HB 545

bill barring registrars from turning down eligible volunteer deputies

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 appointment of volunteer deputy voter registrars.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Meet the rules, get appointed. No rejections over sex, race or party.

The bill rewrites the rule on who a county voter registrar must appoint as a volunteer deputy registrar. It bars a registrar from turning down anyone who meets the existing eligibility rules, and from turning down anyone because of sex, race, creed, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, political affiliation, color, or national origin or ancestry. On the ground, registrars lose discretion to reject eligible applicants who want to sign up voters, and the change takes effect immediately or on September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 486 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 486 (Died in committee). 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.QUICK READ: 149 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 149 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the House Elections committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB545 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Terry MezaDHouse 105

ITEM

relating to the appointment of volunteer deputy voter registrars.

WHAT IT DOES

Meet the rules, get appointed. No rejections over sex, race or party.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Mar 3, 2025Read first time
Mar 3, 2025Referred to Elections

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Terry Meza

Donors

House Democratic Campaign Committee$7K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$4K Texas Sands PAC$4K

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 · Nov 1, 2024 to Jun 30, 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.

House Democratic Campaign Committee$7,000.00

House Democratic Campaign Committee

$7,000.00

Cash: $7,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $7,000.00

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 3, 2026 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on May 26, 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: 101059960.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$4,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$4,000.00

Cash: $4,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $4,000.00

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 13, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 100985189, 101032865.

Texas Sands PAC$4,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$4,000.00

Cash: $4,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $4,000.00

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 · on Dec 13, 2024. 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: 100985189.

Money

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

House Democratic Campaign Committee

$7,000.00

Cash: $7,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $7,000.00

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 3, 2026 to Sep 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on May 26, 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: 101059960.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$4,000.00

Cash: $4,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $4,000.00

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 13, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 100985189, 101032865.

Texas Sands PAC

$4,000.00

Cash: $4,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $4,000.00

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 · on Dec 13, 2024. 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: 100985189.

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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R HB 486

by Rep. Meza, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Feb 23, 2023: Referred to Elections

Relating to the appointment of volunteer deputy voter registrars.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

03/03/2025 H Referred to Elections: Mar 3 2025 2:24PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

House committee · Elections · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Elections--Election Officers

Text

The text as introduced · 149 words

89R4261 JDK-D

By: Meza
H.B. No. 545

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the appointment of volunteer deputy voter registrars.

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

SECTION 1. Section 13.032, Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 13.032. PROHIBITION ON REFUSING TO APPOINT. A

registrar may not refuse to appoint as a volunteer deputy

registrar:

(1) a person eligible for appointment under Section

13.031(d); or

(2) any person on the basis of sex, race, creed, sexual

orientation, gender identity or expression, political affiliation,

color, or national origin or ancestry.

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.