Monitoring the Session

HB 4916

bill spares dealers from signing titles over to themselves

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Terry CanalesDHouse 40

Initial review · graded Oct 19, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the assignment of a motor vehicle title by a dealer.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Already in its name? No second signature needed.

The bill says a car dealer that already holds a title in its own name does not have to sign the title over to itself again before reselling the vehicle. It touches licensed motor vehicle dealers, but only when the name on the title matches the name on the dealer's state license. On the ground, dealers skip a redundant paperwork step when they resell vehicles titled to them, starting immediately or September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 16, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Transportation committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4916 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Rep. Terry CanalesDHouse 40

ITEM

relating to the assignment of a motor vehicle title by a dealer.

WHAT IT DOES

Already in its name? No second signature needed.

The bill says a car dealer that already holds a title in its own name does not have to sign the title over to itself again before reselling the vehicle. It touches licensed motor vehicle dealers, but only when the name on the title matches the name on the dealer's state license. On the ground, dealers skip a redundant paperwork step when they resell vehicles titled to them, starting immediately or September 1, 2025.

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 19, 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. Withdrawn from schedule
  6. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  7. Considered in public hearing
  8. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  9. Left pending in committee
  10. Considered in public hearing
  11. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. Committee report sent to Calendars
  15. Considered in Calendars
  16. Placed on General State Calendar
  17. Read 2nd time
  18. Passed to engrossment
  19. Record vote RV#2787
  20. Read 3rd time
  21. Passed
  22. Record vote RV#2893
  23. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  24. Reported engrossed
  25. Received from the House
  26. Read first time
  27. Referred to Transportation
FILED UNDER

Beats not yet reviewed.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 98 yea · 26 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 16, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Terry Canales

Donors

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC$65KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$35KCurtis E. Ford$30,605

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 · Aug 9, 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.

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC$65,000.00

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

$65,000.00

Cash
$65,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$65,000.00

Also funds 120 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 6, 2024 to Oct 21, 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: 100986692, 101072185.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$35,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$35,000.00

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

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 · Aug 9, 2024 to Sep 29, 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: 100986692, 101030306, 101068017, 101072185.

Curtis E. Ford$30,605.00
Money

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

×

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

$65,000.00

Cash
$65,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$65,000.00

Also funds 120 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 6, 2024 to Oct 21, 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: 100986692, 101072185.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$35,000.00

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

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 · Aug 9, 2024 to Sep 29, 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: 100986692, 101030306, 101068017, 101072185.

Votes2

House May 16, 2025

Yea
98
Nay
26
Present, not voting
3
Absent
4
Excused
19
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2893

HB 4916 was passed by (Record 2893): 98 Yeas, 26 Nays, 3 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 98 (published)
  • Nay: 26 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 3 (published)
  • Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 19 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House May 15, 2025

Yea
95
Nay
41
Present, not voting
2
Absent
7
Excused
5
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2787

HB 4916 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2787): 95 Yeas, 41 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 95 (published)
  • Nay: 41 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 7 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses4
For
3
Against
0
On
1
Names

For

  • Carvana1 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Texas independant Automobile Dealers Association1 registration

On

  • Self1 registration
Sources

4 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 19, 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 19, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 13, 2025

05/19/2025 S Referred to Transportation

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Transportation · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Transportation · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Vehicles & Traffic--Vehicle Registration

MOTOR VEHICLE DEALERS

Text

The text as introduced · 153 words

89R16276 AND-F

By: Canales
H.B. No. 4916

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the assignment of a motor vehicle title by a dealer.

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

SECTION 1. Section 501.071, Transportation Code, is amended

by adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(c) A dealer issued a title in the dealer's name by this

state or another jurisdiction is not required to make assignment to

the dealer before any subsequent sale, provided that the dealer's

name on the title matches the name on the license issued to the

dealer under Chapter 503.

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.