HB 3958

Museums Face Up To $500,000 Per Item, Per Day

Died in committee

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 creating a civil penalty and providing for injunctive relief against museums that display certain obscene or harmful material.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The attorney general sues, and a court orders the material off display indefinitely.

The bill lets the attorney general sue a museum that displays obscene or harmful material in a way that already breaks existing Penal Code sections on obscenity and harmful material. It touches museums in Texas and gives the attorney general a new civil tool against them. A museum found liable could owe up to $500,000 per item for each day of display, plus the state's legal costs, and a court must order the material removed from public display indefinitely.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 6, 2025 and referred to the House State Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB3958 · 2025-03-06

SOLD BY

Rep. David LoweRHouse 91

ITEM

relating to creating a civil penalty and providing for injunctive relief against museums that display certain obscene or harmful material.

WHAT IT DOES

The attorney general sues, and a court orders the material off display indefinitely.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Mar 6, 2025Filed
Mar 27, 2025Read first time
Mar 27, 2025Referred to State Affairs

FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

…“is liable to the state in an amount not to exceed $500,000 for each item of displayed material and each day the display continues”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill creates a large civil penalty and a state lawsuit against museums over the content they put on display.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

David Lowe

Donors

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC$121K Justice for Texas Victims$85K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$30K

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 1, 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.

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC$120,500.00

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC

$120,500.00

Cash: $120,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $120,500.00

Also funds 30 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 3, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 3, 2024 to Aug 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: 100987224, 101007668, 101028850, 101030722, 101040612, 101068843.

Justice for Texas Victims$85,000.00

Justice for Texas Victims

$85,000.00

Cash: $85,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $85,000.00

Also funds 12 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 25, 2025 to Feb 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 26, 2025 to Feb 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: 101028850, 101030722, 101040612.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$30,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$30,000.00

Cash: $30,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $30,000.00

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 · Sep 17, 2024 to Jan 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: 100987224, 101007668, 101030722.

Money

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

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC

$120,500.00

Cash: $120,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $120,500.00

Also funds 30 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 3, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 3, 2024 to Aug 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: 100987224, 101007668, 101028850, 101030722, 101040612, 101068843.

Justice for Texas Victims

$85,000.00

Cash: $85,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $85,000.00

Also funds 12 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 25, 2025 to Feb 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 26, 2025 to Feb 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: 101028850, 101030722, 101040612.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$30,000.00

Cash: $30,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $30,000.00

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 · Sep 17, 2024 to Jan 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: 100987224, 101007668, 101030722.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

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

03/27/2025 H Referred to State Affairs: Mar 27 2025 11:57AM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Arts & Humanities

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

Crimes--Against Persons--General

Historic Preservation & Museums

Minors--Crimes Against

Minors--Health & Safety

Text

The text as introduced · 200 words

89R15540 JCG-D

By: Lowe
H.B. No. 3958

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to creating a civil penalty and providing for injunctive

relief against museums that display certain obscene or harmful

material.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 402, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subchapter D to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER D. ENFORCEMENT

Sec. 402.071. MUSEUM DISPLAYING CERTAIN OBSCENE OR HARMFUL

MATERIAL: CIVIL PENALTY AND INJUNCTION. (a) A museum that displays

obscene or harmful material in violation of Section 43.22, 43.23,

or 43.24, Penal Code, is liable to the state in an amount not to

exceed $500,000 for each item of displayed material and each day the

display continues.

(b) The attorney general may bring an action to obtain:

(1) injunctive relief;

(2) a civil penalty as provided by Subsection (a); and

(3) reasonable attorney's fees and reasonably incurred

costs of investigation or litigation.

(c) An injunction issued under this section must require, in

addition to any other relief, that a museum publicly displaying

obscene or harmful material as described by Subsection (a) remove

the material from public display indefinitely.

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