HB 2982

bill barring less lethal projectiles for crowd control

Died in committee

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 law enforcement policies prohibiting a peace officer from using less lethal projectiles for the purpose of controlling the activity or movement of a gathering of people.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Rubber bullets, sponge rounds and bean bag rounds included.

The bill requires every state and local law enforcement agency in Texas to adopt a crowd-control policy that bars its officers from firing less lethal projectiles to control or move a gathering of people. It covers any agency that employs peace officers, and it defines less lethal projectiles to include rubber bullets, wooden bullets, sponge rounds and bean bag rounds. Agencies must have the policy in place by January 1, 2026, which means officers could no longer use these rounds on crowds under their agency's own rules.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 974 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 974 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 18, 2025 and referred to the House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2982 · 2025-02-18

SOLD BY

Rep. Erin ZwienerDHouse 45

ITEM

relating to law enforcement policies prohibiting a peace officer from using less lethal projectiles for the purpose of controlling the activity or movement of a gathering of people.

WHAT IT DOES

Rubber bullets, sponge rounds and bean bag rounds included.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Feb 18, 2025Filed
Mar 20, 2025Read first time
Mar 20, 2025Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Erin Zwiener

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$25K Texas Sands PAC$22KSandy Spears$11,545

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 27, 2024 to Oct 24, 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$25,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$25,000.00

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

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 · Dec 12, 2024 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: 101012412, 101032309, 101061964, 101072091.

Texas Sands PAC$22,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$22,000.00

Cash: $22,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $22,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 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: 101012412, 101032309, 101061964, 101072091.

Sandy Spears$11,545.00

Money

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

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$25,000.00

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

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 · Dec 12, 2024 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: 101012412, 101032309, 101061964, 101072091.

Texas Sands PAC

$22,000.00

Cash: $22,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $22,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 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: 101012412, 101032309, 101061964, 101072091.

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 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 974

by Rep. Zwiener, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 2, 2023: Referred to Homeland Security & Public Safety

Relating to law enforcement policies prohibiting a peace officer from using less lethal projectiles for the purpose of controlling the activity or movement of a gathering of people.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 18, 2025

03/20/2025 H Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs: Mar 20 2025 11:50AM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

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

Subjects

Criminal Procedure--General

Law Enforcement

Weapons

PEACE OFFICERS

Text

The text as introduced · 286 words

89R2958 MCF-D

By: Zwiener
H.B. No. 2982

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to law enforcement policies prohibiting a peace officer

from using less lethal projectiles for the purpose of controlling

the activity or movement of a gathering of people.

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

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

Procedure, is amended by adding Article 2B.0254 to read as follows:

Art. 2B.0254. LAW ENFORCEMENT POLICY PROHIBITING USE OF

CERTAIN AMMUNITION FOR CROWD CONTROL. (a) In this article:

(1) "Law enforcement agency" means an agency of the

state or an agency of a political subdivision of the state

authorized by law to appoint or employ peace officers.

(2) "Less lethal projectile" means ammunition that is

discharged from a firearm or other device for the purpose of

incapacitating or substantially diminishing the capacity of the

target by inflicting blunt trauma and that is designed to reduce the

risk of serious bodily injury or death compared to more commonly

used ammunition such as bullets or other projectiles composed

primarily or entirely of metal. The term includes ammunition

commonly known as "rubber bullets," "wooden bullets," "sponge

rounds," and "bean bag rounds."

(b) Each law enforcement agency in this state shall adopt a

policy on crowd control that prohibits a peace officer appointed or

employed by the agency from using less lethal projectiles as a means

to control the activity or movement of a gathering of people.

SECTION 2. Not later than January 1, 2026, each law

enforcement agency in this state shall adopt the policy required by

Article 2B.0254, Code of Criminal Procedure, as added by this Act.

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