HB 4444
Bhojani Library Bill Says Libraries ‘May’ Spend On Other Languages
Died in committee
Verdict: Smells
Why it's charged
List of feelings
The only operative verb is "may." The bill creates no duty, penalty, deadline, or appropriation, and it grants spending permission the caption openly describes as an "authority."
List of feelingsInitial 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 authority of a public library to provide multilingual resources for emerging communities.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Required: nothing. Aimed at the county’s three fastest-growing groups speaking neither English nor Spanish.
The bill lets a public library spend any money it has, including state money, on materials and services in other languages. It targets the three fastest-growing ethnic groups in the library's county that speak neither English nor Spanish, based on the last two federal censuses. Nothing is required, so on the ground a library can choose to add foreign-language resources, online access, and outreach, or do nothing at all.
Labels
Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 11, 2025 and referred to the House Culture, Recreation & Tourism committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-HB4444 · 2025-03-11
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to the authority of a public library to provide multilingual resources for emerging communities.
WHAT IT DOES
Required: nothing. Aimed at the county’s three fastest-growing groups speaking neither English nor Spanish.
The bill lets a public library spend any money it has, including state money, on materials and services in other languages. It targets the three fastest-growing ethnic groups in the library's county that speak neither English nor Spanish, based on the last two federal censuses. Nothing is required, so on the ground a library can choose to add foreign-language resources, online access, and outreach, or do nothing at all.
CHARGES
[x] LIST OF FEELINGSanalysis confidence 50%
The only operative verb is "may." The bill creates no duty, penalty, deadline, or appropriation, and it grants spending permission the caption openly describes as an "authority."
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Culture, Recreation & Tourism
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
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.
6301 ECC LLC$36,400.00
6301 ECC LLC
$36,400.00
- Cash
- $0.00
- Paid by others
- $36,400.00
- Total
- $36,400.00
Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 100978329, 101005348, 101026340, 101056439, 101069774, 101071921.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$21,000.00
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC
$21,000.00
- Cash
- $21,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $21,000.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Oct 4, 2024 to Oct 9, 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: 100978329, 101026340, 101056439, 101071921.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
6301 ECC LLC
$36,400.00
- Cash
- $0.00
- Paid by others
- $36,400.00
- Total
- $36,400.00
Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 1, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 100978329, 101005348, 101026340, 101056439, 101069774, 101071921.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC
$21,000.00
- Cash
- $21,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $21,000.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Oct 4, 2024 to Oct 9, 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: 100978329, 101026340, 101056439, 101071921.
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
04/02/2025 H Referred to Culture, Recreation & Tourism: Apr 2 2025 11:48AM
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 · Culture, Recreation & Tourism · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Libraries & Librarians
State Finances--Management & Control
Text
The text as introduced · 248 words
89R16110 CS-D By: Bhojani H.B. No. 4444 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the authority of a public library to provide multilingual resources for emerging communities. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 10, Local Government Code, is amended by adding Chapter 338 to read as follows: CHAPTER 338. LIBRARIES Sec. 338.001. MULTILINGUAL RESOURCES. (a) In this section: (1) "Emerging community" means a group of people who share a common ethnicity and have a positive population growth rate in a county. (2) "Population growth rate" means the rate of population growth between the last two federal decennial censuses. (b) A public library may use any money available to the library, including state money, to provide multilingual library services and resources for the three fastest growing, non-English- or Spanish-speaking, emerging communities in the county in which the library is located. (c) A public library that provides multilingual library services and resources under this section may: (1) provide easily accessible online or digital multilingual library services and resources; and (2) implement a plan to communicate the availability of multilingual library services and resources to the relevant emerging communities. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025.