Monitoring the Session

HB 5165

Landgraf Hotel Tax Bill Adds One Sandhills County Seat

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review
Rep. Brooks LandgrafRHouse 81
Why it's charged
Bracket bill

THE TEXT

“a municipality that is the county seat of a county with a population of more than 10,000 that contains a state park featuring sandhills”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

A population figure combined with a state park featuring sandhills narrows the new entry to what reads as a single town. The caption admits only 'certain municipalities,' so the narrowness is partly disclosed.

Bracket bill

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 use of municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue in certain municipalities.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Over 10,000 people and “a state park featuring sandhills” in the county. Reads as one town.

The bill adds one more town to an existing list of small Texas towns covered by a special section of state law on how they may spend local hotel occupancy tax money. The new entry describes the county seat of a county with more than 10,000 people that contains a state park featuring sandhills, a description that appears to fit one place. That town gets the same hotel tax spending rules the other listed towns already have, starting immediately or September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 14, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Economic Development committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5165 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Rep. Brooks LandgrafRHouse 81

ITEM

relating to the use of municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue in certain municipalities.

WHAT IT DOES

Over 10,000 people and “a state park featuring sandhills” in the county. Reads as one town.

The bill adds one more town to an existing list of small Texas towns covered by a special section of state law on how they may spend local hotel occupancy tax money. The new entry describes the county seat of a county with more than 10,000 people that contains a state park featuring sandhills, a description that appears to fit one place. That town gets the same hotel tax spending rules the other listed towns already have, starting immediately or September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[x] BRACKET BILLanalysis confidence 80%

THE TEXT

“a municipality that is the county seat of a county with a population of more than 10,000 that contains a state park featuring sandhills”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

A population figure combined with a state park featuring sandhills narrows the new entry to what reads as a single town. The caption admits only 'certain municipalities,' so the narrowness is partly disclosed.

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 11, 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 Ways & Means
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in formal meeting
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  10. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  11. Committee report distributed
  12. Committee report sent to Calendars
  13. Considered in Calendars
  14. Placed on General State Calendar
  15. Read 2nd time
  16. Passed to engrossment
  17. Record vote RV#2336
  18. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  19. Read 3rd time
  20. Passed
  21. Record vote RV#2430
  22. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  23. Reported engrossed
  24. Received from the House
  25. Read first time
  26. Referred to Economic Development
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 104 yea · 34 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 14, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Brooks Landgraf

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$50KOvintiv USA Inc. PAC$19KDiamondback Energy PAC$15K

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 · Jul 2, 2024 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$50,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$50,000.00

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$50,000.00

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 · Sep 26, 2024 to Sep 14, 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: 100977404, 101009994, 101033682, 101069723.

Ovintiv USA Inc. PAC$19,000.00

Ovintiv USA Inc. PAC

$19,000.00

Cash
$19,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$19,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 12, 2024 to Sep 29, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Dec 22, 2025. 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: 100977404, 101033682.

Diamondback Energy PAC$15,000.00

Diamondback Energy PAC

$15,000.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$15,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 13, 2024 to Aug 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 13, 2024 to Aug 14, 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: 100977404, 101061488, 101069723.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$50,000.00

Cash
$50,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$50,000.00

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 · Sep 26, 2024 to Sep 14, 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: 100977404, 101009994, 101033682, 101069723.

×

Ovintiv USA Inc. PAC

$19,000.00

Cash
$19,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$19,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Dec 12, 2024 to Sep 29, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Dec 22, 2025. 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: 100977404, 101033682.

×

Diamondback Energy PAC

$15,000.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$15,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 13, 2024 to Aug 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Aug 13, 2024 to Aug 14, 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: 100977404, 101061488, 101069723.

Votes2

House May 14, 2025

Yea
104
Nay
34
Present, not voting
2
Absent
7
Excused
3
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2430

HB 5165 was passed by (Record 2430): 104 Yeas, 34 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 104 (published)
  • Nay: 34 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 7 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

House May 13, 2025

Yea
93
Nay
31
Present, not voting
3
Absent
5
Excused
18
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2336

HB 5165 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2336): 93 Yeas, 31 Nays, 3 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 93 (published)
  • Nay: 31 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 3 (published)
  • Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 18 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses8
For
5
Against
0
On
3
Names

For

  • City of Monahans1 registration
  • Monahans Chamber of Commerce1 registration
  • Self; City of Monahans1 registration
  • Texas Hotel & Lodging Association1 registration
  • Texas Travel Alliance1 registration

On

  • Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts3 registrations
Sources

8 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 11, 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 14, 2025

05/21/2025 S Referred to Economic Development

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Ways & Means · Committee vote 12 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Economic Development · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

MONAHANS, CITY OF (GZ9WD)

Taxation--Hotel, Motel Occupancy

Text

The text as introduced · 402 words

89R8772 JBD-F

By: Landgraf
H.B. No. 5165

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the use of municipal hotel occupancy tax revenue in

certain municipalities.

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

SECTION 1. Section 351.1066(a), Tax Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) This section applies only to:

(1) a municipality with a population of at least 3,500

but less than 5,500 that is the county seat of a county with a

population of less than 50,000 that borders a county with a

population of more than 1.6 million;

(2) a municipality with a population of at least 2,800

but less than 3,500 that is the county seat of a county with a

population of less than 22,000 that is bordered by the Trinity River

and includes a state park and a portion of a wildlife management

area;

(3) a municipality with a population of at least 8,000

that is located in a county that borders the Pecos River and that

has a population of not more than 15,000;

(4) a municipality with a population of not more than

15,000 that is located in a county through which the Frio River

flows and an interstate highway crosses, and that has a population

of at least 15,000;

(5) a municipality with a population of not less than

7,500 that is located in a county with a population of not less than

40,000 but less than 250,000 that is adjacent to a county with a

population of less than 750;

(6) a municipality that is the county seat of a county

with a population of at least 8,500 and that county contains part of

the Chaparral Wildlife Management Area; [ and ]

(7) a municipality that has a population of not more

than 25,000, that contains a cultural heritage museum, and that is

located in a county that borders the United Mexican States and the

Gulf of Mexico ; and

(8) a municipality that is the county seat of a county

with a population of more than 10,000 that contains a state park

featuring sandhills .

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.