Monitoring the Session

HB 3731

bill turns optional cargo standards into required ones

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Armando "Mando" MartinezDHouse 39

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 requiring the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to establish standards of uniform cargo liability, uniform bills of lading or receipts, and uniform cargo credit.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Uniform rules for cargo liability, bills of lading and cargo credit.

The bill turns the motor vehicle department's optional cargo standards into required ones, ordering it to set uniform rules for cargo liability, bills of lading or receipts, and cargo credit. It touches motor carriers registered with the state and the shippers whose goods they haul. On the ground, the standards must match federal law and must include minimum cargo liability of $0.60 per pound, per item, with rules adopted as soon as practicable after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Transportation committee on Apr 29, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3731 · 2025-03-04

SOLD BY

Rep. Armando "Mando" MartinezDHouse 39

ITEM

relating to requiring the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to establish standards of uniform cargo liability, uniform bills of lading or receipts, and uniform cargo credit.

WHAT IT DOES

Uniform rules for cargo liability, bills of lading and cargo credit.

The bill turns the motor vehicle department's optional cargo standards into required ones, ordering it to set uniform rules for cargo liability, bills of lading or receipts, and cargo credit. It touches motor carriers registered with the state and the shippers whose goods they haul. On the ground, the standards must match federal law and must include minimum cargo liability of $0.60 per pound, per item, with rules adopted as soon as practicable after September 1, 2025.

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 27, 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 Transportation
  4. Posting rule suspended
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Committee substitute considered in committee
  8. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  9. Left pending in committee
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Armando "Mando" Martinez

Donors

Border Health PAC$10KMarc Rodriguez$9,500Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$9K

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 Jun 26, 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.

Border Health PAC$10,000.00

Border Health PAC

$10,000.00

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

Also funds 17 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 28, 2024 to Aug 26, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Nov 26, 2025. 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: 101026922.

Marc Rodriguez$9,500.00
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$9,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$9,000.00

Cash
$9,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$9,000.00

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 10, 2024 to Apr 8, 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: 100979779, 101026922, 101055340.

Money

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

×

Border Health PAC

$10,000.00

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

Also funds 17 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 28, 2024 to Aug 26, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Nov 26, 2025. 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: 101026922.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$9,000.00

Cash
$9,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$9,000.00

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 10, 2024 to Apr 8, 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: 100979779, 101026922, 101055340.

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 · April 27, 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

04/29/2025 H Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

House committee · Transportation · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Vehicles & Traffic--Rules of Road

MOTOR VEHICLES, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 180 words

89R13722 GP-D

By: Martinez
H.B. No. 3731

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requiring the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles to

establish standards of uniform cargo liability, uniform bills of

lading or receipts, and uniform cargo credit.

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

SECTION 1. Section 643.152, Transportation Code, is amended

to read as follows:

Sec. 643.152. [ VOLUNTARY ] STANDARDS. The department shall

[ may ] establish [ voluntary ] standards for uniform cargo liability,

uniform bills of lading or receipts for cargo being transported,

and uniform cargo credit. A standard adopted under this section

must :

(1) be consistent with Subtitle IV, Title 49, United

States Code, or a regulation adopted under that law ; and

(2) include minimum cargo liability of $0.60 per

pound, per item .

SECTION 2. As soon as practicable after the effective date

of this Act, the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles shall adopt

rules required by Section 643.152, Transportation Code, as amended

by this Act.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.