HB 594: bill letting big-county sheriffs exempt 18 jobs from civil service

Caption

relating to the positions designated as exempt from sheriff's department civil service systems in certain counties.

Summary

Up from 10, in counties of 2 million to 3.3 million.

This bill lets the sheriff in a county with more than 2 million and up to 3.3 million people pull up to 18 jobs out of the sheriff's department civil service system, instead of the current limit of 10. It touches sheriffs, chief and major deputies, department lawyers, and other top staff in those large counties, along with the civil service protections those jobs would otherwise carry. On the ground, sheriffs in that population band can hand-pick nearly twice as many senior positions outside civil service rules starting September 1, 2025, while counties of 2 million or fewer keep the cap of 10.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 13, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Local Government committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB594 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Philip CortezDHouse 117

ITEM

relating to the positions designated as exempt from sheriff's department civil service systems in certain counties.

WHAT IT DOES

Up from 10, in counties of 2 million to 3.3 million.

This bill lets the sheriff in a county with more than 2 million and up to 3.3 million people pull up to 18 jobs out of the sheriff's department civil service system, instead of the current limit of 10. It touches sheriffs, chief and major deputies, department lawyers, and other top staff in those large counties, along with the civil service protections those jobs would otherwise carry. On the ground, sheriffs in that population band can hand-pick nearly twice as many senior positions outside civil service rules starting September 1, 2025, while counties of 2 million or fewer keep the cap of 10.

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 2, 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

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Mar 3, 2025Read first time
Mar 3, 2025Referred to s/c on County & Regional Government by Speaker
Apr 7, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 7, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 7, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 7, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
Apr 30, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
Apr 30, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 30, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 6, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 7, 2025Committee report distributed
May 7, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 8, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 10, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 12, 2025Read 2nd time
May 12, 2025Passed to engrossment
May 12, 2025Record vote RV#2228
May 12, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 13, 2025Read 3rd time
May 13, 2025Passed
May 13, 2025Record vote RV#2294
May 13, 2025Reported engrossed
May 14, 2025Received from the House
May 14, 2025Read first time
May 14, 2025Referred to Local Government

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 119 yea · 19 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 13, 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

Philip Cortez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$44K Texas Sands PAC$37K Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$35K

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 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.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$44,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$44,000.00

Cash: $44,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $44,000.00

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 6, 2024 to Sep 25, 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: 100985407, 101008363, 101026711, 101035640, 101039466, 101052595, 101071633.

Texas Sands PAC$37,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$37,000.00

Cash: $37,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $37,000.00

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 · Dec 6, 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.

Report IDs: 100985407, 101039466, 101071633.

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC$35,000.00

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$35,000.00

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

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 22, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101026711, 101035640, 101071633.

Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$44,000.00

Cash: $44,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $44,000.00

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 6, 2024 to Sep 25, 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: 100985407, 101008363, 101026711, 101035640, 101039466, 101052595, 101071633.

×

Texas Sands PAC

$37,000.00

Cash: $37,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $37,000.00

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 · Dec 6, 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.

Report IDs: 100985407, 101039466, 101071633.

×

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

$35,000.00

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

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 30, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 22, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101026711, 101035640, 101071633.

Votes2

House May 13, 2025

Yea: 119
Nay: 19
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 4
Excused: 6

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2294

HB 594 was passed by (Record 2294): 119 Yeas, 19 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 119 (published)
Nay: 19 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
Excused: 6 (derived from named list)

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

House May 12, 2025

Yea: 125
Nay: 13
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 6
Excused: 5

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2228

HB 594 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2228): 125 Yeas, 13 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 125 (published)
Nay: 13 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 6 (derived from named list)
Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses9

For: 6
Against: 3
On: 0

Names

For

Bexar County Commissioners Court1 registration
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
Dallas County Sheriff1 registration
Self; Bexar County Sheriffs Office1 registration
Self; Deputy Sheriffs Association of Bexar County1 registration
Self; Deputy sheriffs association of bexar county1 registration

Against

Dallas Police Association1 registration
Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
TMPA1 registration

Sources

9 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 2, 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

05/14/2025 S Referred to Local Government

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 · Intergovernmental Affairs · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Local Government · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

County Government--Employees/Officers

County Government--General

SHERIFFS

Text

The text as introduced · 222 words

89R4571 DNC-D

By: Cortez
H.B. No. 594

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the positions designated as exempt from sheriff's

department civil service systems in certain counties.

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

SECTION 1. Section 158.038, Local Government Code, is

amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to

read as follows:

(b) The sheriff of a county with a population of two [ 3.3 ]

million or less may designate as exempt from the civil service

system:

(1) the position of chief deputy;

(2) four positions of major deputy;

(3) one or more positions in the office of

departmental legal counsel; and

(4) additional positions in the department; provided,

however, that the sheriff may not designate as exempt a total of

more than 10 positions.

(b-1) The sheriff of a county with a population of more than

2 million and not more than 3.3 million may designate as exempt from

the civil service system:

(1) the position of chief deputy;

(2) four positions of major deputy;

(3) one or more positions in the office of

departmental legal counsel; and

(4) additional positions in the department; provided,

however, that the sheriff may not designate as exempt a total of

more than 18 positions.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texas Sands PAC

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

Texas Sands PAC

Physicians for Free Market Healthcare PAC

House May 13, 2025

House May 12, 2025

For

Against