HB 2803: bill giving removed poll watchers a signed reason

Caption

relating to requiring an election judge to provide a watcher removed from a polling place a signed statement containing the reason for the removal.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Kicked out? The presiding judge has to put it in writing.

The bill requires the presiding election judge to give a poll watcher a signed statement explaining why the judge had the watcher removed from the polling place. It touches presiding judges and poll watchers who were already accepted for service. On the ground, a removed watcher walks away with a written, signed reason instead of nothing, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 115 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 115 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 16, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the State Affairs committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2803 · 2025-02-13

SOLD BY

Rep. Richard HayesRHouse 57

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to requiring an election judge to provide a watcher removed from a polling place a signed statement containing the reason for the removal.

WHAT IT DOES

Kicked out? The presiding judge has to put it in writing.

The bill requires the presiding election judge to give a poll watcher a signed statement explaining why the judge had the watcher removed from the polling place. It touches presiding judges and poll watchers who were already accepted for service. On the ground, a removed watcher walks away with a written, signed reason instead of nothing, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 16, 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 13, 2025Filed
Mar 19, 2025Read first time
Mar 19, 2025Referred to Elections
Apr 17, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 17, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 17, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 17, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 28, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 28, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 2, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 2, 2025Committee report distributed
May 5, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 10, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 12, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 15, 2025Read 2nd time
May 15, 2025Amended 1-Hayes
May 15, 2025Amended 2-Bucy
May 15, 2025Passed to engrossment as amended
May 15, 2025Record vote RV#2712
May 15, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 16, 2025Read 3rd time
May 16, 2025Passed
May 16, 2025Record vote RV#2832
May 16, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 16, 2025Reported engrossed
May 19, 2025Received from the House
May 19, 2025Read first time
May 19, 2025Referred to State Affairs

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 131 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 16, 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

Richard Hayes

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$205K Texas Conservative Majority PAC$40KMichael Tenny$20,000

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 · Oct 28, 2024 to Oct 23, 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$204,650.12

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$204,650.12

Cash: $85,000.00
Paid by others: $119,650.12
Total: $204,650.12

mail $104,250.12polling $15,400.00

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 27, 2025 to Oct 20, 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: 101010307, 101032268, 101069605, 101071583.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$40,400.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$40,400.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $15,400.00
Total: $40,400.00

polling $15,400.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 22, 2026 to Oct 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: 101069605, 101071583.

Michael Tenny$20,000.00

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$204,650.12

Cash: $85,000.00
Paid by others: $119,650.12
Total: $204,650.12

mail $104,250.12polling $15,400.00

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 27, 2025 to Oct 20, 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: 101010307, 101032268, 101069605, 101071583.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$40,400.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $15,400.00
Total: $40,400.00

polling $15,400.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 22, 2026 to Oct 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: 101069605, 101071583.

Votes2

House May 16, 2025

Yea: 131
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 1
Excused: 16

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2832

HB 2803 was passed by (Record 2832): 131 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 131 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 1 (derived from named list)
Excused: 16 (derived from named list)

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

House May 15, 2025

Yea: 133
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 7
Excused: 8

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2712

HB 2803, as amended, was passed to engrossment by (Record 2712): 133 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 133 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 7 (derived from named list)
Excused: 8 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses11

For: 9
Against: 0
On: 2

Names

For

Self6 registrations
Self; Harris county ballot security1 registration
Self; The Libertarian Party of Texas1 registration
True Texas Elections1 registration

On

Secretary of State1 registration
Self; Texas Association of County Election Officials1 registration

Sources

11 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 I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 16, 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 13, 2025

05/19/2025 S Referred to State Affairs

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.

Coauthors

Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148

House committee · Elections · Committee vote 9 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Elections--Election Officers

Elections--General

Text

The text as introduced · 115 words

89R8074 JDK-F

By: Hayes
H.B. No. 2803

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requiring an election judge to provide a watcher

removed from a polling place a signed statement containing the

reason for the removal.

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

SECTION 1. Section 32.075, Election Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (i) to read as follows:

(i) A presiding judge who has a watcher removed from the

polling place after the watcher has been duly accepted for service

under Subchapter A, Chapter 33, shall provide to the watcher a

signed statement containing the reason for the removal.

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

House May 16, 2025

House May 15, 2025

For

On