HB 723

School Bus Camera Bill Waits Until 2027, Exempts Existing Systems

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review

Rep. Barbara Gervin-HawkinsDHouse 120

Both charges, and why

Delayed start

THE TEXT

…“not required to comply with that section before September 1, 2027.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

Nobody has to install cameras or report offenses before September 1, 2027, even though the Act takes effect September 1, 2025. That compliance date lands after the next general election day.

Delayed start

The hole

THE TEXT

…“monitoring system before September 1, 2025, is not required to”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

A local authority or school district that implemented a bus camera system before September 1, 2025 is excused from the entire section, not just the installation duty, so Subsection (d)'s required reporting never applies to it. The caption promises required reporting of offenses recorded by these systems, yet the systems that exist when the Act takes effect carry no reporting duty under the text.

The hole

Initial review · graded Oct 21, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to school bus monitoring systems and the required reporting of certain offenses recorded by those systems.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Had bus cameras before September 1, 2025? The reporting duty never applies.

The bill requires every local authority and school district to put a camera on each school bus it owns or operates to carry students, and lets it hire a contractor to install the cameras. The authority or district must immediately report to local police any offense under Section 545.066 or under Penal Code Title 5, 6, or 9 that a camera records, hand over the images, and the images can be used as evidence; the bill also carves these cameras out of the existing ban on photographic traffic enforcement. Any authority or district that already had a bus camera system before September 1, 2025 is excused from the whole section, and everyone else has until September 1, 2027 before they must comply.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the House Transportation committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB723 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Barbara Gervin-HawkinsDHouse 120

ITEM

relating to school bus monitoring systems and the required reporting of certain offenses recorded by those systems.

WHAT IT DOES

Had bus cameras before September 1, 2025? The reporting duty never applies.

CHARGES

[x] DELAYED STARTanalysis confidence 80%

THE TEXT

…“not required to comply with that section before September 1, 2027.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

Nobody has to install cameras or report offenses before September 1, 2027, even though the Act takes effect September 1, 2025. That compliance date lands after the next general election day.

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 50%

THE TEXT

…“monitoring system before September 1, 2025, is not required to”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Nov 12, 2024Filed
Mar 4, 2025Read first time
Mar 4, 2025Referred to Transportation

FILED UNDER

SURVEILLANCE STATE

THE TEXT

…“offense under Section 545.066 or an offense under Title 5, 6, or 9,”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill requires a camera on every school bus and requires recorded images of offenses under Section 545.066 and under Penal Code Title 5, 6, or 9 to go to law enforcement and be usable as evidence.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Barbara Gervin-Hawkins

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$36K Texas Sands PAC$34K Legacy 44$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 · Aug 6, 2024 to Feb 21, 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$36,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$36,000.00

Cash: $36,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $36,000.00

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 · Sep 20, 2024 to Feb 21, 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: 100981675, 101026167, 101035798, 101038806.

Texas Sands PAC$34,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$34,000.00

Cash: $34,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $34,000.00

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 · Oct 1, 2024 to Feb 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: 100981675, 101038806.

Legacy 44$17,000.00

Legacy 44

$17,000.00

Cash: $1,000.00
Paid by others: $16,000.00
Total: $17,000.00

digital $16,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 18, 2024 to Feb 20, 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: 100981675, 101038806.

Money

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

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$36,000.00

Cash: $36,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $36,000.00

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 · Sep 20, 2024 to Feb 21, 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: 100981675, 101026167, 101035798, 101038806.

Texas Sands PAC

$34,000.00

Cash: $34,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $34,000.00

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 · Oct 1, 2024 to Feb 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: 100981675, 101038806.

Legacy 44

$17,000.00

Cash: $1,000.00
Paid by others: $16,000.00
Total: $17,000.00

digital $16,000.00

Also funds 33 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 21, 2024 to Oct 20, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 18, 2024 to Feb 20, 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: 100981675, 101038806.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Adversarial review by claude-fable-5-1 at high effort: Smells.

Analysis of text version I by claude-fable-5-1, Oct 21, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

03/04/2025 H Referred to Transportation: Mar 4 2025 3:37PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Transportation · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Law Enforcement

Vehicles & Traffic--Rules of Road

SCHOOL BUSES & SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS

VIDEO CAMERAS

Text

The text as introduced · 437 words

89R3639 AJZ-D

By: Gervin-Hawkins
H.B. No. 723

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to school bus monitoring systems and the required

reporting of certain offenses recorded by those systems.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 542, Transportation Code,

is amended by adding Section 542.207 to read as follows:

Sec. 542.207. REQUIRED INSTALLATION OF SCHOOL BUS

MONITORING SYSTEMS; USE OF SYSTEM IMAGES FOR ENFORCEMENT OF CERTAIN

OFFENSES. (a) In this section, "school bus monitoring system"

means a camera installed on a school bus for the purpose of

detecting violations described by Section 545.066.

(b) A local authority or school district shall install a

school bus monitoring system on each school bus owned or operated by

the authority or district and used for the purpose of transporting

students to or from school or a school-sponsored or school-related

activity.

(c) A local authority or school district may contract for

the installation of a school bus monitoring system.

(d) A local authority or school district shall immediately:

(1) report to a local law enforcement agency an

offense under Section 545.066 or an offense under Title 5, 6, or 9,

Penal Code, that is captured by a recorded image produced by a

school bus monitoring system; and

(2) provide recorded images described by Subdivision

(1) to the law enforcement agency.

(e) A recorded image described by Subsection (d) may be used

as evidence in a proceeding for an offense described by that

subsection.

(f) Notwithstanding any other provision of this section, a

local authority or school district that implemented a school bus

monitoring system before September 1, 2025, is not required to

comply with this section.

SECTION 2. Section 707.020(a), Transportation Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, except as provided by

Section 542.207, a local authority may not implement or operate a

photographic traffic signal enforcement system with respect to a

highway or street under the jurisdiction of the authority.

SECTION 3. Section 707.021, Transportation Code, is amended

to read as follows:

Sec. 707.021. USE OF EVIDENCE FROM PHOTOGRAPHIC TRAFFIC

SIGNAL ENFORCEMENT SYSTEM PROHIBITED. Notwithstanding any other

law, except as provided by Section 542.207, a local authority may

not issue a civil or criminal charge or citation for an offense or

violation based on a recorded image produced by a photographic

traffic signal enforcement system.

SECTION 4. Notwithstanding Section 542.207, Transportation

Code, as added by this Act, a local authority or school district is

not required to comply with that section before September 1, 2027.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.