HB 3946

bill making “State Judge” optional on judges’ plates

Companion SB 2141 became law

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 judicial specialty license plates.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Required becomes optional.

The bill changes the rule for judges' specialty license plates so the words "State Judge" or "U.S. Judge" are optional instead of required. It touches current and visiting state and federal judges who get these plates, and the state motor vehicle department that issues them. On the ground, a judge's specialty plate could be issued without the words naming the holder as a judge, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 86 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 86 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3946 · 2025-03-06

SOLD BY

Rep. Erin GámezDHouse 38

ITEM

relating to judicial specialty license plates.

WHAT IT DOES

Required becomes optional.

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

Mar 6, 2025Filed
Mar 27, 2025Read first time
Mar 27, 2025Referred to Transportation
Apr 25, 2025Posting rule suspended
Apr 29, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 29, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 29, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 29, 2025Left pending in committee
May 6, 2025Considered in formal meeting
May 6, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 8, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 8, 2025Committee report distributed
May 9, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 10, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 12, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 15, 2025Companion considered in lieu of SB 2141
May 15, 2025Laid on the table subject to call

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Erin Gámez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$23K AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND$18K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$15K

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 24, 2024 to Oct 22, 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$22,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash: $22,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $22,500.00

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 · Jul 24, 2024 to Sep 28, 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101060219, 101072494.

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND$18,375.00

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND

$18,375.00

Cash: $18,000.00
Paid by others: $375.00
Total: $18,375.00

consulting $375.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 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: 100987285, 101029258.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$15,250.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$15,250.00

Cash: $15,000.00
Paid by others: $250.00
Total: $15,250.00

advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 19, 2024 to Sep 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101069662.

Money

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

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash: $22,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $22,500.00

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 · Jul 24, 2024 to Sep 28, 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101060219, 101072494.

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND

$18,375.00

Cash: $18,000.00
Paid by others: $375.00
Total: $18,375.00

consulting $375.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 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: 100987285, 101029258.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$15,250.00

Cash: $15,000.00
Paid by others: $250.00
Total: $15,250.00

advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 19, 2024 to Sep 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101069662.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses3

For: 1
Against: 0
On: 2

Names

For

Self1 registration

On

Texas DPS1 registration
TxDMV1 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 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 6, 2025

05/15/2025 H Laid on the table subject to call

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

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

House committee · Transportation · Committee vote 12 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 2141 by Zaffirini (very similar)

Subjects

Courts--Judges

Vehicles & Traffic--Vehicle Registration

LICENSE PLATES

Text

The text as introduced · 86 words

89R17607 TYPED

By: Gámez
H.B. No. 3946

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to judicial specialty license plates.

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

SECTION 1. Section 504.403(a), Transportation Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) The department shall issue specialty license plates for

a current or visiting state or federal judge. The license plates

may [ must ] include the words "State Judge" or "U.S. Judge," as

appropriate.

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