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 authority of the governing body of a home-rule
municipality to submit a proposed charter amendment to the voters
for approval if application of the provisions of the amendment
would be contrary to state law.
Councils can’t put them on the ballot, petitions included.
The bill bars a Texas city council from putting a proposed city charter amendment on the ballot if applying that amendment would conflict with state law. It touches home-rule cities, their councils, and voters who want to change their city charter, including through petitions. On the ground, a council can no longer send voters a charter change that state law would override, starting September 1, 2025.
Labels
Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 10, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the State Affairs committee 10-5, no floor vote.
relating to the authority of the governing body of a home-rule
municipality to submit a proposed charter amendment to the voters
for approval if application of the provisions of the amendment
would be contrary to state law.
WHAT IT DOES
Councils can’t put them on the ballot, petitions included.
The bill bars a Texas city council from putting a proposed city charter amendment on the ballot if applying that amendment would conflict with state law. It touches home-rule cities, their councils, and voters who want to change their city charter, including through petitions. On the ground, a council can no longer send voters a charter change that state law would override, starting September 1, 2025.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Senator Parker moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1059 at this time on its third reading and final passage: SB 1059, Relating to the authority of the governing body of a home-rule municipality to submit a proposed charter amendment to the voters for approval if application of the provisions of the amendment would be contrary to state law. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 21, Nays 9.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 21 (published)
Nay: 9 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Senator Parker moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1059 at this time on its second reading: SB 1059, Relating to the authority of the governing body of a home-rule municipality to submit a proposed charter amendment to the voters for approval if application of the provisions of the amendment would be contrary to state law. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 21, Nays 9.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 21 (published)
Nay: 9 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
House committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 10 aye, 5 nay · Out of committee
Senate committee · Local Government · Committee vote 4 aye, 3 nay · Out of committee
Subjects
City Government--General
Text
The text as introduced · 243 words
89R8354 JBD-D
By: Parker, et al.
S.B. No. 1059
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the authority of the governing body of a home-rule
municipality to submit a proposed charter amendment to the voters
for approval if application of the provisions of the amendment
would be contrary to state law.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Section 9.004(a), Local Government Code, is
amended to read as follows:
(a) Except as provided by Sections 9.0041 and [ Section ]
9.0045, the governing body of a municipality on its own motion may
submit a proposed charter amendment to the municipality's qualified
voters for their approval at an election. The governing body shall
submit a proposed charter amendment to the voters for their
approval at an election if the submission is supported by a petition
signed by a number of qualified voters of the municipality equal to
at least five percent of the number of qualified voters of the
municipality or 20,000, whichever number is the smaller.
SECTION 2. Chapter 9, Local Government Code, is amended by
adding Section 9.0041 to read as follows:
Sec. 9.0041. AUTHORITY TO PROPOSE CHARTER AMENDMENT
CONTRARY TO STATE LAW. The governing body of a municipality may not
submit a proposed charter amendment to the voters for approval if
application of the provisions of the amendment would be contrary to
state law.
SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
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