closed Doors

Companion SB 1706 became law

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Claudia OrdazDHouse 79

Initial review · graded Oct 22, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the authority of the governing board of a state governmental body to conduct a closed meeting to deliberate an issue involving certain defense, military, or aerospace issues.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

State boards can discuss incentive offers for a new military base or NASA facility in private.

The bill lets the governing boards of state agencies, boards and commissions hold closed meetings to discuss defense, military or aerospace matters. It covers matters tied to the U.S. Department of Defense or NASA opening an office, base or major facility in Texas, and economic incentives offered to private companies or nonprofits to meet DOD or NASA match or other requirements. On the ground, state boards can now talk about these deals and incentive offers behind closed doors instead of in public sessions.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 4 Republicans, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2679 · 2025-02-11

SOLD BY

Rep. Claudia OrdazDHouse 79 Rep. Greg BonnenRHouse 24 Rep. Dennis PaulRHouse 129

+ 2 more authors, 7 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the authority of the governing board of a state governmental body to conduct a closed meeting to deliberate an issue involving certain defense, military, or aerospace issues.

WHAT IT DOES

State boards can discuss incentive offers for a new military base or NASA facility in private.

The bill lets the governing boards of state agencies, boards and commissions hold closed meetings to discuss defense, military or aerospace matters. It covers matters tied to the U.S. Department of Defense or NASA opening an office, base or major facility in Texas, and economic incentives offered to private companies or nonprofits to meet DOD or NASA match or other requirements. On the ground, state boards can now talk about these deals and incentive offers behind closed doors instead of in public sessions.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 9, 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 Delivery of Government Efficiency
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. Committee report sent to Calendars
  15. Considered in Calendars
  16. Placed on General State Calendar
  17. Companion considered in lieu of SB 1706
  18. Laid on the table subject to call
FILED UNDER

CORPORATE WELFARE

THE TEXT

“an economic incentive a governmental body may offer to a private entity or nonprofit organization to meet a match requirement or other requirement established by the United States”…

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The bill lets state boards discuss economic incentives for private companies tied to defense and aerospace deals in closed meetings, out of public view.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Claudia Ordaz

Donors

Texas Sands PAC$12KRandy Bowling$10,000Bobby Bowling$10,000

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 · Aug 5, 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.

Texas Sands PAC$12,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$12,000.00

Cash
$12,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$12,000.00

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 Sep 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.

Report IDs: 100982219, 101057840, 101072563.

Randy Bowling$10,000.00
Bobby Bowling$10,000.00
Money

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

×

Texas Sands PAC

$12,000.00

Cash
$12,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$12,000.00

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 Sep 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.

Report IDs: 100982219, 101057840, 101072563.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses3
For
2
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • Texas Association of Business1 registration
  • The American Legion, Dept of Texas1 registration

On

  • Office of the Attorney General1 registration
Sources

3 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 fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 9, 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 H by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 11, 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 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors
Benjamin BumgarnerRHouse 63 Charles CunninghamRHouse 127 Ryan GuillenRHouse 31 Ann JohnsonDHouse 134 Candy NobleRHouse 89 Mihaela PlesaDHouse 70 Carl H. TepperRHouse 84

House committee · Delivery of Government Efficiency · Committee vote 10 aye, 1 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 1706 by Hinojosa, Adam (similar)

Subjects

Aeronautics

City Government--General

County Government--General

Legislature

Military & Veterans

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions

FEDERAL RELATIONS

REINVESTMENT ZONES

WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT BOARDS

Text

The text as introduced · 303 words

By: Ordaz
H.B. No. 2679

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to closed meeting deliberation regarding defense

and military issues.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 551, Government Code, is

amended by adding Section 551.092 to read as follows:

Sec. 551.092. DELIBERATION REGARDING DEFENSE AND MILITARY

ISSUES; CLOSED MEETING. (a) This section applies only to a

governmental body described by Section 551.001(3)(A)

(b) For purposes of this section:

(1)"defense, military, or aerospace issues" is defined

as matters involving:

(A) the United States Department of Defense

considering establishing headquarters, bases, missions, or other

major facilities in Texas;

(B) the National Aeronautics and Space

Administration considering establishing headquarters, missions, or

other major facilities in Texas; or

(C) economic incentives a governmental body may

offer to private entities or nonprofits to meet match or other

requirements established by the United States Department of Defense

or the National Aeronautics and Space Administration in relation to

grants or strategic endeavors.

(2) "National Aeronautics and Space Administration"

is defined as the federal agency described in 51 U.S.C. Section

20111, as amended, and all offices and other entities within its

organizational structure.

(3) "United States Department of Defense" is defined

as the federal department described in 10 U.S.C. Section 111, as

amended, and all departments, agencies, offices, and other entities

within its organizational structure.

(c) This chapter does not require a governmental body to

conduct an open meeting to discuss or deliberate defense, military,

or aerospace issues.

SECTION 2 . 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.