Monitoring the Session

HB 524

bill sending city ballot initiatives to the attorney general first

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84

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 review and approval of certain proposed municipal initiatives and referendums.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Five days to send it, 30 days for a ruling on state law.

The bill makes home-rule cities send any citizen-petitioned initiative or referendum to the attorney general within five days of receiving the petition, and the attorney general has 30 days to decide whether any part of it would violate state law. It touches city voters who petition for local measures, city governments, and the attorney general's office. If the attorney general finds a conflict with state law, the city may not hold the election unless a voter sues and wins in court, and approved measures must go on a uniform election date.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Intergovernmental Affairs committee 7-3 on Apr 28, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 15, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB524 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Carl H. TepperRHouse 84 Rep. David SpillerRHouse 68

ITEM

relating to the review and approval of certain proposed municipal initiatives and referendums.

WHAT IT DOES

Five days to send it, 30 days for a ruling on state law.

The bill makes home-rule cities send any citizen-petitioned initiative or referendum to the attorney general within five days of receiving the petition, and the attorney general has 30 days to decide whether any part of it would violate state law. It touches city voters who petition for local measures, city governments, and the attorney general's office. If the attorney general finds a conflict with state law, the city may not hold the election unless a voter sues and wins in court, and approved measures must go on a uniform election date.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 30, 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 Intergovernmental Affairs
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in formal meeting
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  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
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Carl H. Tepper

Donors

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$100KTexans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25KBeef PAC$8K

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 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.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$100,000.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

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 · on 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: 101072176.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25,083.33

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,083.33

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$83.33
Total
$25,083.33
fundraiser $83.33

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 25, 2025 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: 101009037, 101027338, 101072176.

Beef PAC$8,000.00

Beef PAC

$8,000.00

Cash
$8,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$8,000.00

Also funds 80 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Oct 20, 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: 101012320, 101057498, 101072176.

Money

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

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

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 · on 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: 101072176.

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,083.33

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$83.33
Total
$25,083.33
fundraiser $83.33

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 25, 2025 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: 101009037, 101027338, 101072176.

×

Beef PAC

$8,000.00

Cash
$8,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$8,000.00

Also funds 80 other sitting lawmakers.

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

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 30, 2024 to Oct 20, 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: 101012320, 101057498, 101072176.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses23
For
4
Against
18
On
1
Names

For

  • Austin Police Association1 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
  • Texas Public Policy Foundation1 registration

Against

  • ACLU of Texas1 registration
  • City of Irving1 registration
  • Every Texan1 registration
  • Self7 registrations
  • Self; ACT 4 SA Action Fund1 registration
  • Self; Climate Cabinet1 registration
  • Self; Equity Action1 registration
  • Self; Ground Game Texas1 registration
  • Self; Mano Amiga1 registration
  • Self; Texas AFL-CIO1 registration
  • Self; Workers Defense Action Fund1 registration
  • Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration

On

  • Office of the Attorney General1 registration
Sources

23 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 significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 30, 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 Nov 12, 2024

05/15/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

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 · Intergovernmental Affairs · Committee vote 7 aye, 3 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

City Government--General

Elections--Administration

Elections--General

Elections--Initiative, Referendum & Recall

State Officers

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Text

The text as introduced · 484 words

89R1054 AMF-D

By: Tepper
H.B. No. 524

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the review and approval of certain proposed municipal

initiatives and referendums.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 51, Local Government Code,

is amended by adding Section 51.080 to read as follows:

Sec. 51.080. PROVISIONS APPLICABLE TO PROPOSED INITIATIVES

AND REFERENDUMS. (a) This section applies only to a home-rule

municipality that provides in its charter for the proposal by

petition and voter approval of a measure to:

(1) adopt a new ordinance, regulation, or other

measure; or

(2) amend or repeal an existing ordinance, regulation,

or other measure.

(b) Before ordering an election on a measure described by

Subsection (a), a municipality shall submit the measure to the

attorney general. The municipality must submit the measure to the

attorney general not later than the fifth day after the day the

municipality receives the petition on the measure. The attorney

general shall, not later than the 30th day after the day the

municipality submits the measure to the attorney general:

(1) determine whether any portion of the measure would

violate state law; and

(2) advise the municipality in writing of its

determination.

(c) Subject to Subsections (d) and (e), a municipality may

not hold an election on a measure described by Subsection (a) if the

attorney general determines that any portion of the measure would

violate state law.

(d) A municipality shall order an election on a measure if

the attorney general does not comply with the requirements of

Subsection (b) in the time and manner prescribed by that

subsection.

(e) A qualified voter of a municipality that submits a

measure to the attorney general under this section may bring an

action to challenge a determination by the attorney general under

Subsection (b) that the measure would violate state law. The

municipality:

(1) shall order an election on the measure if the court

finds that the measure would not violate state law; and

(2) may not order an election on the measure if the

court finds that the measure would violate state law.

(f) A municipality must hold an election on a measure

described by Subsection (a) on a uniform election date.

(g) To the extent that the requirements of this section

conflict with a municipal charter provision requiring the

municipality to order an election within a period following receipt

of a petition, this section controls and the period during which the

municipality must order the election is extended to the extent

necessary to comply with this section.

SECTION 2. Section 51.079, Local Government Code, is

repealed.

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

a petition requesting an election on a measure submitted to a

municipality on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.