Monitoring the Session

SB 1208

interfering with public duties becomes a state jail felony

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Phil KingRSenate 10

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 increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of interference with public duties.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Up from a Class B misdemeanor.

The bill raises the penalty for interfering with public duties from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony. It touches anyone accused under the existing offense of interfering with officials, such as police officers, carrying out their duties. Starting September 1, 2025, the same conduct carries felony-level punishment instead of a misdemeanor.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 15, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Criminal Jurisprudence committee 6-4, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1208 · 2025-02-10

SOLD BY

Sen. Phil KingRSenate 10

ITEM

relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of interference with public duties.

WHAT IT DOES

Up from a Class B misdemeanor.

The bill raises the penalty for interfering with public duties from a Class B misdemeanor to a state jail felony. It touches anyone accused under the existing offense of interfering with officials, such as police officers, carrying out their duties. Starting September 1, 2025, the same conduct carries felony-level punishment instead of a misdemeanor.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 8, 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. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Criminal Justice
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Vote taken in committee
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  10. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  11. Committee report printed and distributed
  12. Placed on intent calendar
  13. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  14. Record vote
  15. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  16. Record vote
  17. Three day rule suspended
  18. Record vote
  19. Read 3rd time
  20. Passed
  21. Record vote
  22. Reported engrossed
  23. Received from the Senate
  24. Read first time
  25. Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
  26. Considered in formal meeting
  27. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  28. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  29. Committee report distributed
  30. Committee report sent to Calendars
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 26 yea · 5 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · Apr 15, 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

Phil King

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$30KErle Nye, Jr.$20,000Gideon Powell$20,000

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 27, 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$30,300.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$30,300.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$300.00
Total
$30,300.00
fundraiser $300.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Sep 26, 2025. 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: 100982783, 101007450, 101026985.

Erle Nye, Jr.$20,000.00
Gideon Powell$20,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$30,300.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$300.00
Total
$30,300.00
fundraiser $300.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Sep 26, 2025. 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: 100982783, 101007450, 101026985.

Votes4

Senate Apr 15, 2025

Yea
26
Nay
5
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 26, Nays 5. (Same as previous roll call)

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

  • Yea: 26 (published)
  • Nay: 5 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 15, 2025

Yea
26
Nay
5
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator King moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 1208 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 26, Nays 5.

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

  • Yea: 26 (published)
  • Nay: 5 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 15, 2025

Yea
26
Nay
5
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 26, Nays 5. (Same as previous roll call)

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

  • Yea: 26 (published)
  • Nay: 5 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 15, 2025

Yea
26
Nay
5
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator King moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1208 at this time on its second reading: SB 1208, Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of interference with public duties. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 26, Nays 5.

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

  • Yea: 26 (published)
  • Nay: 5 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses18
For
11
Against
7
On
0
Names

For

  • City of Houston1 registration
  • Dallas Police Association1 registration
  • Fort Worth Police Department1 registration
  • Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP #391 registration
  • Houston Police Department1 registration
  • Phil Sorrells - Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney1 registration
  • Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
  • Self; Texas Telephone Association1 registration
  • Texas Municipal League1 registration
  • Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)1 registration
  • Texas Police Chiefs Association1 registration

Against

  • American Civil Liberties Union of Texas1 registration
  • Self4 registrations
  • Self; Equity Action1 registration
  • Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration
Sources

18 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

Senate witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 8, 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.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Feb 10, 2025

05/14/2025 H Committee report sent to Calendars

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed · House Committee Report

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

Sponsors
David CookRHouse 96 John LujanRHouse 118 AJ LouderbackRHouse 30 John McQueeneyRHouse 97 Giovanni CapriglioneRHouse 98

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Committee vote 6 aye, 4 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Criminal Justice · Committee vote 6 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

HB 3565 by Cook (identical)

Subjects

Crimes--Miscellaneous

Criminal Procedure--General

Criminal Procedure--Sentencing & Punishment

Text

The text as introduced · 162 words

89R8215 JDK-F

By: King
S.B. No. 1208

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of

interference with public duties.

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

SECTION 1. Section 38.15(b), Penal Code, is amended to read

as follows:

(b) An offense under this section is a state jail felony

[ Class B misdemeanor ].

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

to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.

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.