HB 3722: bill bans 500-foot structures near aerobatic practice areas

Caption

relating to the protection of certain airspace designated for use by Department of Defense contractors.

Summary

Nothing taller than 500 feet within five miles of the practice areas.

The bill bans building any structure taller than 500 feet within five miles of certain long-term aerobatic practice areas set by the Federal Aviation Administration on or before January 1, 2025. The ban covers only practice areas that are used for training by companies that hold Department of Defense aviation contracts, and it applies to anyone who wants to build tall structures near them. Landowners and builders near those areas lose the option to put up structures over 500 feet, starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 13, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Transportation committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3722 · 2025-03-04

SOLD BY

Rep. Cole HefnerRHouse 5

ITEM

relating to the protection of certain airspace designated for use by Department of Defense contractors.

WHAT IT DOES

Nothing taller than 500 feet within five miles of the practice areas.

The bill bans building any structure taller than 500 feet within five miles of certain long-term aerobatic practice areas set by the Federal Aviation Administration on or before January 1, 2025. The ban covers only practice areas that are used for training by companies that hold Department of Defense aviation contracts, and it applies to anyone who wants to build tall structures near them. Landowners and builders near those areas lose the option to put up structures over 500 feet, starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · 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 26, 2025Read first time
Mar 26, 2025Referred to s/c on Defense & Veterans' Affairs by Speaker
Apr 22, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 22, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 22, 2025Committee substitute considered in s/c
Apr 22, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 22, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
Apr 30, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
Apr 30, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 30, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
Apr 30, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
May 5, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 5, 2025Committee report distributed
May 6, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 7, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 9, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 12, 2025Read 2nd time
May 12, 2025Point of order withdrawn Rule 4, Section 32(c)(1)
May 12, 2025Point of order withdrawn Rule 1, Section 4, and Rule 8, Section 6
May 12, 2025Passed to engrossment
May 12, 2025Record vote RV#2200
May 12, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 13, 2025Read 3rd time
May 13, 2025Amended 1-E. Morales
May 13, 2025Passed as amended
May 13, 2025Record vote RV#2269
May 13, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 13, 2025Reported engrossed
May 14, 2025Received from the House
May 19, 2025Read first time
May 19, 2025Referred to Transportation

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 91 yea · 49 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 13, 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

Cole Hefner

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$108K Dustin Burrows Campaign$46K Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC$20K

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 28, 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$107,878.12

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$107,878.12

Cash: $65,000.00
Paid by others: $42,878.12
Total: $107,878.12

mail $42,794.79fundraiser $83.33

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 · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 17, 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: 100986158, 101009093, 101035205, 101069686.

Dustin Burrows Campaign$46,150.00

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$46,150.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $21,150.00
Total: $46,150.00

polling $21,150.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 30, 2025 to Jan 6, 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: 101009093, 101031796.

Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC$20,000.00

Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

Also funds 90 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 16, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 12, 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: 100986158, 101009093, 101035205, 101069686.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$107,878.12

Cash: $65,000.00
Paid by others: $42,878.12
Total: $107,878.12

mail $42,794.79fundraiser $83.33

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 · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 17, 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: 100986158, 101009093, 101035205, 101069686.

×

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$46,150.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $21,150.00
Total: $46,150.00

polling $21,150.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 30, 2025 to Jan 6, 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: 101009093, 101031796.

×

Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC

$20,000.00

Cash: $20,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $20,000.00

Also funds 90 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 16, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 12, 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: 100986158, 101009093, 101035205, 101069686.

Votes2

House May 13, 2025

Yea: 91
Nay: 49
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 3
Excused: 5

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2269

HB 3722, as amended, was passed by (Record 2269): 91 Yeas, 49 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 91 (published)
Nay: 49 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

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

House May 12, 2025

Yea: 85
Nay: 54
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 4
Excused: 5

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2200

CSHB 3722 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2200): 85 Yeas, 54 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 85 (published)
Nay: 54 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses3

For: 2
Against: 1
On: 0

Names

For

Self1 registration
Self; Texas Coalition of Veterans Organizations1 registration

Against

Self1 registration

Sources

3 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 fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · 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

05/19/2025 S Referred to Transportation

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 · Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Transportation · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Aeronautics

Transportation--Aviation

Text

The text as introduced · 177 words

By: Hefner
H.B. No. 3722

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the protection of certain airspace designated for use

by Department of Defense contractors.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 21, Transportation Code,

is amended by adding Section 21.073 to read as follows:

Sec. 21.073. PROTECTION OF CERTAIN AIRSPACE. (a) In this

section, "aerobatic training area" means a long-term aerobatic

practice area designated by the Federal Aviation Administration on

or before January 1, 2025.

(b) A person may not construct a structure taller than 500

feet within five miles of an aerobatic training area that is used

for training by a person who contracts with the United States

Department of Defense for aviation services.

SECTION 2. 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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Dustin Burrows Campaign

Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Dustin Burrows Campaign

Gulf States Toyota Inc. State PAC

House May 13, 2025

House May 12, 2025

For

Against