HB 4689

cities annexing land next to railroad rights-of-way

Companion SB 250 became law

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 municipal annexation of an area adjacent to contiguous or connecting railroad rights-of-way.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Every owner must agree. Section 43.054 strip-width rule doesn’t apply.

The bill lets a Texas city that is already annexing land add an extra piece of land next to a railroad right-of-way that runs along the city's edge and touches the land being annexed. Every owner of that extra land must agree, and the usual state rule on annexation strip widths in Section 43.054 does not apply to it. On the ground, cities can use rail corridors to reach and annex consenting property that would otherwise fail contiguity rules, effective immediately with a two-thirds vote or September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 2956 by Rep. Shine (Vetoed). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4689 · 2025-03-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Hillary HicklandRHouse 55

ITEM

relating to municipal annexation of an area adjacent to contiguous or connecting railroad rights-of-way.

WHAT IT DOES

Every owner must agree. Section 43.054 strip-width rule doesn’t apply.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 23, 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

Mar 12, 2025Filed
Apr 3, 2025Read first time
Apr 3, 2025Referred to Land & Resource Management
Apr 24, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 24, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 24, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 24, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 29, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 29, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 29, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 2, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 6, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 6, 2025Read 2nd time
May 6, 2025Postponed 5/13/25 10:00 AM
May 13, 2025Companion considered in lieu of SB 250
May 13, 2025Laid on the table subject to call

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Hillary Hickland

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$310K Texas Conservative Majority PAC$135K Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$25K

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 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$310,226.49

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$310,226.49

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $260,226.49
Total: $310,226.49

mail $134,060.64advertising $105,955.50polling $20,210.35

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 · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101005755, 101019808, 101048921, 101069141, 101072319.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$135,152.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$135,152.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $125,152.00
Total: $135,152.00

canvassing $125,152.00

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 · Sep 8, 2026 to Sep 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.

Report IDs: 101069141.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$25,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$25,000.00

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

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 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: 101069141.

Money

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$310,226.49

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $260,226.49
Total: $310,226.49

mail $134,060.64advertising $105,955.50polling $20,210.35

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 · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101005755, 101019808, 101048921, 101069141, 101072319.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$135,152.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $125,152.00
Total: $135,152.00

canvassing $125,152.00

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 · Sep 8, 2026 to Sep 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.

Report IDs: 101069141.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$25,000.00

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

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 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: 101069141.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses5

For: 5
Against: 0
On: 0

Names

For

City of Fort Worth1 registration
City of Garland1 registration
City of San Antonio1 registration
City of Temple1 registration
Self; American Planning Association, Texas Chapter1 registration

Sources

5 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 fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 23, 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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 2956

by Rep. Shine, different lead author · Vetoed · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, Jun 18, 2023: Vetoed by the Governor

Relating to municipal annexation of an area adjacent to contiguous or connecting railroad rights-of-way.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 12, 2025

05/13/2025 H Laid on the table subject to call

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.

House committee · Land & Resource Management · Committee vote 7 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 250 by Flores (identical)

Subjects

City Government--Annexation

Transportation--Railroads

Text

The text as introduced · 271 words

89R3656 SCL-F

By: Hickland
H.B. No. 4689

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to municipal annexation of an area adjacent to contiguous

or connecting railroad rights-of-way.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 43, Local Government Code,

is amended by adding Section 43.1057 to read as follows:

Sec. 43.1057. ANNEXATION OF AREA ADJACENT TO CONTIGUOUS OR

CONNECTING RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY. (a) Notwithstanding any other

law, a municipality that is annexing an area under Subchapter C-3,

C-4, C-5, or D may also annex with the initial area an additional

area if:

(1) the area is adjacent to a right-of-way of a railway

line, spur, or other railroad property that is:

(A) contiguous and runs parallel to the

municipality's boundaries; and

(B) contiguous to the area being annexed under

Subchapter C-3, C-4, C-5, or D; and

(2) each owner of the area agrees to the annexation by

the municipality.

(b) For purposes of Subsection (a) or other law with a

municipal boundary contiguous requirement, including a municipal

charter or ordinance, an area adjacent or contiguous to the initial

area being annexed under Subsection (a) is considered adjacent and

contiguous to the annexing municipality.

(c) Section 43.054 does not apply to the annexation under

this section of the additional area described by Subsection (a).

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.