HB 4834

bill lets charter schools join power-buying groups

Died in committee

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 applicability of certain laws pertaining to energy aggregation by political subdivisions.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

One added line. Charter schools pool electricity purchases, like cities and counties.

The bill adds one line to the Education Code so that open-enrollment charter schools count as political subdivisions under Section 304.001 of the Local Government Code, the energy aggregation law. That touches charter schools and the local-government power-buying groups they could now join. On the ground, charter schools gain the same legal footing as cities, counties and school districts to pool their electricity purchasing, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 13, 2025 and referred to the House Public Education committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4834 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Rep. Philip CortezDHouse 117

ITEM

relating to the applicability of certain laws pertaining to energy aggregation by political subdivisions.

WHAT IT DOES

One added line. Charter schools pool electricity purchases, like cities and counties.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Mar 13, 2025Filed
Apr 3, 2025Read first time
Apr 3, 2025Referred to Public Education

FILED UNDER

DATA CENTERS, WATER AND THE GRID

THE TEXT

“a political subdivision for purposes of Section 304.001, Local Government Code”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill lets open-enrollment charter schools join the political subdivisions that pool and buy electricity together.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Philip Cortez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$44K Texas Sands PAC$37K Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$35K

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 28, 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.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$44,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$44,000.00

Cash: $44,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $44,000.00

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.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 6, 2024 to Sep 25, 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: 100985407, 101008363, 101026711, 101035640, 101039466, 101052595, 101071633.

Texas Sands PAC$37,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$37,000.00

Cash: $37,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $37,000.00

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 6, 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.

Report IDs: 100985407, 101039466, 101071633.

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$35,000.00

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$35,000.00

Cash: $35,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $35,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 22, 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: 101026711, 101035640, 101071633.

Money

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

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$44,000.00

Cash: $44,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $44,000.00

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.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 6, 2024 to Sep 25, 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: 100985407, 101008363, 101026711, 101035640, 101039466, 101052595, 101071633.

Texas Sands PAC

$37,000.00

Cash: $37,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $37,000.00

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 6, 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.

Report IDs: 100985407, 101039466, 101071633.

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$35,000.00

Cash: $35,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $35,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 22, 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: 101026711, 101035640, 101071633.

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 13, 2025

04/03/2025 H Referred to Public Education: Apr 3 2025 12:38PM

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 · Public Education · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Energy--General

Political Subdivisions

Text

The text as introduced · 209 words

By: Cortez
H.B. No. 4834

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the applicability of certain laws pertaining to energy

aggregation by political subdivisions.

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

SECTION 1. Section 12.1058(a), Education Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) An open-enrollment charter school is considered to be:

(1) a local government for purposes of Chapter 791,

Government Code;

(2) a local government for purposes of Chapter 2259,

Government Code, except that an open-enrollment charter school may

not issue public securities as provided by Section 2259.031(b),

Government Code;

(3) a political subdivision for purposes of Chapter

172, Local Government Code;

(4) a local governmental entity for purposes of

Subchapter I, Chapter 271, Local Government Code;

(5) a political subdivision for purposes of Section

180.008, Local Government Code;

(6) a political subdivision for purposes of Section

16.061, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, with respect to any

property purchased, leased, constructed, renovated, or improved

with state funds under Section 12.128 of this code; [ and ]

(7) a political subdivision for purposes of Section

11.11, Tax Code ; and

(8) a political subdivision for purposes of Section

304.001, Local Government Code .

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