Police, fire and EMS departments, licensed homes or not.
The bill requires city police departments, fire departments and any other city department that provides emergency medical services to write policies for responding to emergencies at group homes. It covers group homes as defined in the Health and Safety Code, whether or not the home holds a license. Starting September 1, 2025, each covered city department must have procedures for an efficient emergency response that take into account the nature of group homes.
Labels
Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 24, 2025. Died in the House: never got out of the Intergovernmental Affairs committee.
relating to municipal first responder policies for emergencies
occurring at a group home.
WHAT IT DOES
Police, fire and EMS departments, licensed homes or not.
The bill requires city police departments, fire departments and any other city department that provides emergency medical services to write policies for responding to emergencies at group homes. It covers group homes as defined in the Health and Safety Code, whether or not the home holds a license. Starting September 1, 2025, each covered city department must have procedures for an efficient emergency response that take into account the nature of group homes.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records final passage. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Sources
CSSB 1138 (Miles) Relating to first responder policies for emergencies occurring at a group home in certain municipalities and counties. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 31 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records suspension of the three-day rule. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Sources
CSSB 1138 (Miles) Relating to first responder policies for emergencies occurring at a group home in certain municipalities and counties. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 31 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.
The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records passage to engrossment. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.
Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.
Sources
CSSB 1138 (Miles) Relating to first responder policies for emergencies occurring at a group home in certain municipalities and counties. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Witnesses7
For
4
Against
2
On
1
Names
For
Self1 registration
Self; Arlington Police Department3 registrations
Against
Texas Ambulance Association1 registration
Texas EMS Alliance1 registration
On
Harris County Commissioners Court1 registration
Sources
7 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.
Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
House committee · Intergovernmental Affairs · Final status: Died in committee
Senate committee · Health & Human Services · Committee vote 9 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee
Subjects
City Government--Employees/Officers
Fire Fighters & Police--General
Health--Emergency Services & Personnel
Housing--General
Mental Health & Substance Abuse
Text
The text as introduced · 166 words
89R10302 SCL-D
By: Miles
S.B. No. 1138
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to municipal first responder policies for emergencies
occurring at a group home.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 11, Local Government Code, is
amended by adding Chapter 349 to read as follows:
CHAPTER 349. MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS RELATED TO MUNICIPAL PUBLIC
SAFETY
Sec. 349.001. GROUP HOME POLICIES. (a) In this section,
"group home" has the meaning assigned by Section 769.001, Health
and Safety Code.
(b) A municipal police department, a municipal fire
department, and any other municipal department providing emergency
medical services shall develop policies to respond to an emergency
occurring at a group home, regardless of whether the group home
holds a license. In developing a policy under this subsection, a
municipal department shall establish any procedures necessary for
an efficient response to an emergency after considering the nature
of group homes.
SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.
Monitoring