Monitoring the Session

HB 871

bill updating city building codes from 2012 to 2021

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Ron ReynoldsDHouse 27

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 residential and commercial building codes of municipalities.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

New editions of the International Residential and Building Codes.

The bill updates the state's default municipal building codes from the 2012 editions of the International Residential Code and International Building Code to the 2021 editions. It touches every Texas city, plus builders, contractors and property owners who build, remodel or repair homes and commercial buildings inside city limits. Work that begins under agreements made on or after January 1, 2026 must meet the 2021 codes, and cities must adopt implementing rules by December 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 2409 (Died in committee) and this bill (Did not pass). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 2409 (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.ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 2 Republicans, 1 Democrat. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 16, 2025. Died in the Senate: received, never referred to a committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB871 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Ron ReynoldsDHouse 27 Rep. Matt MorganRHouse 26 Rep. Gary GatesRHouse 28

ITEM

relating to the residential and commercial building codes of municipalities.

WHAT IT DOES

New editions of the International Residential and Building Codes.

The bill updates the state's default municipal building codes from the 2012 editions of the International Residential Code and International Building Code to the 2021 editions. It touches every Texas city, plus builders, contractors and property owners who build, remodel or repair homes and commercial buildings inside city limits. Work that begins under agreements made on or after January 1, 2026 must meet the 2021 codes, and cities must adopt implementing rules by December 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 4, 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 Land & Resource Management
  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 formal meeting
  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. Amended 1-Reynolds
  19. Amended 2-Reynolds
  20. Passed to engrossment as amended
  21. Record vote RV#2718
  22. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  23. Read 3rd time
  24. Passed
  25. Record vote RV#2837
  26. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  27. Reported engrossed
  28. Received from the House
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 73 yea · 53 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 16, 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

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Ron Reynolds

Donors

Texas Sands PAC$30KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$25KTexas House Democratic Campaign Committee$7K

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.

Texas Sands PAC$30,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$30,000.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$30,000.00

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 5, 2024 to Feb 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.

Report IDs: 100982635, 101040208.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$25,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

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 · Nov 27, 2024 to Jan 16, 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: 100982635, 101028685, 101035822.

Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee$7,000.00

Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee

$7,000.00

Cash
$7,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$7,000.00

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Apr 30, 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: 101057584.

Money

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

×

Texas Sands PAC

$30,000.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$30,000.00

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 5, 2024 to Feb 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.

Report IDs: 100982635, 101040208.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

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 · Nov 27, 2024 to Jan 16, 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: 100982635, 101028685, 101035822.

×

Texas House Democratic Campaign Committee

$7,000.00

Cash
$7,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$7,000.00

Also funds 9 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 15, 2024 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Apr 30, 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: 101057584.

Votes2

House May 16, 2025

Yea
73
Nay
53
Present, not voting
3
Absent
6
Excused
15
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2837

HB 871 was passed by (Record 2837): 73 Yeas, 53 Nays, 3 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 73 (published)
  • Nay: 53 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 3 (published)
  • Absent: 6 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 15 (derived from named list)

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

House May 15, 2025

Yea
64
Nay
63
Present, not voting
2
Absent
5
Excused
16
Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2718

CSHB 871, as amended, was passed to engrossment by (Record 2718): 64 Yeas, 63 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 64 (published)
  • Nay: 63 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 16 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses15
For
12
Against
3
On
0
Names

For

  • City of Dallas1 registration
  • City of Fort Worth1 registration
  • City of Sugar Land1 registration
  • Environment Texas1 registration
  • Environmental Defense Fund1 registration
  • Lone Star Chapter Sierra Club1 registration
  • National Wildlife Federation1 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Texas chapter of US Green Building Council1 registration
  • South-central Partnership for Energy Efficiency as a Resource1 registration
  • Texas Housers1 registration
  • Texas Impact1 registration

Against

  • Self; Greater Fort Worth Builders Association, Texas Association of Builders1 registration
  • Texas Apartment Association1 registration
  • Texas Association of Builders1 registration
Sources

15 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 4, 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 2409

by Rep. Reynolds, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Apr 19, 2023: Left pending in committee

Relating to the residential and commercial building codes of municipalities.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

05/19/2025 S Received from the House

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Land & Resource Management · Committee vote 5 aye, 2 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

City Government--General

County Government--General

Special Districts & Authorities--Miscellaneous

Text

The text as introduced · 336 words

89R4633 JBD-F

By: Reynolds
H.B. No. 871

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the residential and commercial building codes of

municipalities.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 214.212(a) and (d), Local Government

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) To protect the public health, safety, and welfare, the

International Residential Code, as it existed on May 1, 2021

[ 2012 ], is adopted as a municipal residential building code in this

state.

(d) A municipality may review and consider amendments made

by the International Code Council to the International Residential

Code after May 1, 2021 [ 2012 ].

SECTION 2. Sections 214.216(a) and (d), Local Government

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(a) To protect the public health, safety, and welfare, the

International Building Code, as it existed on May 1, 2021 [ 2012 ], is

adopted as a municipal commercial building code in this state.

(d) A municipality may review and consider amendments made

by the International Code Council to the International Building

Code after May 1, 2021 [ 2012 ].

SECTION 3. (a) Sections 214.212 and 214.216, Local

Government Code, as amended by this Act, apply only to residential

or commercial construction, remodeling, alteration, enlargement,

or repair that begins under an agreement made on or after January 1,

2026, or that begins, in the absence of an agreement, on or after

that date. Residential or commercial construction, remodeling,

alteration, enlargement, or repair that begins under an agreement

made before January 1, 2026, or that begins, in the absence of an

agreement, before that date is governed by the law in effect when

the agreement was made or the activity began, as appropriate, and

that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

(b) Not later than December 1, 2025, municipalities shall

establish rules and take other necessary actions to implement

Sections 214.212 and 214.216, Local Government Code, as amended by

this Act.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.