HB 4385

Virdell Voting Residence Bill Exempts Lawmakers From Its 180-Day Rule

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review

Rep. Wes VirdellRHouse 53

Both charges, and why

Carve-out

THE TEXT

“who is a member of the legislature or the United States Congress.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

Lawmakers are exempt from the 180-day residence test that applies to ordinary voters. The bill hands that protection to the same class of officials who write the rule.

Carve-out

The hole

THE TEXT

“The voter registrar may determine that a recreational vehicle is a person's residence with consideration of the address”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The RV ban in Subsection (g) is followed right away by a registrar discretion clause that lets an RV count as a residence. That clause can let the main case the ban targets back through.

The hole

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 residence for purposes of voting.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Home under 180 days a year? You’ve left it. Military, campus students and lawmakers exempt!

The bill changes Texas voting residence rules so that a person who does not live at their home for at least 180 days in a calendar year is treated as having left it for more than temporary purposes. It exempts military members and their families, full-time students living on campus, and members of the Legislature or Congress from that 180-day rule. It also bars people with more than one residence from claiming a commercial building or RV as their voting residence, but lets the voter registrar accept an RV based on ID, a handgun license, a utility bill, or tax or vehicle records, starting with elections on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 11, 2025 and referred to the House Elections committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4385 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

Rep. Wes VirdellRHouse 53

ITEM

relating to residence for purposes of voting.

WHAT IT DOES

Home under 180 days a year? You’ve left it. Military, campus students and lawmakers exempt!

CHARGES

[x] CARVE-OUTanalysis confidence 60%

THE TEXT

“who is a member of the legislature or the United States Congress.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

Lawmakers are exempt from the 180-day residence test that applies to ordinary voters. The bill hands that protection to the same class of officials who write the rule.

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 50%

THE TEXT

“The voter registrar may determine that a recreational vehicle is a person's residence with consideration of the address”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The RV ban in Subsection (g) is followed right away by a registrar discretion clause that lets an RV count as a residence. That clause can let the main case the ban targets back through.

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Mar 11, 2025Filed
Apr 1, 2025Read first time
Apr 1, 2025Referred to Elections

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Wes Virdell

Donors

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$25K Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$25K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$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 · Nov 3, 2024 to Oct 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.

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$25,000.00

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jun 24, 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: 101012375.

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$25,000.00

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 22, 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: 101031736.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$22,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash: $22,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $22,500.00

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 · Nov 25, 2024 to Jul 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: 100987242, 101012375, 101060151, 101072158.

Money

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

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jun 24, 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: 101012375.

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 22, 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: 101031736.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash: $22,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $22,500.00

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 · Nov 25, 2024 to Jul 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: 100987242, 101012375, 101060151, 101072158.

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 11, 2025

04/01/2025 H Referred to Elections: Apr 1 2025 12:28PM

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 · Elections · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Elections--Registration & Suffrage

RESIDENCY REQUIREMENTS

Text

The text as introduced · 319 words

89R13731 MPF-D

By: Virdell
H.B. No. 4385

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to residence for purposes of voting.

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

SECTION 1. Section 1.015, Election Code, is amended by

adding Subsections (c-1), (c-2), (g), and (h) to read as follows:

(c-1) A person is considered to have left the person's home

for more than temporary purposes if the person does not reside at

the person's home for at least 180 days in a calendar year.

(c-2) Subsection (c-1) does not apply to a person:

(1) who is a member of the armed forces of the United

States or the spouse or a dependent of a member;

(2) enrolled as a full-time student who lives on

campus at an institution of higher education; or

(3) who is a member of the legislature or the United

States Congress.

(g) Except as provided by Subsection (h), a person who

maintains more than one place of residence may not establish

residence at a place that is a commercial building or a recreational

vehicle.

(h) The voter registrar may determine that a recreational

vehicle is a person's residence with consideration of the address

listed on:

(1) a driver's license or other identification card

issued to the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not

expired;

(2) a license to carry a concealed handgun issued to

the person by the Department of Public Safety that has not expired;

(3) a utility bill addressed to the person at the

address of the person's established residence; or

(4) an official tax document or Texas Department of

Motor Vehicles document showing the registration address of a

vehicle the person owns.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

an election held on or after the effective date of this Act.

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