HB 917: bill letting prosecutors serve as attorneys ad litem

Caption

relating to a district or county attorney participating as counsel in certain proceedings.

Summary

One exception, under Chapter 262 of the Family Code.

This bill keeps the rule that a district or county attorney may not act as a lawyer against the state in any court, but adds one exception. The exception lets that attorney serve as an attorney ad litem appointed under Chapter 262 of the Family Code. Starting September 1, 2025, a sitting district or county attorney can take that court appointment even though it puts them on the other side from the state.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 1130 (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 1130 (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 25, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the Jurisprudence committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB917 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. David SpillerRHouse 68

ITEM

relating to a district or county attorney participating as counsel in certain proceedings.

WHAT IT DOES

One exception, under Chapter 262 of the Family Code.

This bill keeps the rule that a district or county attorney may not act as a lawyer against the state in any court, but adds one exception. The exception lets that attorney serve as an attorney ad litem appointed under Chapter 262 of the Family Code. Starting September 1, 2025, a sitting district or county attorney can take that court appointment even though it puts them on the other side from the state.

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 10, 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 6, 2025Read first time
Mar 6, 2025Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
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)
Apr 3, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 3, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 3, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 22, 2025Considered in Calendars
Apr 24, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
Apr 24, 2025Read 2nd time
Apr 24, 2025Passed to engrossment
Apr 24, 2025Record vote RV#517
Apr 24, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 25, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 25, 2025Passed
Apr 25, 2025Record vote RV#567
Apr 25, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
Apr 25, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 28, 2025Received from the House
Apr 29, 2025Read first time
Apr 29, 2025Referred to Jurisprudence

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 119 yea · 8 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · Apr 25, 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

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.

Votes2

House Apr 25, 2025

Yea: 119
Nay: 8
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 2
Excused: 20

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 567

HB 917 was passed by (Record 567): 119 Yeas, 8 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 119 (published)
Nay: 8 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
Excused: 20 (derived from named list)

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

House Apr 24, 2025

Yea: 138
Nay: 6
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 3
Excused: 1

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 517

HB 917 was passed to engrossment by (Record 517): 138 Yeas, 6 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 138 (published)
Nay: 6 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses3

For: 2
Against: 0
On: 1

Names

For

Conference of Urban Counties1 registration
Self1 registration

On

Self1 registration

Sources

3 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 10, 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 1130

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

Introduced text

Last action, Apr 26, 2023: Referred to Jurisprudence

Relating to a district or county attorney participating as counsel in certain proceedings.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/29/2025 S Referred to Jurisprudence

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 · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Committee vote 8 aye, 0 nay, 3 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 1457 by Hagenbuch (identical)

Subjects

Courts--Juries

Courts--Prosecuting Attorneys

Criminal Procedure--General

Family--Parent & Child

Text

The text as introduced · 222 words

89R3285 EAS-F

By: Spiller
H.B. No. 917

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to a district or county attorney participating as counsel

in certain proceedings.

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

SECTION 1. Article 2A.105(b), Code of Criminal Procedure,

is amended to read as follows:

(b) A district or county attorney may not:

(1) be of counsel adversely to the state in any case in

any court except as an attorney ad litem appointed under Chapter

262, Family Code ; or

(2) after the attorney ceases to be a district or

county attorney, be of counsel adversely to the state in any case in

which the attorney has been of counsel for the state.

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

to the prosecution of an offense committed on or after the effective

date of this Act. The prosecution of an offense committed before

the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect on

the date the offense was committed, and the former law is continued

in effect for that purpose. For purposes of this section, an

offense was committed before the effective date of this Act if any

element of the offense occurred before that date.

SECTION 3. 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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

House Apr 25, 2025

House Apr 24, 2025

For

On

88R HB 1130

Companion