Monitoring the Session

HB 787

bill letting Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry workers jump your car

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Terri Leo WilsonRHouse 23

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 authorizing the Texas Department of Transportation to provide battery service to a vehicle transported on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry; authorizing a fee.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

After a hazardous gas check. Rules due December 1, 2025.

The bill lets trained ferry workers on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry try to jump-start a stalled car battery when the driver asks, after first checking for hazardous gas. It requires the Texas Department of Transportation to train ferry staff, supply and maintain gas detectors and jump-start equipment, and adopt rules by December 1, 2025. Drivers on that one ferry route can get a dead battery restarted on board, and the department may charge a cost-based fee for the service.

Labels

Labels: FEE INCLUDED. The caption of the graded version (introduced) reads: “relating to authorizing the Texas Department of Transportation to provide battery service to a vehicle transported on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry; authorizing a fee.”STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Transportation committee 12-0 on Mar 27, 2025. Taken up on the floor on Apr 28, 2025 and postponed. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB787 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Terri Leo WilsonRHouse 23

+ 2 coauthors

ITEM

relating to authorizing the Texas Department of Transportation to provide battery service to a vehicle transported on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry; authorizing a fee.

WHAT IT DOES

After a hazardous gas check. Rules due December 1, 2025.

The bill lets trained ferry workers on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry try to jump-start a stalled car battery when the driver asks, after first checking for hazardous gas. It requires the Texas Department of Transportation to train ferry staff, supply and maintain gas detectors and jump-start equipment, and adopt rules by December 1, 2025. Drivers on that one ferry route can get a dead battery restarted on board, and the department may charge a cost-based fee for the service.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 1, 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 Transportation
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Committee substitute considered in committee
  7. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Committee substitute considered in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  13. Committee report distributed
  14. Committee report sent to Calendars
  15. Considered in Calendars
  16. Placed on General State Calendar
  17. Read 2nd time
  18. Postponed 1/3/2030 12:00 PM
ALSO NOTED · NOT CHARGED (1)

NEW FEE, FUND, BOARD OR APPOINTEES · analysis confidence 40%

THE TEXT

“The department may charge a fee for providing the”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill authorizes a new service fee set by the department. The caption openly says it authorizes a fee and limits it to covering costs, so it is a minor instance.

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Terri Leo Wilson

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$525KTexas Conservative Majority PAC$50KDustin Burrows Campaign$45K

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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$525,040.28

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$525,040.28

Cash
$65,000.00
Paid by others
$460,040.28
Total
$525,040.28
advertising $253,649.00mail $170,891.28polling $35,500.00

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 Aug 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.

Report IDs: 100994567, 101011936, 101042004, 101042009, 101070547.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$50,000.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$50,000.00

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$50,000.00
Total
$50,000.00
canvassing $50,000.00

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 · on 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: 101042009.

Dustin Burrows Campaign$45,000.00

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$45,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$10,000.00
Total
$45,000.00
polling $10,000.00

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 31, 2025 to Feb 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: 101011936, 101028233, 101042004.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$525,040.28

Cash
$65,000.00
Paid by others
$460,040.28
Total
$525,040.28
advertising $253,649.00mail $170,891.28polling $35,500.00

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 Aug 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.

Report IDs: 100994567, 101011936, 101042004, 101042009, 101070547.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$50,000.00

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$50,000.00
Total
$50,000.00
canvassing $50,000.00

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 · on 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: 101042009.

×

Dustin Burrows Campaign

$45,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$10,000.00
Total
$45,000.00
polling $10,000.00

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 31, 2025 to Feb 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: 101011936, 101028233, 101042004.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses1
For
0
Against
0
On
1
Names

On

  • Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)1 registration
Sources

1 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · April 1, 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

04/28/2025 H Postponed

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.

Coauthors
Penny Morales ShawDHouse 148 Valoree SwansonRHouse 150

House committee · Transportation · Committee vote 12 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Environment--Air

Transportation--Miscellaneous

Vehicles & Traffic--Equipment

Water--Navigation & Ports

HAZARDOUS SUBSTANCES

TRANSPORTATION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 280 words

89R3505 BEE-D

By: Leo Wilson
H.B. No. 787

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to authorizing the Texas Department of Transportation to

provide battery service to a vehicle transported on the

Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry; authorizing a fee.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 342, Transportation Code,

is amended by adding Section 342.005 to read as follows:

Sec. 342.005. RESTARTING VEHICLE BATTERY ON GALVESTON-PORT

BOLIVAR FERRY. (a) At the request of a vehicle operator, a

qualified ferry employee may attempt to restart the battery of a

motor vehicle transported on the Galveston-Port Bolivar ferry

operated by the department. For purposes of this subsection, a

ferry employee is qualified to provide the service described by

this subsection if the employee has completed training described by

Subsection (c).

(b) Before providing the service described by Subsection

(a), a ferry employee must confirm the absence of hazardous gas.

(c) The department shall:

(1) offer training to ferry personnel regarding the

safe use of equipment to:

(A) detect hazardous gas; and

(B) restart a motor vehicle battery; and

(2) provide and maintain in good operating condition:

(A) equipment for detecting hazardous gas; and

(B) equipment for restarting a motor vehicle

battery.

(d) The department may charge a fee for providing the

service described by Subsection (a) in an amount set by the

department that is reasonable and necessary to cover the costs of

administering this section.

SECTION 2. Not later than December 1, 2025, the Texas

Department of Transportation shall adopt rules necessary to

administer Section 342.005, Transportation Code, as added by this

Act.

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