Monitoring the Session

HB 419

Meza Bill Sets A $15 Floor For School Bus Drivers

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Terry MezaDHouse 105

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 establishing a minimum wage for school bus drivers.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Only districts with 4,500 or more students, plus charters. Smaller districts are left out.

The bill sets a $15 an hour minimum wage for school bus drivers, or the federal minimum wage if that is ever higher. It covers drivers at public school districts with 4,500 or more students, at open-enrollment charter schools, and at transit authorities, bus companies or juvenile boards that contract with those districts or charters. Starting September 1, 2025, those employers must pay covered drivers at least that rate, while drivers at smaller districts are left out.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 991 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 991 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the House Public Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB419 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Terry MezaDHouse 105

ITEM

relating to establishing a minimum wage for school bus drivers.

WHAT IT DOES

Only districts with 4,500 or more students, plus charters. Smaller districts are left out.

The bill sets a $15 an hour minimum wage for school bus drivers, or the federal minimum wage if that is ever higher. It covers drivers at public school districts with 4,500 or more students, at open-enrollment charter schools, and at transit authorities, bus companies or juvenile boards that contract with those districts or charters. Starting September 1, 2025, those employers must pay covered drivers at least that rate, while drivers at smaller districts are left out.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Public Education
FILED UNDER

GOVERNMENT GROWTH UNDER A CONSERVATIVE BANNER

THE TEXT

…“an employer to which this section applies shall pay to each school bus driver employed by the employer not less than the greater of:”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill changes pay for public employees by setting a wage floor that school districts and charter schools must pay their bus drivers.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Terry Meza

Donors

House Democratic Campaign Committee$7KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$4KTexas Sands PAC$4K

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 · Nov 1, 2024 to Jun 30, 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.

House Democratic Campaign Committee$7,000.00

House Democratic Campaign Committee

$7,000.00

Cash
$7,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$7,000.00

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 3, 2026 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on May 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: 101059960.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$4,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$4,000.00

Cash
$4,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$4,000.00

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 13, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 100985189, 101032865.

Texas Sands PAC$4,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$4,000.00

Cash
$4,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$4,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 13, 2024. 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: 100985189.

Money

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

×

House Democratic Campaign Committee

$7,000.00

Cash
$7,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$7,000.00

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 3, 2026 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on May 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: 101059960.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$4,000.00

Cash
$4,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$4,000.00

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 13, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 100985189, 101032865.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$4,000.00

Cash
$4,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$4,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 13, 2024. 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: 100985189.

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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 991

by Rep. Meza, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 2, 2023: Referred to Public Education

Relating to establishing a minimum wage for school bus drivers.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

02/28/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Feb 28 2025 11:02AM

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 · Public Education · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Education--Primary & Secondary--Other School Personnel

Labor--Wages

Salaries & Expenses

MINIMUM WAGE

SCHOOL BUSES & SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS

Text

The text as introduced · 206 words

89R4770 DNC-F

By: Meza
H.B. No. 419

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to establishing a minimum wage for school bus drivers.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 62, Labor Code, is amended

by adding Section 62.058 to read as follows:

Sec. 62.058. MINIMUM WAGE FOR SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS. (a) In

this section, "school bus driver" means a person employed to

transport students to or from school or a school-sponsored or

school-related activity.

(b) This section applies to:

(1) a public school district with a student enrollment

of 4,500 or more;

(2) an open-enrollment charter school; and

(3) a mass transit authority, commercial

transportation company, or juvenile board that contracts with a

school district described by Subdivision (1) or an open-enrollment

charter school to provide public school transportation.

(c) Notwithstanding Section 62.051 or 62.151 or any other

law, an employer to which this section applies shall pay to each

school bus driver employed by the employer not less than the greater

of:

(1) $15 an hour; or

(2) the federal minimum wage under Section 6, Fair

Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. Section 206).

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