HB 4661

Lopez’s bill on clearing beaches for space launches

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 closure of beaches for space flight activities; creating a criminal offense.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Commissioners courts must remove unauthorized people from the launch hazard area.

The bill requires a county commissioners court, by order, to remove any unauthorized person from the hazard area the federal aviation agency calculates for a space launch on a launch date, while keeping its existing power to temporarily close nearby beaches. It touches beachgoers, residents and visitors near a launch site, and the county that has to issue the evacuation order. Anyone who violates that evacuation order commits a Class B misdemeanor offense, rising to a Class A misdemeanor for a repeat violation.

Labels

Labels: CREATES AN OFFENSE. The caption of the graded version (introduced) reads: “relating to the closure of beaches for space flight activities; creating a criminal offense.”ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 4 Republicans, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Intergovernmental Affairs committee 7-2 on Apr 28, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4661 · 2025-03-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Janie LopezRHouse 37

Rep. Pat CurryRHouse 56

Rep. Marc LaHoodRHouse 121

+ 2 more authors, 4 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the closure of beaches for space flight activities; creating a criminal offense.

WHAT IT DOES

Commissioners courts must remove unauthorized people from the launch hazard area.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 11, 2025

The bill would require a county commissioners court to issue an evacuation order for a launch site hazard area on the day of a space flight launch and make the violation of such an order punishable as a Class B misdemeanor for a first offense, or as a Class A misdemeanor when the actor has been previously convicted of the offense. While it is assumed that any state revenue impact would not be significant, it would be dependent on the number of offenses committed and the associated court costs.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Mar 12, 2025Filed
Apr 3, 2025Read first time
Apr 3, 2025Referred to s/c on County & Regional Government by Speaker
Apr 14, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 14, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 14, 2025Committee substitute considered in s/c
Apr 14, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 14, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
Apr 28, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
Apr 28, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 28, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 6, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 7, 2025Committee report distributed
May 7, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Janie Lopez

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$504K Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$489K Texas Conservative Majority PAC$487K

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 27, 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$504,349.82

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$504,349.82

Cash: $45,000.00
Paid by others: $459,349.82
Total: $504,349.82

advertising $380,541.56mail $48,297.91polling $30,510.35

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 · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 6, 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: 100977055, 101010818, 101036578, 101036586, 101058662, 101067886, 101070167.

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$488,665.88

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$488,665.88

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $488,665.88
Total: $488,665.88

television $202,708.00mailers $127,420.46mailer $47,655.97digital $47,523.75canvassing $20,149.00polling $16,200.00Other filed descriptions $10,991.57text $10,252.13radio $5,765.00

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 4, 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: 100977055, 101010818, 101035068, 101036578, 101036586, 101067886, 101070167.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$486,622.50

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$486,622.50

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $436,622.50
Total: $486,622.50

advertising $181,100.00canvassing $140,822.50media $100,000.00polling $5,800.00Other filed descriptions $5,000.00texting $3,900.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Feb 13, 2026 to Oct 23, 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: 101036586, 101067886, 101070167.

Money

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$504,349.82

Cash: $45,000.00
Paid by others: $459,349.82
Total: $504,349.82

advertising $380,541.56mail $48,297.91polling $30,510.35

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 · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 6, 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: 100977055, 101010818, 101036578, 101036586, 101058662, 101067886, 101070167.

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$488,665.88

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $488,665.88
Total: $488,665.88

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 4, 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: 100977055, 101010818, 101035068, 101036578, 101036586, 101067886, 101070167.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$486,622.50

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $436,622.50
Total: $486,622.50

advertising $181,100.00canvassing $140,822.50media $100,000.00polling $5,800.00Other filed descriptions $5,000.00texting $3,900.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Feb 13, 2026 to Oct 23, 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: 101036586, 101067886, 101070167.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses21

For: 7
Against: 13
On: 1

Names

For

Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
Self; Game Warden Peace Officers Association1 registration
Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
Spacex1 registration
Texas Association of Business2 registrations
TMPA1 registration

Against

Self8 registrations
Self; South Texas Environmental Justice Network3 registrations
Society of Native Nations1 registration
Surfrider Foundation1 registration

On

Texas General Land Office1 registration

Sources

21 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 first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 11, 2025

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

05/07/2025 H Committee report sent to Calendars

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.

Coauthors

Greg BonnenRHouse 24

Stan GerdesRHouse 17

John LujanRHouse 118

Carl H. TepperRHouse 84

House committee · Intergovernmental Affairs · Committee vote 7 aye, 2 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 2230 by Hinojosa, Adam (identical)

Subjects

Aeronautics

City Government--General

Coastal Affairs & Beaches

County Government--General

Crimes--Miscellaneous

Safety

Text

The text as introduced · 238 words

89R10615 ANG-F

By: Lopez of Cameron
H.B. No. 4661

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the closure of beaches for space flight activities;

creating a criminal offense.

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

SECTION 1. Section 61.132, Natural Resources Code, is

amended by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection (g) to

read as follows:

(c) To protect the public health, safety, and welfare, the

commissioners court by order :

(1) shall compel the evacuation of any unauthorized

person from a hazard area, as calculated by the Federal Aviation

Administration under 14 C.F.R. Section 450.133(c), on a launch

date; and

(2) may temporarily close a beach in reasonable

proximity to the launch site or access points to the beach in the

county on a primary or backup launch date, subject to Subsection

(d).

(g) A person commits an offense if the person violates an

order adopted under Subsection (c)(1). An offense under this

subsection is a Class B misdemeanor, except that the offense is a

Class A misdemeanor if the actor has previously been convicted of an

offense under this subsection.

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.