Monitoring the Session

HB 4237

must becomes shall in justice court appeals

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Richard HayesRHouse 57

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 appeals from a justice or municipal court.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

County courts can also dismiss cases or send them back.

The bill changes the wording of the rule that stops a justice or municipal court case once the defendant posts an appeal bond, swapping "must" for "shall." It also gives county courts hearing appeals from justice and municipal courts new power to dismiss an appealed case or send it back to the lower court. Defendants appealing minor cases, prosecutors, and local courts are affected, and county judges get a new option besides holding a full new trial.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Criminal Jurisprudence committee on Apr 22, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4237 · 2025-03-10

SOLD BY

Rep. Richard HayesRHouse 57

ITEM

relating to appeals from a justice or municipal court.

WHAT IT DOES

County courts can also dismiss cases or send them back.

The bill changes the wording of the rule that stops a justice or municipal court case once the defendant posts an appeal bond, swapping "must" for "shall." It also gives county courts hearing appeals from justice and municipal courts new power to dismiss an appealed case or send it back to the lower court. Defendants appealing minor cases, prosecutors, and local courts are affected, and county judges get a new option besides holding a full new trial.

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 21, 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 Criminal Jurisprudence
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. 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

Richard Hayes

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$205KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$40KMichael Tenny$20,000

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 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$204,650.12

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$204,650.12

Cash
$85,000.00
Paid by others
$119,650.12
Total
$204,650.12
mail $104,250.12polling $15,400.00

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 27, 2025 to Oct 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: 101010307, 101032268, 101069605, 101071583.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$40,400.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$40,400.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$15,400.00
Total
$40,400.00
polling $15,400.00

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 · Sep 22, 2026 to Oct 13, 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: 101069605, 101071583.

Michael Tenny$20,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$204,650.12

Cash
$85,000.00
Paid by others
$119,650.12
Total
$204,650.12
mail $104,250.12polling $15,400.00

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 27, 2025 to Oct 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: 101010307, 101032268, 101069605, 101071583.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$40,400.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$15,400.00
Total
$40,400.00
polling $15,400.00

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 · Sep 22, 2026 to Oct 13, 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: 101069605, 101071583.

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 21, 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 10, 2025

04/22/2025 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 · Criminal Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Courts--Appellate

Courts--County & Statutory

Criminal Procedure--General

Text

The text as introduced · 211 words

89R15484 BCH-F

By: Hayes
H.B. No. 4237

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to appeals from a justice or municipal court.

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

SECTION 1. Article 45A.204, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended to read as follows:

Art. 45A.204. EFFECT OF APPEAL. All further proceedings in

the case in the justice or municipal court shall [ must ] cease during

the pendency of the appeal when a defendant files the appeal bond

required by law with the justice or municipal court.

SECTION 2. Article 44.17, Code of Criminal Procedure, is

amended to read as follows:

Art. 44.17. APPEAL TO COUNTY COURT, HOW CONDUCTED. In all

appeals to a county court from justice courts and municipal courts

other than municipal courts of record, the trial shall be de novo in

the trial in the county court, the same as if the prosecution had

been originally commenced in that court. An appeal to the county

court from a municipal court of record may be based only on errors

reflected in the record. The county court may dismiss a case

appealed to the court or remand the case to the justice or municipal

court.

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