HB 657

county election sites must end in .gov

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 requirements for counties posting election information on an Internet website.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

“.texas.gov” works if “.gov” is unavailable.

The bill requires every Texas county to post its required election information on a website ending in ".gov". A county may use ".texas.gov" instead if ".gov" is unavailable or if it was already using ".texas.gov" on September 1, 2025. Counties must make the switch as soon as practicable, and no later than September 1, 2026.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 3174 (Died in committee) and this bill (Did not pass). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 3174 (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.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Elections committee 8-0 on Mar 20, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB657 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. John H. Bucy IIIDHouse 136

ITEM

relating to requirements for counties posting election information on an Internet website.

WHAT IT DOES

“.texas.gov” works if “.gov” is unavailable.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 10, 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 Elections
Mar 13, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 13, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 13, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Mar 13, 2025Left pending in committee
Mar 20, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 20, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Mar 25, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Mar 25, 2025Committee report distributed
Mar 25, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 17, 2025Considered in Calendars

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

John H. Bucy III

Donors

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund$56KAdam Loewy$20,000Texas Sands PAC$17K

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.

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund$56,000.00

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund

$56,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $31,000.00
Total: $56,000.00

consulting $31,000.00

Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 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: 100986907, 101059773, 101069326, 101072293.

Adam Loewy$20,000.00

Texas Sands PAC$17,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$17,000.00

Cash: $17,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $17,000.00

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 9, 2024 to Sep 29, 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: 100986907, 101032801, 101059773, 101072293.

Money

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

Agave Democratic Infrastructure Fund

$56,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $31,000.00
Total: $56,000.00

consulting $31,000.00

Also funds 5 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Oct 12, 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: 100986907, 101059773, 101069326, 101072293.

Texas Sands PAC

$17,000.00

Cash: $17,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $17,000.00

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 9, 2024 to Sep 29, 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: 100986907, 101032801, 101059773, 101072293.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses9

For: 7
Against: 1
On: 1

Names

For

ACLU of Texas1 registration
Common Cause Texas1 registration
Self2 registrations
Self; Texas Democratic Party1 registration
Self; The Libertarian Party of Texas1 registration
Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration

Against

Self1 registration

On

Texas Secretary of State1 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 · March 10, 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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R HB 3174

by Rep. Bucy, same lead author · Died in committee · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 15, 2023: Referred to Elections

Relating to requirements for counties posting election information on an Internet website.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/17/2025 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 · Elections · Committee vote 8 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

County Government--General

Elections--General

Electronic Information Systems

INTERNET

Text

The text as introduced · 162 words

89R1515 PRL-D

By: Bucy
H.B. No. 657

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to requirements for counties posting election information

on an Internet website.

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

SECTION 1. Section 31.125, Election Code, is amended by

adding Subsections (b-1) and (b-2) to read as follows:

(b-1) Except as provided by Subsection (b-2), a county shall

use the top-level domain ".gov" for an Internet website used to post

election information as required by this code.

(b-2) For purposes of Subsection (b-1), a county may use the

top-level domain ".texas.gov" if:

(1) ".gov" is unavailable; or

(2) on September 1, 2025, the county is using

".texas.gov".

SECTION 2. A county shall comply with the requirements of

Sections 31.125(b-1) and (b-2), Election Code, as added by this

Act, as soon as practicable after the effective date of this Act but

not later than September 1, 2026.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.