Monitoring the Session

HB 3400

Schatzline Bill Lowers Sheriff Tracking Threshold From 3.3M To 500,000

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Nate SchatzlineRHouse 93

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 definition of a designated law enforcement office or agency for purposes of certain laws governing the installation and use of tracking equipment and access to certain communications.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

More sheriffs’ departments qualify for tracking equipment and communications access, starting September 1, 2025.

The bill lowers the population cutoff that lets a county sheriff's department count as a designated law enforcement office or agency, from counties of 3.3 million or more to counties of 500,000 or more. Being designated matters under the state chapter on installing and using tracking equipment and getting access to certain communications. More county sheriffs' departments, not just the very largest one, would now qualify for those tracking and communications powers, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 144 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 144 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).

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3400 · 2025-02-26

SOLD BY

Rep. Nate SchatzlineRHouse 93 Rep. David CookRHouse 96 Rep. Tony TinderholtRHouse 94

+ 1 more author

ITEM

relating to the definition of a designated law enforcement office or agency for purposes of certain laws governing the installation and use of tracking equipment and access to certain communications.

WHAT IT DOES

More sheriffs’ departments qualify for tracking equipment and communications access, starting September 1, 2025.

The bill lowers the population cutoff that lets a county sheriff's department count as a designated law enforcement office or agency, from counties of 3.3 million or more to counties of 500,000 or more. Being designated matters under the state chapter on installing and using tracking equipment and getting access to certain communications. More county sheriffs' departments, not just the very largest one, would now qualify for those tracking and communications powers, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
FILED UNDER

SURVEILLANCE STATE

THE TEXT

…“population of 500,000 [ 3.3 million ] or more;”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill widens the group of sheriff's departments that qualify as designated agencies under the law on tracking equipment and access to communications, spreading those powers to more counties.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Nate Schatzline

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC Austin TX$55,000
Texans United for a Conservative Majority Victoria TX$10,000
Dan Patrick Campaign Austin TX$5,000

Derived from itemized gifts, Oct 27, 2024 to Jun 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

$113,206 raised in 4 of 4 reports since Oct 27, 2024. Derived sum of published report totals. Flow, Oct 27, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 4 of 4 filed reports carry a published figure. Partial total. Regular reports do not cover Jul 9, 2025 to Aug 15, 2025, Aug 15, 2025 to Sep 4, 2025.

$220,212 spent since Oct 27, 2024. Derived sum of published report totals. Flow, Oct 27, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 4 of 4 filed reports carry a published figure.

$54,238 cash on hand. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

$0 loans outstanding. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived sum of itemized contributions in regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Unitemized contributions are not included. Flow, Oct 27, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Money

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

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.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 26, 2025

03/21/2025 H Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence: Mar 21 2025 9:52AM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 2580 by Hancock (identical)

Subjects

County Government--Employees/Officers

Crime Prevention

Law Enforcement

Safety

Utilities--Telecommunications

SHERIFFS

Text

The text as introduced · 144 words

89R15151 JCG-D

By: Schatzline
H.B. No. 3400

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the definition of a designated law enforcement office

or agency for purposes of certain laws governing the installation

and use of tracking equipment and access to certain communications.

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

SECTION 1. Article 18B.001(4), Code of Criminal Procedure,

is amended to read as follows:

(4) "Designated law enforcement office or agency"

means:

(A) the sheriff's department of a county with a

population of 500,000 [ 3.3 million ] or more;

(B) a police department in a municipality with a

population of 200,000 or more;

(C) the office of inspector general of the Texas

Department of Criminal Justice; or

(D) the office of inspector general of the Texas

Juvenile Justice Department.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.