Monitoring the Session

HB 648

HOAs can’t ban clotheslines

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Philip CortezDHouse 117

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 regulation of clotheslines by a property owners' association.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Deed rules against drying laundry outside are void.

The bill bars property owners' associations from banning or restricting clotheslines that homeowners use to dry laundry on their own property, and it voids any deed rule that does so. It touches homeowners and HOAs across Texas. HOAs can still ban clotheslines on common or association land, ones a court finds unsafe or unlawful, and ones visible above a backyard fence, and they can ban or require approval for clotheslines in front or side yards, but a backyard clothesline below the fence line is now protected starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee 6-0 on May 2, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB648 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Philip CortezDHouse 117

ITEM

relating to the regulation of clotheslines by a property owners' association.

WHAT IT DOES

Deed rules against drying laundry outside are void.

The bill bars property owners' associations from banning or restricting clotheslines that homeowners use to dry laundry on their own property, and it voids any deed rule that does so. It touches homeowners and HOAs across Texas. HOAs can still ban clotheslines on common or association land, ones a court finds unsafe or unlawful, and ones visible above a backyard fence, and they can ban or require approval for clotheslines in front or side yards, but a backyard clothesline below the fence line is now protected starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 6, 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 Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in formal meeting
  9. Committee substitute considered in committee
  10. Reported favorably as substituted
  11. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  12. Committee report distributed
  13. Committee report sent to Calendars
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Philip Cortez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$44KTexas Sands PAC$37KPhysicians 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.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses3
For
1
Against
2
On
0
Names

For

  • Texas REALTORS1 registration

Against

  • Community Associations Institute Texas Legislative Action Committee1 registration
  • Texas Community Association Advocates (TCAA)1 registration
Sources

3 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 6, 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

05/12/2025 H Committee report sent to 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 · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Committee vote 6 aye, 0 nay, 5 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Property Interests--Property Owners Association

Text

The text as introduced · 241 words

89R3376 JBD-D

By: Cortez
H.B. No. 648

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the regulation of clotheslines by a property owners'

association.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 202, Property Code, is amended by adding

Section 202.008 to read as follows:

Sec. 202.008. REGULATION OF CLOTHESLINES. (a) Except as

otherwise provided by this section, a property owners' association

may not include or enforce a provision in a dedicatory instrument

that prohibits or restricts a property owner from installing or

using a clothesline on the owner's property for the purpose of

drying laundry.

(b) A provision that violates Subsection (a) is void.

(c) This section does not prohibit the inclusion or

enforcement of a provision in a dedicatory instrument that:

(1) prohibits a clothesline that:

(A) as adjudicated by a court:

(i) threatens the public health or safety;

or

(ii) violates a law;

(B) is located on property owned or maintained by

the property owners' association;

(C) is located on property owned in common by the

members of the property owners' association; or

(D) is visible above the fence line of a fenced

yard or patio maintained by the property owner; or

(2) prohibits or requires prior approval of the

property owners' association for a clothesline located in or on a

front or side yard or patio maintained by the property owner.

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