HB 675: free copies of campaign finance reports, unless they’re online

Caption

relating to the imposition of charges by a governmental body for providing copies of public information under the public information law.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The fee is allowed only if three years of reports are posted online.

The bill bars a government body from charging for copies of campaign finance reports filed with it under the Election Code, unless it has posted all of those reports from the past three years on its website. It also lets the attorney general cancel or cut any public records charge when the body kept the records poorly or did not follow the public information law on that request. Local governments and other public bodies that receive campaign finance filings or charge for records are affected, and requesters of those records may pay less or nothing starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 613 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 613 (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.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on Apr 9, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Business & Commerce committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB675 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Cody VasutRHouse 25

+ 5 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the imposition of charges by a governmental body for providing copies of public information under the public information law.

WHAT IT DOES

The fee is allowed only if three years of reports are posted online.

The bill bars a government body from charging for copies of campaign finance reports filed with it under the Election Code, unless it has posted all of those reports from the past three years on its website. It also lets the attorney general cancel or cut any public records charge when the body kept the records poorly or did not follow the public information law on that request. Local governments and other public bodies that receive campaign finance filings or charge for records are affected, and requesters of those records may pay less or nothing starting September 1, 2025.

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 Delivery of Government Efficiency
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 25, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Mar 25, 2025Committee report distributed
Mar 25, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 1, 2025Considered in Calendars
Apr 8, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
Apr 8, 2025Read 2nd time
Apr 8, 2025Amended 1-Hopper
Apr 8, 2025Passed to engrossment as amended
Apr 8, 2025Record vote RV#85
Apr 9, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 9, 2025Passed
Apr 9, 2025Record vote RV#95
Apr 9, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 9, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 9, 2025Received from the House
Apr 14, 2025Read first time
Apr 14, 2025Referred to Business & Commerce

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 143 yea · 5 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · Apr 9, 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

Cody Vasut

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$13K Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC$11K

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 29, 2024 to Oct 19, 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$40,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash: $40,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $40,000.00

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 7, 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: 101005740, 101033392, 101072869.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$12,750.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$12,750.00

Cash: $12,500.00
Paid by others: $250.00
Total: $12,750.00

advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 100981647, 101005740, 101062767, 101072869.

Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC$11,000.00

Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC

$11,000.00

Cash: $11,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $11,000.00

Also funds 65 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 3, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Jun 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.

Report IDs: 100981647, 101033392, 101062767.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash: $40,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $40,000.00

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 7, 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: 101005740, 101033392, 101072869.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$12,750.00

Cash: $12,500.00
Paid by others: $250.00
Total: $12,750.00

advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 100981647, 101005740, 101062767, 101072869.

×

Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC

$11,000.00

Cash: $11,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $11,000.00

Also funds 65 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 3, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Jun 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.

Report IDs: 100981647, 101033392, 101062767.

Votes2

House Apr 9, 2025

Yea: 143
Nay: 5
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 0
Excused: 1

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 95

HB 675 was passed by (Record 95): 143 Yeas, 5 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 143 (published)
Nay: 5 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

House Apr 8, 2025

Yea: 146
Nay: 3
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 0
Excused: 0

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 85

HB 675, as amended, was passed to engrossment by (Record 85): 146 Yeas, 3 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 146 (published)
Nay: 3 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses6

For: 5
Against: 0
On: 1

Names

For

Freedom of Information Foundation of Texas1 registration
Self1 registration
Self; Texas Press Association1 registration
Self; Texas Right To Know1 registration
Texas Association of Broadcasters1 registration

On

Self1 registration

Sources

6 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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R HB 613

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

Introduced text

Last action, May 5, 2023: Referred to Business & Commerce

Relating to the imposition of charges by a governmental body for providing copies of public information under the public information law.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/14/2025 S Referred to Business & Commerce

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

Richard HayesRHouse 57

Janie LopezRHouse 37

Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148

Matt MorganRHouse 26

Steve TothRHouse 15

House committee · Delivery of Government Efficiency · Committee vote 13 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Open Records

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Text

The text as introduced · 259 words

89R2075 JON-F

By: Vasut
H.B. No. 675

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the imposition of charges by a governmental body for

providing copies of public information under the public information

law.

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

SECTION 1. Section 552.261, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (f) to read as follows:

(f) A governmental body may not impose a charge under this

subchapter for providing a copy of public information if the

information is a report required to be filed with the governmental

body under Subchapter C or D, Chapter 254, Election Code, unless all

of those reports filed with the governmental body during the

preceding three years are available to the public on the

governmental body's Internet website.

SECTION 2. Section 552.269, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (c) to read as follows:

(c) The attorney general may cancel or reduce any charge or

portion of a charge imposed by a governmental body under this

subchapter if the attorney general determines that the governmental

body:

(1) has not maintained the requested information in

accordance with standard recordkeeping practices; or

(2) failed to comply with this chapter with regard to

the request for public information for which the charge is imposed.

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

a request for public information received by a governmental body or

officer for public information on or after the effective date of

this Act.

SECTION 4. 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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

Texas Food & Fuel Assn. - PAC

House Apr 9, 2025

House Apr 8, 2025

For

On

88R HB 613