Monitoring the Session

HB 3477

bill to expunge criminal contempt records

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Terry CanalesDHouse 40

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 expunction of all records and files related to a finding of criminal contempt by a court.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Only after at least 40 years. Take your time.

The bill lets a person found in criminal contempt of court wipe all records of that finding, but only after at least 40 years have passed since the finding. The person files the request in the same court that found them in contempt, and the bill counts being taken into custody for contempt as an 'arrest' for expunction purposes. It starts September 1, 2025, and covers old contempt findings too, so anyone whose finding is 40 or more years old can apply right away.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 4 Republicans, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 8, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3477 · 2025-02-27

SOLD BY

Rep. Terry CanalesDHouse 40 Rep. Valoree SwansonRHouse 150 Rep. Mitch LittleRHouse 65

+ 2 more authors

ITEM

relating to the expunction of all records and files related to a finding of criminal contempt by a court.

WHAT IT DOES

Only after at least 40 years. Take your time.

The bill lets a person found in criminal contempt of court wipe all records of that finding, but only after at least 40 years have passed since the finding. The person files the request in the same court that found them in contempt, and the bill counts being taken into custody for contempt as an 'arrest' for expunction purposes. It starts September 1, 2025, and covers old contempt findings too, so anyone whose finding is 40 or more years old can apply right away.

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 14, 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 Criminal Jurisprudence
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in formal meeting
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  10. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  11. Committee report distributed
  12. Committee report sent to Calendars
  13. Considered in Calendars
  14. Placed on General State Calendar
  15. Read 2nd time
  16. Passed to engrossment
  17. Record vote RV#1646
  18. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  19. Read 3rd time
  20. Amended 1-Swanson, Canales, Vasut, Moody, Hayes, Raymond, Little, Luther, and Muñoz
  21. Passed as amended
  22. Record vote RV#1762
  23. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  24. Reported engrossed
  25. Received from the House
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 121 yea · 25 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 8, 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

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Terry Canales

Donors

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC$65KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$35KCurtis E. Ford$30,605

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 9, 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.

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC$65,000.00

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

$65,000.00

Cash
$65,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$65,000.00

Also funds 120 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 6, 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.

Report IDs: 100986692, 101072185.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$35,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

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 · Aug 9, 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: 100986692, 101030306, 101068017, 101072185.

Curtis E. Ford$30,605.00
Money

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

×

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

$65,000.00

Cash
$65,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$65,000.00

Also funds 120 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 6, 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.

Report IDs: 100986692, 101072185.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

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 · Aug 9, 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: 100986692, 101030306, 101068017, 101072185.

Votes2

House May 8, 2025

Yea
121
Nay
25
Present, not voting
2
Absent
2
Excused
0
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1762

HB 3477, as amended, was passed by (Record 1762): 121 Yeas, 25 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 121 (published)
  • Nay: 25 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

House May 7, 2025

Yea
127
Nay
16
Present, not voting
1
Absent
4
Excused
2
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1646

HB 3477 was passed to engrossment by (Record 1646): 127 Yeas, 16 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 127 (published)
  • Nay: 16 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 2 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses2
For
2
Against
0
On
0
Names

For

  • Self1 registration
  • Texas Appleseed1 registration
Sources

2 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 14, 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 27, 2025

05/09/2025 S Received from the House

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Criminal Procedure--General

EXPUNCTION OF RECORDS

Text

The text as introduced · 392 words

89R16008 JRR-D

By: Canales
H.B. No. 3477

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the expunction of all records and files related to a

finding of criminal contempt by a court.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 55A, Code of Criminal

Procedure, is amended by adding Article 55A.007 to read as follows:

Art. 55A.007. CRIMINAL CONTEMPT. (a) Notwithstanding the

limitation provided by Article 55A.001, a person who has been found

in criminal contempt is entitled to the expunction of all records

and files related to the contempt if a period of not less than 40

years has passed since the date on which the person was found in

contempt.

(b) For purposes of Subchapters F through J, a reference to

"arrest" includes the taking into custody of a person found in

criminal contempt.

SECTION 2. Article 55A.251, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended to read as follows:

Art. 55A.251. FILING OF PETITION. (a) A person who is

entitled to expunction of records and files under Article 55A.002,

55A.004, or 55A.005 or Subchapter B, or a person who is eligible for

expunction of records and files under Article 55A.101, may, subject

to Article 55A.252, file an ex parte petition for expunction in a

district court for the county in which:

(1) the petitioner was arrested; or

(2) the offense was alleged to have occurred.

(b) A person who is entitled to expunction of records and

files under Article 55A.007 may file an ex parte petition for

expunction in the court that found the person in contempt.

SECTION 3. Article 55A.257, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended to read as follows:

Art. 55A.257. DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC SAFETY MAY FILE PETITION

ON PERSON'S BEHALF. The director of the Department of Public Safety

or the director's authorized representative may file on behalf of a

person described by Article 55A.251(a) [ 55A.251 ] or 55A.256 an ex

parte petition for expunction in a district court for the county in

which:

(1) the person was arrested; or

(2) the offense was alleged to have occurred.

SECTION 4. This Act applies to an expunction of arrest

records and files relating to a finding of criminal contempt that

occurred before, on, or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.