HB 3667

Bernal Permit Bill’s 14-Day Clock Skips New Construction

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsReviewed

Rep. Diego M. BernalDHouse 123

Why it's charged

The hole

THE TEXT

“This section does not apply to a permit or license required for the completion of a project that involves the new construction or a building.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The 14-day clock and fee refunds are pitched as covering permits for a project, but projects involving new construction are exempted, so a realistic main case of local permitting falls outside the deadline. Many other permits and licenses stay covered, so the deadline still does real work.

The hole

Reviewed · 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 time allowed for the issuance of a permit or license.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Miss 14 days, refund the fee. Miss 21, refund plus 50%. Zoning’s out too.

The bill makes cities, counties and other local governments post their permit and license application requirements online and issue a permit or license within 14 days of a complete application. If they miss 14 days they must refund the fee, and if they miss 21 days they must refund the fee plus an extra 50 percent, and they cannot block applicants from filing for several permits at once. Permits for new building construction and zoning applications are left out, and the state alcohol commission separately must issue or renew a license within 21 days.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Licensing & Administrative Procedures committee on May 6, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3667 · 2025-03-04

SOLD BY

Rep. Diego M. BernalDHouse 123

ITEM

relating to the time allowed for the issuance of a permit or license.

WHAT IT DOES

Miss 14 days, refund the fee. Miss 21, refund plus 50%. Zoning’s out too.

CHARGES

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 50%

THE TEXT

“This section does not apply to a permit or license required for the completion of a project that involves the new construction or a building.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · May 5, 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 4, 2025Filed
Mar 25, 2025Read first time
Mar 25, 2025Referred to Licensing & Administrative Procedures
May 6, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
May 6, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 6, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
May 6, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
May 6, 2025Left pending in committee

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Diego M. Bernal

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$10K Texas Sands PAC$8K Texas HDCC$7K

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 · Jul 2, 2024 to Jun 11, 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$10,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$10,000.00

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

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 13, 2024 to Feb 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.

Report IDs: 100987101, 101032904, 101060248.

Texas Sands PAC$8,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash: $8,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $8,000.00

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 · Sep 18, 2024 to Dec 10, 2024. 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: 100987101.

Texas HDCC$7,000.00

Texas HDCC

$7,000.00

Cash: $7,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $7,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 3, 2024 to May 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Apr 30, 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: 101060248.

Money

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

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$10,000.00

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

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 13, 2024 to Feb 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.

Report IDs: 100987101, 101032904, 101060248.

Texas Sands PAC

$8,000.00

Cash: $8,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $8,000.00

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 · Sep 18, 2024 to Dec 10, 2024. 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: 100987101.

Texas HDCC

$7,000.00

Cash: $7,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $7,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 3, 2024 to May 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Apr 30, 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: 101060248.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · May 5, 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 4, 2025

05/06/2025 H Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 3:11 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Licensing & Administrative Procedures · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

City Government--General

County Government--General

Political Subdivisions

PERMITS

Text

The text as introduced · 446 words

By: Bernal
H.B. No. 3667

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the time allowed for the issuance of a permit or

license.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 245, Local Government Code, is amended

by adding Section 245.008 to read as follows:

Sec. 245.008. ISSUANCE OF A PERMIT OR LICENSE. (a) A

political subdivision shall, in a manner accessible to the public

and on their Internet site, post the requirements necessary,

including a list of all required elements, for the submission of a

complete application for a permit or license by an applicant.

(b) A political subdivision must issue a permit or license

within 14 days of the filing of a complete application for a permit

or license required by a political subdivision for a project.

(c) If a series of permits or licenses is required, a

political subdivision must issue a permit or license within 14 days

of the filing of each complete application for a permit or license

required by a political subdivision.

(d) Notwithstanding any provision of this chapter, a

political subdivision may not prohibit the concurrent application

for permits or licenses by an applicant.

(e) If a political subdivision is unable to issue a permit

or license within 14 days of the submission of a complete

application, the political subdivision must refund any fee

associated with the application for a permit or license to the

applicant.

(f) If a political subdivision is unable to issue a permit

or license within 21 days of the submission of a complete

application, the political subdivision must refund any fee

associated with the application for a permit or license plus an

additional 50 percent of the fee associated with the application

for a permit or license to the applicant.

(g) This section does not apply to a permit or license

required for the completion of a project that involves the new

construction or a building.

(h) This section does not apply to a zoning application

under Chapter 211, Local Government Code.

SECTION 2. Chapter 61, Alcoholic Beverage Code, is amended

by adding Section 61.53 to read as follows:

Sec. 61.53. ISSUANCE OF A LICENSE. (a) Notwithstanding any

other provision of this code, the commission shall issue a license

within 21 days of receiving an original application for a license or

the renewal of a license.

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.