Monitoring the Session

HB 3906

bill letting small counties limit nighttime noise

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Stan GerdesRHouse 17

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 the authority of certain counties to regulate noise levels in residential areas; creating a criminal offense.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Counties of 250,000 or fewer. Firearms and fireworks are off limits.

This bill lets the commissioners court in any Texas county with 250,000 people or fewer pass an order limiting nighttime noise from homes in residential areas outside city limits. It touches rural and small-county residents and property owners in unincorporated areas, but the county may not use this power to regulate firearms or fireworks. If a county adopts such an order and labels a violation an offense, breaking it becomes a Class C misdemeanor starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: CREATES AN OFFENSE. The caption of the graded version (introduced) reads: “relating to the authority of certain counties to regulate noise levels in residential areas; creating a criminal offense.”PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Intergovernmental Affairs subcommittee on County & Regional Government on May 5, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3906 · 2025-03-06

SOLD BY

Rep. Stan GerdesRHouse 17

ITEM

relating to the authority of certain counties to regulate noise levels in residential areas; creating a criminal offense.

WHAT IT DOES

Counties of 250,000 or fewer. Firearms and fireworks are off limits.

This bill lets the commissioners court in any Texas county with 250,000 people or fewer pass an order limiting nighttime noise from homes in residential areas outside city limits. It touches rural and small-county residents and property owners in unincorporated areas, but the county may not use this power to regulate firearms or fireworks. If a county adopts such an order and labels a violation an offense, breaking it becomes a Class C misdemeanor starting 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 · May 2, 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 s/c on County & Regional Government by Speaker
  4. Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
  5. Considered by s/c in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in s/c
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
  8. Left pending in subcommittee
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Stan Gerdes

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$316KDustin Burrows Campaign$89KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$68K

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 30, 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$316,248.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$316,248.00

Cash
$220,000.00
Paid by others
$96,248.00
Total
$316,248.00
advertising $74,698.00polling $21,550.00

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 · Jun 25, 2025 to Sep 29, 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: 101010282, 101029052, 101035831, 101036569, 101070133.

Dustin Burrows Campaign$88,800.00

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$88,800.00

Cash
$75,000.00
Paid by others
$13,800.00
Total
$88,800.00
polling $13,800.00

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 · Dec 29, 2025 to Jan 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.

Report IDs: 101029052, 101035831, 101036569.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$67,750.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$67,750.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$42,750.00
Total
$67,750.00
canvassing $35,000.00polling $7,750.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Feb 13, 2026 to Feb 20, 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: 101036569.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$316,248.00

Cash
$220,000.00
Paid by others
$96,248.00
Total
$316,248.00
advertising $74,698.00polling $21,550.00

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 · Jun 25, 2025 to Sep 29, 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: 101010282, 101029052, 101035831, 101036569, 101070133.

×

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$88,800.00

Cash
$75,000.00
Paid by others
$13,800.00
Total
$88,800.00
polling $13,800.00

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 · Dec 29, 2025 to Jan 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.

Report IDs: 101029052, 101035831, 101036569.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$67,750.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$42,750.00
Total
$67,750.00
canvassing $35,000.00polling $7,750.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Feb 13, 2026 to Feb 20, 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: 101036569.

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 2, 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 6, 2025

05/05/2025 H Left pending in subcommittee

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 · Intergovernmental Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

County Government--General

Crimes--Miscellaneous

Environment--Noise

Safety--Fireworks

Text

The text as introduced · 192 words

89R13467 CS-F

By: Gerdes
H.B. No. 3906

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of certain counties to regulate noise

levels in residential areas; creating a criminal offense.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 240, Local Government Code, is amended

by adding Subchapter D to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER D. REGULATION OF NOISE LEVELS IN CERTAIN COUNTIES

Sec. 240.061. AUTHORITY TO REGULATE. (a) To promote public

health, safety, and welfare, the commissioners court of a county

with a population of 250,000 or less by order may regulate the level

of noise emanating from a property at night located in a residential

area in the unincorporated area of the county.

(b) This section does not authorize the commissioners court

of a county to regulate the use of:

(1) firearms; or

(2) fireworks.

Sec. 240.062. CRIMINAL OFFENSE. (a) A person commits an

offense if the person violates an order adopted under Section

240.061 and the order defines the violation as an offense.

(b) An offense under this section is a Class C misdemeanor.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.