HB 626

air marshals and Defense police get Texas arrest powers

Did not pass

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 granting limited state law enforcement authority to certain federal law enforcement officers.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

For felony offenses only, joining the list of federal investigators.

The bill adds two more kinds of federal officers to the Texas list of federal investigators who can arrest, search and seize under Texas law for felony offenses. The new additions are federal air marshals of the Transportation Security Administration and police officers or detectives of the U.S. Department of Defense and its component agencies. Those officers still are not Texas peace officers, but once the bill takes effect they can act on Texas felony offenses the same way the eighteen federal groups already listed can.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs committee 10-0 on Mar 19, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB626 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Cecil Bell Jr.RHouse 3

ITEM

relating to granting limited state law enforcement authority to certain federal law enforcement officers.

WHAT IT DOES

For felony offenses only, joining the list of federal investigators.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 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

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Mar 4, 2025Read first time
Mar 4, 2025Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
Mar 12, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 12, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 12, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Mar 12, 2025Left pending in committee
Mar 19, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 19, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Mar 24, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Mar 24, 2025Committee report distributed
Mar 24, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 9, 2025Considered in Calendars

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Cecil Bell Jr.

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$303K DUSTIN BURROWS CAMPAIGN$84K Texas Conservative Majority PAC$84K

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 · Aug 30, 2024 to Apr 2, 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$303,416.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$303,416.00

Cash: $77,500.00
Paid by others: $225,916.00
Total: $303,416.00

mail $151,916.00advertising $57,250.00polling $16,750.00

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 · Nov 14, 2024 to Mar 3, 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: 101012348, 101016762, 101032999, 101036177, 101041213, 101061435.

DUSTIN BURROWS CAMPAIGN$84,000.00

DUSTIN BURROWS CAMPAIGN

$84,000.00

Cash: $75,000.00
Paid by others: $9,000.00
Total: $84,000.00

polling $9,000.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 29, 2025 to Jan 27, 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: 101032999, 101036177, 101041213.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$83,505.68

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$83,505.68

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $83,505.68
Total: $83,505.68

canvassing $50,000.00Other filed descriptions $24,666.67polling $7,750.00texting $1,089.01

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 · Feb 9, 2026 to Mar 3, 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: 101041213, 101061435.

Money

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$303,416.00

Cash: $77,500.00
Paid by others: $225,916.00
Total: $303,416.00

mail $151,916.00advertising $57,250.00polling $16,750.00

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 · Nov 14, 2024 to Mar 3, 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: 101012348, 101016762, 101032999, 101036177, 101041213, 101061435.

DUSTIN BURROWS CAMPAIGN

$84,000.00

Cash: $75,000.00
Paid by others: $9,000.00
Total: $84,000.00

polling $9,000.00

Also funds 39 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 13, 2025 to Sep 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 29, 2025 to Jan 27, 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: 101032999, 101036177, 101041213.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$83,505.68

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $83,505.68
Total: $83,505.68

canvassing $50,000.00Other filed descriptions $24,666.67polling $7,750.00texting $1,089.01

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 · Feb 9, 2026 to Mar 3, 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: 101041213, 101061435.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses11

For: 11
Against: 0
On: 0

Names

For

Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
Harris County Deputies’ Organization FOP #391 registration
Self3 registrations
Self; Federal Air Marshal Service1 registration
Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
Self; Lead Through Fire1 registration
Texas Public Policy Foundation1 registration
The American Legion, Dept of Texas1 registration
TMPA1 registration

Sources

11 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 I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 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 Nov 12, 2024

04/09/2025 H Considered in Calendars

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 · Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Law Enforcement

Occupational Regulation--Other Trades & Professions

FEDERAL RELATIONS

Text

The text as introduced · 426 words

89R4314 JCG-D

By: Bell of Montgomery
H.B. No. 626

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to granting limited state law enforcement authority to

certain federal law enforcement officers.

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

SECTION 1. Article 2A.002(a), Code of Criminal Procedure,

is amended to read as follows:

(a) The following criminal investigators of the United

States are not peace officers but have the powers of arrest, search,

and seizure under the laws of this state as to felony offenses only:

(1) a special agent of the Federal Bureau of

Investigation;

(2) a special agent of the Secret Service;

(3) a special agent of United States Immigration and

Customs Enforcement;

(4) a special agent of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco,

Firearms and Explosives;

(5) a special agent of the United States Drug

Enforcement Administration;

(6) an inspector of the United States Postal

Inspection Service;

(7) a special agent of the Criminal Investigation

Division of the Internal Revenue Service;

(8) a civilian special agent of the United States

Naval Criminal Investigative Service;

(9) a marshal or deputy marshal of the United States

Marshals Service;

(10) a special agent of the United States Department

of State, Bureau of Diplomatic Security;

(11) a special agent of the Treasury Inspector General

for Tax Administration;

(12) a special agent of the Office of Inspector

General of the United States Social Security Administration;

(13) a special agent of the Office of Inspector

General of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs;

(14) a special agent of the Office of Inspector

General of the United States Department of Agriculture;

(15) a special agent of the Office of Export

Enforcement of the United States Department of Commerce;

(16) a special agent of the Criminal Investigation

Command of the United States Army;

(17) a special agent of the Office of Special

Investigations of the United States Air Force; [ and ]

(18) a police officer with the Office of Security and

Law Enforcement of the United States Department of Veterans

Affairs ;

(19) a federal air marshal of the Transportation

Security Administration; and

(20) a police officer or detective of the United

States Department of Defense, or any component agency of the United

States Department of Defense .

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.