Monitoring the Session

HB 429

bill letting kids mark a parent’s ballot

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Ryan GuillenRHouse 31

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 reading and marking of a ballot by a person occupying a voting station or by the person 's child.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Under 16, at the parent’s direction. Not assisting a voter.

The bill lets a child under 16 who goes with a parent into a voting station read or mark the parent's ballot at the parent's direction, and says this does not count as assisting a voter. It touches parents who bring children to vote, the secretary of state, and county election officers. The secretary of state must write and post parent education materials on this rule, certain counties must post them too, and the change takes effect September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 1208 (Died in committee) and this bill (Did not pass). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 1208 (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.ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 1 Republican, 3 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Elections committee 7-1 on Mar 20, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB429 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Ryan GuillenRHouse 31 Rep. Mihaela PlesaDHouse 70 Rep. Suleman LalaniDHouse 76

+ 1 more author

ITEM

relating to the reading and marking of a ballot by a person occupying a voting station or by the person 's child.

WHAT IT DOES

Under 16, at the parent’s direction. Not assisting a voter.

The bill lets a child under 16 who goes with a parent into a voting station read or mark the parent's ballot at the parent's direction, and says this does not count as assisting a voter. It touches parents who bring children to vote, the secretary of state, and county election officers. The secretary of state must write and post parent education materials on this rule, certain counties must post them too, and the change takes effect September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · March 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 Elections
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. Committee report sent to Calendars
  15. Considered in Calendars
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Ryan Guillen

Donors

Frontera Texas PAC$160KTexas Sands PAC$121KAssociated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$23K

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 24, 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.

Frontera Texas PAC$160,007.97

Frontera Texas PAC

$160,007.97

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$160,007.97
Total
$160,007.97
Other filed descriptions $73,500.00mail $40,000.00mailing $19,429.94texting $18,144.37digital $8,211.55printing $722.11

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 5, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 30, 2025 to Oct 24, 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: 101033369, 101062168, 101070155, 101073001.

Texas Sands PAC$120,875.00

Texas Sands PAC

$120,875.00

Cash
$113,500.00
Paid by others
$7,375.00
Total
$120,875.00
polling $7,375.00

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 · Dec 14, 2024 to Sep 25, 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: 100989191, 101033369, 101062168, 101073001.

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$22,795.90

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$22,795.90

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$22,795.90
Total
$22,795.90
polling $15,000.00Other filed descriptions $7,352.14texting $443.76

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 15, 2025 to Sep 10, 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: 101033369, 101070155.

Money

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

×

Frontera Texas PAC

$160,007.97

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$160,007.97
Total
$160,007.97
Other filed descriptions $73,500.00mail $40,000.00mailing $19,429.94texting $18,144.37digital $8,211.55printing $722.11

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 5, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 30, 2025 to Oct 24, 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: 101033369, 101062168, 101070155, 101073001.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$120,875.00

Cash
$113,500.00
Paid by others
$7,375.00
Total
$120,875.00
polling $7,375.00

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 · Dec 14, 2024 to Sep 25, 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: 100989191, 101033369, 101062168, 101073001.

×

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$22,795.90

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$22,795.90
Total
$22,795.90
polling $15,000.00Other filed descriptions $7,352.14texting $443.76

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 15, 2025 to Sep 10, 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: 101033369, 101070155.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses13
For
8
Against
4
On
1
Names

For

  • ACLU of Texas1 registration
  • Common Cause Texas1 registration
  • Secure Democracy USA1 registration
  • Self2 registrations
  • Self; League of Women Voters1 registration
  • Self; Texas Democratic Party1 registration
  • Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration

Against

  • Self3 registrations
  • Self; Texas Eagle Forum1 registration

On

  • Texas Secretary of State1 registration
Sources

13 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · March 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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R HB 1208

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

Introduced text

Last action, May 9, 2023: Referred to State Affairs

Relating to the reading and marking of a ballot by a person occupying a voting station or by the person's child.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/17/2025 H Considered in Calendars

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 · Elections · Committee vote 7 aye, 1 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 62 by Zaffirini (very similar)

Subjects

Elections--Administration

Elections--General

SECRETARY OF STATE

Text

The text as introduced · 246 words

By: Guillen
H.B. No. 429

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the reading and marking of a ballot by a person

occupying a voting station or by the person 's child.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 31, Election Code, is

amended by adding Section 31.131 to read as follows:

Sec. 31.131. EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS ON CHILD PARTICIPATION

IN VOTING. (a) The secretary of state shall develop voter

education materials for parents on the procedures under Section

64.002(b) that allow a child under 16 years of age to read and mark

the ballot while accompanying the child's parent to a voting

station. The secretary shall make the voter education materials

available on the secretary's Internet website.

(b) The county officer responsible for administering

elections in a county to which Section 31.125 applies shall make the

voter education materials developed by the secretary of state under

Subsection (a) available on the county's Internet website.

SECTION 2. Section 64.002(b), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(b) A child under 18 years of age may accompany the child's

parent to a voting station , and if the child is under 16 years of

age, may read or mark the ballot at the direction of the parent.

Reading or marking a ballot under this subsection does not

constitute assisting a voter for purposes of Subchapter B .

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