HB 3643

Transit Bill Lets Smallest Members Exit Without Their Debt Share

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsNeeds review

Rep. Ellen TroxclairRHouse 19

Why it's charged

Carve-out

THE TEXT

“This subsection applies only to a withdrawn unit of election that has a total number of inhabitants equal to two percent or less of the total number of inhabitants of the authority”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

Only the smallest member units get a different exit bill. They owe property value instead of their share of the authority's outstanding obligations. The caption names the obligation topic but not this size-based favor.

Carve-out

Needs review · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the withdrawal of a unit of election from certain metropolitan rapid transit authorities and the net financial obligation of that withdrawal.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Units at 2% of population or less owe just property value. Failed vote? Retry in two years.

The bill lets a city or other unit try again to vote its way out of a big-city transit authority two years after a failed withdrawal election instead of five. It also says that a small withdrawing unit, one with two percent or less of the authority's population, owes only the fair market value of authority property left inside its borders instead of its share of the authority's debts minus its share of cash. Transit authorities must send each member unit a yearly good-faith estimate of what it would owe to leave, due by July 1.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Transportation subcommittee on Transportation Funding on Apr 28, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3643 · 2025-03-03

SOLD BY

Rep. Ellen TroxclairRHouse 19

ITEM

relating to the withdrawal of a unit of election from certain metropolitan rapid transit authorities and the net financial obligation of that withdrawal.

WHAT IT DOES

Units at 2% of population or less owe just property value. Failed vote? Retry in two years.

CHARGES

[x] CARVE-OUTanalysis confidence 40%

THE TEXT

“This subsection applies only to a withdrawn unit of election that has a total number of inhabitants equal to two percent or less of the total number of inhabitants of the authority”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 25, 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

Mar 3, 2025Filed
Mar 25, 2025Read first time
Mar 25, 2025Referred to s/c on Transportation Funding by Speaker
Apr 28, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 28, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 28, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 28, 2025Left pending in subcommittee

FILED UNDER

DEBT AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS

THE TEXT

“the unit's apportioned share of the authority's outstanding obligations”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill changes how much of a transit authority's debt a leaving unit must carry, and small units no longer pay this share.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Ellen Troxclair

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$100K Texans for Lawsuit Reform PC$10K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$5K

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 29, 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$100,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

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 · Jul 14, 2025 to Feb 3, 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: 101031227, 101040659.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PC$10,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PC

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 2, 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: 101072162.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$5,083.34

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$5,083.34

Cash: $5,000.00
Paid by others: $83.34
Total: $5,083.34

advertising $83.34

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Sep 25, 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: 100982032, 101031227, 101072162.

Money

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

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 · Jul 14, 2025 to Feb 3, 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: 101031227, 101040659.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PC

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 2, 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: 101072162.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$5,083.34

Cash: $5,000.00
Paid by others: $83.34
Total: $5,083.34

advertising $83.34

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Sep 25, 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: 100982032, 101031227, 101072162.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 25, 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 Mar 3, 2025

04/28/2025 H Left pending in subcommittee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 1:52 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Transportation · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Elections--Administration

Transportation--Mass Transit

Text

The text as introduced · 429 words

89R15404 RDR-F

By: Troxclair
H.B. No. 3643

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the withdrawal of a unit of election from certain

metropolitan rapid transit authorities and the net financial

obligation of that withdrawal.

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

SECTION 1. Section 451.603(c), Transportation Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(c) An election to withdraw may not be held [ ordered, and a

petition for an election to withdraw may not be accepted for filing,

on or ] before the second [ fifth ] anniversary of the first day of the

calendar month in which a [ after the date of a ] previous election to

withdraw [ in ] the unit of election [ to withdraw ] from the authority

was held .

SECTION 2. Section 451.611, Transportation Code, is amended

by amending Subsection (a) and adding Subsections (c-1) and (e) to

read as follows:

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (c-1), the [ The ] net

financial obligation of a withdrawn unit of election to the

authority is an amount equal to:

(1) the gross financial obligations of the unit, which

is the sum of:

(A) the unit's apportioned share of the

authority's outstanding obligations; and

(B) the amount, not computed in Subdivision

(1)(A), that is necessary and appropriate to allocate to the unit

because of financial obligations of the authority that specifically

relate to the unit; minus

(2) the unit's apportioned share of the unencumbered

assets of the authority that consist of cash, cash deposits,

certificates of deposit, and bonds, stocks, and other negotiable

securities.

(c-1) This subsection applies only to a withdrawn unit of

election that has a total number of inhabitants equal to two percent

or less of the total number of inhabitants of the authority,

including the number of inhabitants of the unit. The net financial

obligation of a withdrawn unit of election to which this subsection

applies is the fair market value of the authority's property that

will remain in the unit after the unit's withdrawal.

(e) An authority shall annually make a good faith estimate

of each unit of election's net financial obligation and shall

report that estimate to the unit of election not later than July 1

of each year.

SECTION 3. 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.