HB 3719: bill says birth dates are public unless an exception applies

Caption

relating to the availability of dates of birth under the public information law.

Summary

The general confidentiality section can’t withhold birth dates on its own.

The bill says Texas's public records law does not let a government office hold back a person's date of birth unless a specific exception applies. Those exceptions are the existing employee-privacy section, federal health-privacy rules, and any other constitutional or statutory law, and the general confidentiality section can no longer be used on its own to withhold birth dates. Anyone who asks a state or local government for records on or after the effective date would get dates of birth in more cases than before.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 2309 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 2309 (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.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 7, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Business & Commerce committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3719 · 2025-03-04

SOLD BY

Rep. Todd HunterRHouse 32

ITEM

relating to the availability of dates of birth under the public information law.

WHAT IT DOES

The general confidentiality section can’t withhold birth dates on its own.

The bill says Texas's public records law does not let a government office hold back a person's date of birth unless a specific exception applies. Those exceptions are the existing employee-privacy section, federal health-privacy rules, and any other constitutional or statutory law, and the general confidentiality section can no longer be used on its own to withhold birth dates. Anyone who asks a state or local government for records on or after the effective date would get dates of birth in more cases than before.

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 15, 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 26, 2025Read first time
Mar 26, 2025Referred to Delivery of Government Efficiency
Apr 16, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 16, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 16, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 16, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 17, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 17, 2025Failed to receive affirmative vote in comm.
Apr 23, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 23, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 29, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 29, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 29, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 2, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 6, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 6, 2025Read 2nd time
May 6, 2025Passed to engrossment
May 6, 2025Record vote RV#1556
May 6, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 7, 2025Read 3rd time
May 7, 2025Passed
May 7, 2025Record vote RV#1627
May 7, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 7, 2025Reported engrossed
May 7, 2025Received from the House
May 8, 2025Read first time
May 8, 2025Referred to Business & Commerce

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 144 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 7, 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

Todd Hunter

Donors

HillCo PAC$78K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$45KMichael Gallagher$40,000

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 23, 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.

HillCo PAC$77,645.00

HillCo PAC

$77,645.00

Cash: $57,000.00
Paid by others: $20,645.00
Total: $77,645.00

event $10,645.00Other filed descriptions $10,000.00

Also funds 131 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 8, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 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: 100975878, 100990010, 101007811, 101058530, 101068671.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$45,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$45,000.00

Cash: $45,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $45,000.00

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 14, 2024 to Oct 4, 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: 100975878, 100990010, 101007811, 101033964, 101068671.

Michael Gallagher$40,000.00

Money

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

×

HillCo PAC

$77,645.00

Cash: $57,000.00
Paid by others: $20,645.00
Total: $77,645.00

event $10,645.00Other filed descriptions $10,000.00

Also funds 131 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 8, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 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: 100975878, 100990010, 101007811, 101058530, 101068671.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$45,000.00

Cash: $45,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $45,000.00

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 14, 2024 to Oct 4, 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: 100975878, 100990010, 101007811, 101033964, 101068671.

Votes2

House May 7, 2025

Yea: 144
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 2
Excused: 2

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1627

HB 3719 was passed by (Record 1627): 144 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 144 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
Excused: 2 (derived from named list)

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

House May 6, 2025

Yea: 140
Nay: 2
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 5
Excused: 2

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1556

HB 3719 was passed to engrossment by (Record 1556): 140 Yeas, 2 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 140 (published)
Nay: 2 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
Excused: 2 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses11

For: 10
Against: 1
On: 0

Names

For

Common Cause Texas1 registration
Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas1 registration
Relx1 registration
Self1 registration
Self; Coalition for Sensible Public Records Access1 registration
Self; Granite Media Partners and texas press assn1 registration
Self; Sunshine Coalition1 registration
Self; Texas Press Association1 registration
Texas Association of Broadcasters1 registration
Texas Association of Broadcasters, Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas1 registration

Against

City of Dallas1 registration

Sources

11 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 15, 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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R HB 2309

by Rep. Hunter, same lead author · Died in committee · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, Apr 18, 2023: Referred to Business & Commerce

Relating to the availability of dates of birth under the public information law.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 4, 2025

05/08/2025 S Referred to Business & Commerce

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

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

House committee · Delivery of Government Efficiency · Committee vote 10 aye, 1 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 1293 by Johnson (identical)

Subjects

Open Records

Protection of Personal Information

Text

The text as introduced · 255 words

89R7521 MCK-F

By: Hunter
H.B. No. 3719

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the availability of dates of birth under the public

information law.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 552, Government Code, is

amended by adding Section 552.0223 to read as follows:

Sec. 552.0223. DATES OF BIRTH. Notwithstanding Section

552.101, this chapter does not authorize a governmental body to

withhold a date of birth except as:

(1) permitted by Section 552.102;

(2) permitted by the federal privacy requirements

adopted under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability

Act of 1996 (Pub. L. No. 104-191) contained in 45 C.F.R. Part 160

and 45 C.F.R. Part 164; or

(3) otherwise provided by constitutional or statutory

law.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

a request for information that is received by a governmental body or

an officer for public information on or after the effective date of

this Act. A request for information that was received before the

effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on the

date the request was received, and the former law is continued in

effect for that purpose.

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.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

HillCo PAC

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

HillCo PAC

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

House May 7, 2025

House May 6, 2025

For

Against

88R HB 2309

Companion