Monitoring the Session

HB 4337

bill changes rules for Houston Ship Channel pilots

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Mary Ann PerezDHouse 144

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 regulation of pilots for the ports of Harris County and the board of pilot commissioners for those ports.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Pilots and their board get new rules.

The bill changes the rules for ship pilots who guide vessels through the Houston Ship Channel and for the board that oversees them. It widens the area these rules cover to include places in Chambers County reached by the channel, and it narrows the conflict-of-interest rule for board members by dropping the explicit ban on holding a stake in a pilot boat. Deputy branch pilot certificates would last four years instead of three and could be renewed whenever a branch pilot reappoints the deputy, instead of being barred from renewal.

Labels

Labels: 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 Transportation committee 12-0 on May 1, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 14, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4337 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

Rep. Mary Ann PerezDHouse 144 Rep. Terry CanalesDHouse 40 Rep. Jared PattersonRHouse 106

+ 1 more author

ITEM

relating to the regulation of pilots for the ports of Harris County and the board of pilot commissioners for those ports.

WHAT IT DOES

Pilots and their board get new rules.

The bill changes the rules for ship pilots who guide vessels through the Houston Ship Channel and for the board that oversees them. It widens the area these rules cover to include places in Chambers County reached by the channel, and it narrows the conflict-of-interest rule for board members by dropping the explicit ban on holding a stake in a pilot boat. Deputy branch pilot certificates would last four years instead of three and could be renewed whenever a branch pilot reappoints the deputy, instead of being barred from renewal.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 8, 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 Transportation
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Withdrawn from schedule
  6. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  7. Considered in public hearing
  8. Committee substitute considered in committee
  9. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  10. Left pending in committee
  11. Considered in public hearing
  12. Committee substitute considered in committee
  13. Reported favorably as substituted
  14. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  15. Committee report distributed
  16. Committee report sent to Calendars
  17. Considered in Calendars
  18. Placed on General State Calendar
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Mary Ann Perez

Donors

Texas Sands PAC$63KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$55KRise' Montrell$25,000

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 · 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.

Texas Sands PAC$63,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$63,000.00

Cash
$63,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$63,000.00

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 · Nov 25, 2024 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: 100985772, 101040038, 101071674.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$55,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$55,000.00

Cash
$55,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$55,000.00

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 23, 2024 to Sep 21, 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: 100985772, 101011400, 101028092, 101034447, 101069023.

Rise' Montrell$25,000.00
Money

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

×

Texas Sands PAC

$63,000.00

Cash
$63,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$63,000.00

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 · Nov 25, 2024 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: 100985772, 101040038, 101071674.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$55,000.00

Cash
$55,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$55,000.00

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 23, 2024 to Sep 21, 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: 100985772, 101011400, 101028092, 101034447, 101069023.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses7
For
6
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • Houston Pilots1 registration
  • Port Houston1 registration
  • Sabine Pilots1 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Greater Houston Port Bureau1 registration
  • Texas State Pilots Association1 registration

On

  • Self; Galtex Pilots Service Corporation1 registration
Sources

7 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 fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 8, 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 11, 2025

05/14/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

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

Subjects

HARRIS COUNTY

Occupational Regulation--Other Trades & Professions

Transportation--Miscellaneous

Water--Navigation & Ports

Text

The text as introduced · 313 words

89R14818 AND-F

By: Perez of Harris
H.B. No. 4337

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the regulation of pilots for the ports of Harris County

and the board of pilot commissioners for those ports.

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

SECTION 1. Section 66.002(3), Transportation Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(3) "Harris County port" means a place in Harris or

Chambers County into which a vessel using the Houston Ship Channel

enters or from which a vessel using the Houston Ship Channel

departs , and the waterway leading to that place from the Gulf of

Mexico.

SECTION 2. Section 66.012, Transportation Code, is amended

to read as follows:

Sec. 66.012. PROHIBITED INTEREST. A person may not be a

member of the board if the person, directly or indirectly, is

engaged in or has an interest in any [ pilot boat or in any other ]

business that may adversely affect [ affected by or connected with ]

the performance of the person's duties as a pilot commissioner.

SECTION 3. Section 66.040(b), Transportation Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(b) A deputy branch pilot's certificate expires on the

fourth [ third ] anniversary of the date it is issued and may [ not ] be

renewed as provided by Section 66.042 .

SECTION 4. Section 66.042, Transportation Code, is amended

to read as follows:

Sec. 66.042. DEPUTY BRANCH PILOT'S CERTIFICATE RENEWAL

[ PILOT ]. A person who has been issued a deputy branch pilot's

certificate may apply to renew the certificate if the deputy branch

pilot is reappointed by a branch pilot as provided by Section 66.038

[ not be issued a deputy branch pilot's certificate before the fifth

anniversary of the date the person was previously issued a deputy

branch pilot's certificate ].

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.