Monitoring the Session

HB 4417

bill letting TxDOT spend highway fund money on school sidewalks

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Erin GámezDHouse 38

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 use of certain money from the state highway fund for certain projects in the Safe Routes to School Program.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Safe Routes to School, using money not already owed to public roads.

This bill lets the Texas Department of Transportation spend certain state highway fund money on building and replacing sidewalks under the Safe Routes to School Program. It covers only highway fund money that the Texas Constitution or federal law does not already require to be spent on public roads. It gives the agency permission, not an order, so more sidewalk projects near schools could be funded starting September 1, 2025, if the department chooses.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 116 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 116 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Transportation subcommittee on Transportation Funding on Apr 14, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4417 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

Rep. Erin GámezDHouse 38

ITEM

relating to the use of certain money from the state highway fund for certain projects in the Safe Routes to School Program.

WHAT IT DOES

Safe Routes to School, using money not already owed to public roads.

This bill lets the Texas Department of Transportation spend certain state highway fund money on building and replacing sidewalks under the Safe Routes to School Program. It covers only highway fund money that the Texas Constitution or federal law does not already require to be spent on public roads. It gives the agency permission, not an order, so more sidewalk projects near schools could be funded starting September 1, 2025, if the department chooses.

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 11, 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 s/c on Transportation Funding by Speaker
  4. Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
  5. Considered by s/c in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
  7. Left pending in subcommittee
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Erin Gámez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$23KAGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND$18KTexas REALTORS Political Action Committee$15K

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 24, 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 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 · Jul 24, 2024 to Sep 28, 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101060219, 101072494.

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND$18,375.00

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND

$18,375.00

Cash
$18,000.00
Paid by others
$375.00
Total
$18,375.00
consulting $375.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 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: 100987285, 101029258.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$15,250.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$15,250.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$250.00
Total
$15,250.00
advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 19, 2024 to Sep 17, 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101069662.

Money

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

×

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 · Jul 24, 2024 to Sep 28, 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101060219, 101072494.

×

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND

$18,375.00

Cash
$18,000.00
Paid by others
$375.00
Total
$18,375.00
consulting $375.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 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: 100987285, 101029258.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$15,250.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$250.00
Total
$15,250.00
advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 19, 2024 to Sep 17, 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101069662.

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 11, 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

04/14/2025 H Left pending in subcommittee

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 · Transportation · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

State Finances--Management & Control

Vehicles & Traffic--General

STATE HIGHWAY FUND

TRANSPORTATION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 116 words

89R14049 GP-D

By: Gámez
H.B. No. 4417

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the use of certain money from the state highway fund for

certain projects in the Safe Routes to School Program.

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

SECTION 1. Section 201.614, Transportation Code, is amended

by adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:

(c-1) The department may use money appropriated from the

state highway fund that is not otherwise required to be spent on

public roadways by the Texas Constitution or federal law to fund

eligible projects for the construction and replacement of sidewalks

under this section.

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