HB 875

Spiller Bill Lets Cities Skip Workers’ Comp On Small Jobs

Did not pass

Verdict: Smells

SmellsReviewed

Rep. David SpillerRHouse 68

Why it's charged

Caption mismatch

THE TEXT

“require the contractor to obtain a performance bond.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The caption says the bill is about bid bonding requirements, but the operative text waives performance bonds, which are a different guarantee. The caption names one kind of bond and the body drops another.

Caption mismatch

Reviewed · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to workers' compensation insurance coverage and bid bonding requirements for small municipal construction projects.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Caption: bid bonding. Bill: drops performance bonds on jobs under 1% of the budget.

The bill lets a Texas city skip two usual protections on construction contracts worth less than one percent of the city's latest adopted budget: making sure the contractor carries workers' compensation insurance, and requiring the contractor to get a performance bond. It touches cities, the contractors they hire, and the workers on those job sites. A project counts as all work at one location within 12 months, so on smaller city jobs, crews may work without required workers' comp coverage and the city may have no bond to fall back on if the contractor fails to finish, starting with contracts signed on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 3406 (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 3406 (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 Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee 7-1 on May 2, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 14, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB875 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. David SpillerRHouse 68

ITEM

relating to workers' compensation insurance coverage and bid bonding requirements for small municipal construction projects.

WHAT IT DOES

Caption: bid bonding. Bill: drops performance bonds on jobs under 1% of the budget.

CHARGES

[x] CAPTION MISMATCHanalysis confidence 50%

THE TEXT

“require the contractor to obtain a performance bond.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 6, 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 5, 2025Read first time
Mar 5, 2025Referred to s/c on Workforce by Speaker
Apr 29, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 29, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 29, 2025Committee substitute considered in s/c
Apr 29, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 29, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
May 2, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
May 2, 2025Considered in formal meeting
May 2, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
May 2, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
May 10, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 10, 2025Committee report distributed
May 10, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 12, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 14, 2025Placed on General State Calendar

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

David Spiller

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40KMax Poynor$10,000Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10K

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$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 24, 2025 to Oct 18, 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: 101009978, 101031338, 101071836.

Max Poynor$10,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

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 Jun 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: 100987103, 101057871.

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 24, 2025 to Oct 18, 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: 101009978, 101031338, 101071836.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash: $10,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $10,000.00

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 Jun 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: 100987103, 101057871.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses8

For: 3
Against: 4
On: 1

Names

For

Brownwood Area Chamber of Commerce1 registration
IEC of Texas1 registration
Self; City of Brownwood1 registration

Against

City of Houston1 registration
Self; Every Texan (formerly CPPP)1 registration
Self; TSEU1 registration
Texas AFL-CIO1 registration

On

TDI, Division of Workers’ Compensation1 registration

Sources

8 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 6, 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 3406

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

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 16, 2023: Referred to Business & Industry

Relating to workers' compensation insurance coverage and bid bonding requirements for small municipal construction projects.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

05/14/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 3:08 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Committee vote 7 aye, 1 nay, 3 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 1890 by Perry (identical)

Subjects

City Government--General

Labor--Workers' Compensation

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION

CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING MATERIALS

CONSTRUCTION & HEAVY EQUIPMENT

CONTRACTORS & SUBCONTRACTORS

Text

The text as introduced · 222 words

89R3264 SCL-D

By: Spiller
H.B. No. 875

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to workers' compensation insurance coverage and bid

bonding requirements for small municipal construction projects.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter Z, Chapter 271, Local Government

Code, is amended by adding Section 271.909 to read as follows:

Sec. 271.909. WORKERS' COMPENSATION AND BID BONDING

REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL MUNICIPAL CONSTRUCTION PROJECTS. (a) In

this section, "project" includes all work to be completed on a

construction project for a municipality at one location within 12

months of the date the work begins.

(b) Notwithstanding any other law, for a construction

project contracted for an amount that is less than one percent of

the total amount of a municipality's most recently adopted budget,

the municipality is not required to:

(1) ensure that the contractor is covered by workers'

compensation insurance coverage; or

(2) require the contractor to obtain a performance

bond.

(c) For the purpose of determining the contracted amount of

a construction project under Subsection (b), a municipality may not

aggregate work from more than one project.

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to a contract entered into on or after the effective date of this

Act.

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