Monitoring the Session

HB 5689

bill changing Cole Ranch district borrowing limits

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Richard HayesRHouse 57

Initial review · graded Oct 22, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the powers and duties and validating certain acts and proceedings of the Cole Ranch Improvement District No. 1 of Denton County, Texas.

Caption from analyzed text · version E.

Summary

New debt limits, and everything it did before gets blessed.

The bill changes the borrowing limits for the Cole Ranch Improvement District No. 1 in Denton County and blesses everything the district did before the law takes effect. It touches the district, its landowners and taxpayers, and any other districts that make contract payments the district uses to back bonds. On the ground, the district gets a separate cap for contract-backed bonds, each cap set at 10 percent of assessed real property value, and its past acts are shielded from challenge unless a court has already struck them down or does so in pending litigation.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5689 · 2025-04-24

SOLD BY

Rep. Richard HayesRHouse 57

ITEM

relating to the powers and duties and validating certain acts and proceedings of the Cole Ranch Improvement District No. 1 of Denton County, Texas.

WHAT IT DOES

New debt limits, and everything it did before gets blessed.

The bill changes the borrowing limits for the Cole Ranch Improvement District No. 1 in Denton County and blesses everything the district did before the law takes effect. It touches the district, its landowners and taxpayers, and any other districts that make contract payments the district uses to back bonds. On the ground, the district gets a separate cap for contract-backed bonds, each cap set at 10 percent of assessed real property value, and its past acts are shielded from challenge unless a court has already struck them down or does so in pending litigation.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 26, 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. Transmitted to the Governor
  5. Posting rule suspended
  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 formal meeting
  11. Recommended to be sent to Local & Consent
  12. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  13. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  14. Committee report distributed
  15. Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar
  16. Considered in Local & Consent Calendars
  17. Placed on Local, Consent, and Res. Calendar
  18. Read 2nd time
  19. Passed to engrossment
  20. Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal
  21. Read 3rd time
  22. Passed
  23. Record vote RV#3115
  24. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  25. Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal
  26. Reported engrossed
  27. Received from the House
  28. Read first time
  29. Referred to Administration
  30. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  31. Vote reconsidered in committee
  32. Vote taken in committee
  33. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  34. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  35. Committee report printed and distributed
  36. Placed on local & uncontested calendar
  37. Removed from local & uncontested calendar
FILED UNDER

DEBT AND SPECIAL DISTRICTS

THE TEXT

“The outstanding principal amount of bonds secured by contract payments meeting the requirements of Section 3981.0504(2) issued by the district in the aggregate may not exceed an amount equal to 10 percent of the assessed value of all real property in all districts making payments under the contract.”

Bill text, engrossed version (E)

The bill sets a new bond cap for one improvement district's contract-backed debt, measured against property value in every district paying under the contract, which can let it borrow more than its own tax base supports.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 124 yea · 17 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 21, 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

Richard Hayes

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$205KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$40KMichael Tenny$20,000

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 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$204,650.12

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$204,650.12

Cash
$85,000.00
Paid by others
$119,650.12
Total
$204,650.12
mail $104,250.12polling $15,400.00

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 · Jun 27, 2025 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: 101010307, 101032268, 101069605, 101071583.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$40,400.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$40,400.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$15,400.00
Total
$40,400.00
polling $15,400.00

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 · Sep 22, 2026 to Oct 13, 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: 101069605, 101071583.

Michael Tenny$20,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$204,650.12

Cash
$85,000.00
Paid by others
$119,650.12
Total
$204,650.12
mail $104,250.12polling $15,400.00

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 · Jun 27, 2025 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: 101010307, 101032268, 101069605, 101071583.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$40,400.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$15,400.00
Total
$40,400.00
polling $15,400.00

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 · Sep 22, 2026 to Oct 13, 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: 101069605, 101071583.

Votes1

House May 21, 2025

Yea
124
Nay
17
Present, not voting
2
Absent
5
Excused
1
Names

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

House journal

The shared roll contains conflicting member evidence. Those positions remain conflicting.

Noble is listed as absent in the shared roll and nay in this bill's list. That position remains conflicting.

Sources

Record 3115

HB 5689 (Ashby, Barry, Bonnen, Cain, Capriglione, Cunningham, DeAyala, Harrison, Hull, Isaac, King, Noble, Oliverson, Schoolcraft, Slawson, Spiller, Vasut, and Wharton - no; Lowe - yes) (124 - 17 - 2)

Shared roll motion

The following bills which were considered on second reading on the previous legislative day on the local, consent, and resolutions calendar were laid before the house, read third time, and passed by the following record vote (members registering votes and the results of the vote are shown following the bill number). (Record 3115): 140 Yeas, 1 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 124 (published)
  • Nay: 17 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses1
For
1
Against
0
On
0
Names

For

  • The Cole Ranch Company, L.P.1 registration
Sources

1 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 E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 26, 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 E by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Apr 24, 2025

05/28/2025 S Removed from local & uncontested calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed · Senate Committee Report

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

Sponsors
Tan ParkerRSenate 12

House committee · Intergovernmental Affairs · Committee vote 9 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Administration · Committee vote 6 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 3052 by Parker (identical)

Subjects

COLE RANCH IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT NO. 1 OF DENTON COUNTY (DW7EL)

Special Districts & Authorities--Miscellaneous

BONDS

Text

The text as introduced · 476 words

89R20600 JTZ-F

By: Hayes
H.B. No. 5689

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the powers and duties and validating certain acts and

proceedings of the Cole Ranch Improvement District No. 1 of Denton

County, Texas.

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

SECTION 1. Section 3981.0503, Special District Local Laws

Code, is amended by amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsection

(d) to read as follows:

(c) The principal amount of bonds secured by ad valorem

taxes issued by the district in aggregate may not exceed 10 percent

of the assessed value of all real property in the district.

(d) The outstanding principal amount of bonds secured by

contract payments meeting the requirements of Section 3981.0504(2)

issued by the district in the aggregate may not exceed an amount

equal to 10 percent of the assessed value of all real property in

all districts making payments under the contract.

SECTION 2. (a) The legislature validates and confirms all

governmental acts and proceedings of the Cole Ranch Improvement

District No. 1 of Denton County, Texas, that were taken before the

effective date of this Act.

(b) This section does not apply to any matter that on the

effective date of this Act:

(1) is involved in litigation if the litigation

ultimately results in the matter being held invalid by a final court

judgment; or

(2) has been held invalid by a final court judgment.

SECTION 3. The Cole Ranch Improvement District No. 1 of

Denton County, Texas, retains all the rights, powers, privileges,

authority, duties, and functions that it had before the effective

date of this Act.

SECTION 4. (a) The legal notice of the intention to

introduce this Act, setting forth the general substance of this

Act, has been published as provided by law, and the notice and a

copy of this Act have been furnished to all persons, agencies,

officials, or entities to which they are required to be furnished

under Section 59, Article XVI, Texas Constitution, and Chapter 313,

Government Code.

(b) The governor, one of the required recipients, has

submitted the notice and Act to the Texas Commission on

Environmental Quality.

(c) The Texas Commission on Environmental Quality has filed

its recommendations relating to this Act with the governor, the

lieutenant governor, and the speaker of the house of

representatives within the required time.

(d) All requirements of the constitution and laws of this

state and the rules and procedures of the legislature with respect

to the notice, introduction, and passage of this Act are fulfilled

and accomplished.

SECTION 5. 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.