Monitoring the Session

HB 4542

U.S. Highway 79 stretch honors Cecil and Dorothy Bell

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Angelia OrrRHouse 13

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 designation of a portion of U.S. Highway 79 in Freestone and Leon Counties as the Cecil and Dorothy Bell Memorial Highway.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The stretch runs from the Trinity River to Oakwood.

The bill names a stretch of U.S. Highway 79 in Freestone and Leon Counties, from the Trinity River to the western edge of Oakwood, as the Cecil and Dorothy Bell Memorial Highway. It touches the state transportation department, which must design and put up markers, subject to an existing section of the Transportation Code. Nothing else changes on the ground besides new highway signs, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Transportation committee 12-0 on May 1, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 13, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4542 · 2025-03-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Angelia OrrRHouse 13

ITEM

relating to the designation of a portion of U.S. Highway 79 in Freestone and Leon Counties as the Cecil and Dorothy Bell Memorial Highway.

WHAT IT DOES

The stretch runs from the Trinity River to Oakwood.

The bill names a stretch of U.S. Highway 79 in Freestone and Leon Counties, from the Trinity River to the western edge of Oakwood, as the Cecil and Dorothy Bell Memorial Highway. It touches the state transportation department, which must design and put up markers, subject to an existing section of the Transportation Code. Nothing else changes on the ground besides new highway signs, starting 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 · May 9, 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. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Reported favorably as substituted
  9. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  10. Committee report distributed
  11. Committee report sent to Calendars
  12. Considered in Calendars
  13. Placed on General State Calendar
ALSO NOTED · NOT CHARGED (1)

RENAMING AND CEREMONIAL · analysis confidence 95%

THE TEXT

…“is designated as the Cecil and Dorothy Bell Memorial Highway. The designation is in addition to any other designation.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill's only act is naming a highway segment and putting up signs for it.

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Angelia Orr

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$434KTexas Sands PAC$154KDustin Burrows Campaign$136K

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 · Oct 31, 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$434,355.69

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$434,355.69

Cash
$185,000.00
Paid by others
$249,355.69
Total
$434,355.69
advertising $241,605.69polling $7,750.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 16, 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: 101007596, 101032794, 101035908, 101040770, 101058009, 101071193.

Texas Sands PAC$154,250.00

Texas Sands PAC

$154,250.00

Cash
$137,000.00
Paid by others
$17,250.00
Total
$154,250.00
polling $17,250.00

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 9, 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.

Report IDs: 101012337, 101032794, 101035908, 101071193.

Dustin Burrows Campaign$136,250.00

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$136,250.00

Cash
$119,000.00
Paid by others
$17,250.00
Total
$136,250.00
polling $17,250.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 13, 2025 to Jan 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: 101032794, 101040770.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$434,355.69

Cash
$185,000.00
Paid by others
$249,355.69
Total
$434,355.69
advertising $241,605.69polling $7,750.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 16, 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: 101007596, 101032794, 101035908, 101040770, 101058009, 101071193.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$154,250.00

Cash
$137,000.00
Paid by others
$17,250.00
Total
$154,250.00
polling $17,250.00

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 9, 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.

Report IDs: 101012337, 101032794, 101035908, 101071193.

×

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$136,250.00

Cash
$119,000.00
Paid by others
$17,250.00
Total
$136,250.00
polling $17,250.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 13, 2025 to Jan 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: 101032794, 101040770.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses1
For
1
Against
0
On
0
Names

For

  • Self1 registration
Sources

1 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 · May 9, 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 12, 2025

05/13/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 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

FREESTONE COUNTY

LEON COUNTY (GI3HN)

Highways

CECIL & DOROTHY BELL MEMORIAL HIGHWAY (SH8F2)

SIGNS

TRANSPORTATION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 210 words

89R11567 JRR-D

By: Orr
H.B. No. 4542

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the designation of a portion of U.S. Highway 79 in

Freestone and Leon Counties as the Cecil and Dorothy Bell Memorial

Highway.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 225, Transportation Code,

is amended by adding Section 225.243 to read as follows:

Sec. 225.243. CECIL AND DOROTHY BELL MEMORIAL HIGHWAY. (a)

The portion of U.S. Highway 79 in Freestone and Leon Counties

between its intersection with the Trinity River and its

intersection with the western municipal limits of Oakwood is

designated as the Cecil and Dorothy Bell Memorial Highway. The

designation is in addition to any other designation.

(b) Subject to Section 225.021(c), the department shall:

(1) design and construct markers indicating the

designation as the Cecil and Dorothy Bell Memorial Highway and any

other appropriate information; and

(2) erect a marker at each end of the highway and at

appropriate intermediate sites along the highway.

SECTION 2. It is the intention of the 89th Legislature,

Regular Session, 2025, that the provisions added by this Act be

renumbered to prevent multiple provisions with the same

designation.

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