Monitoring the Session

SB 1315

Local Tobacco Ban Near Schools Reaches Only Tobacco-Heavy Shops

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review
Sen. Molly CookDSenate 15
Why it's charged
The hole

THE TEXT

…“does not apply to an establishment whose gross receipts”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The caption pitches local power to ban tobacco and vape sales near schools and churches, but any store where these products make up under half of its sales is exempt. The ban reaches only tobacco-dominant shops, not every seller near those places.

The hole

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 county and municipal authority to prohibit the sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or tobacco products near certain locations.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Tobacco under half your sales? You’re exempt, even within 300 feet of a school.

The bill lets county commissioners courts and city councils ban the sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and tobacco products by stores within 300 feet of a church, public hospital or school, or within 1,000 feet of a school if the school board asks. School boards and private school governing bodies get a formal way to request that buffer. Any store that makes less than half its sales at that location from tobacco and vape products is exempt, so only shops built mainly around those products can be hit.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 14, 2025 and referred to the Senate State Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1315 · 2025-02-14

SOLD BY

+ 6 coauthors

ITEM

relating to county and municipal authority to prohibit the sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or tobacco products near certain locations.

WHAT IT DOES

Tobacco under half your sales? You’re exempt, even within 300 feet of a school.

The bill lets county commissioners courts and city councils ban the sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes and tobacco products by stores within 300 feet of a church, public hospital or school, or within 1,000 feet of a school if the school board asks. School boards and private school governing bodies get a formal way to request that buffer. Any store that makes less than half its sales at that location from tobacco and vape products is exempt, so only shops built mainly around those products can be hit.

CHARGES

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 55%

THE TEXT

…“does not apply to an establishment whose gross receipts”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The caption pitches local power to ban tobacco and vape sales near schools and churches, but any store where these products make up under half of its sales is exempt. The ban reaches only tobacco-dominant shops, not every seller near those places.

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to State Affairs
  5. Co-author authorized
  6. Co-author authorized
  7. Co-author authorized
  8. Co-author authorized
  9. Co-author authorized
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15KGregory Stocks$10,000Amber Alonso$6,500

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.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$15,000.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$15,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 13, 2024 to Jun 5, 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: 100987960, 101029944, 101057026.

Gregory Stocks$10,000.00
Amber Alonso$6,500.00
Money

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

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$15,000.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$15,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 13, 2024 to Jun 5, 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: 100987960, 101029944, 101057026.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

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 14, 2025

02/28/2025 S Referred to State Affairs

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Coauthors

Senate committee · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

HB 3965 by Johnson (identical)

Subjects

County Government--General

Education--Primary & Secondary--Private

Education--School Districts

Health--General

Hospitals

Minors--Health & Safety

Religion

Tobacco Products

Text

The text as introduced · 305 words

89R5070 MCF-F

By: Cook
S.B. No. 1315

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to county and municipal authority to prohibit the sale of

cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or tobacco products near certain

locations.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 161, Health and Safety

Code, is amended by adding Section 161.0895 to read as follows:

Sec. 161.0895. LOCAL REGULATION OF CIGARETTE, E-CIGARETTE,

OR TOBACCO PRODUCT SALES NEAR CERTAIN LOCATIONS. (a) Except as

provided by Subsection (c), the commissioners court of a county may

adopt an order applicable to unincorporated areas of the county and

the governing body of a municipality may adopt an ordinance

applicable within the municipality prohibiting the sale of

cigarettes, e-cigarettes, or tobacco products by an establishment

operating within:

(1) 300 feet of a church, public hospital, or public or

private primary or secondary school campus;

(2) 1,000 feet of a public primary or secondary school

campus on request of the school district board of trustees for the

campus; or

(3) 1,000 feet of a private primary or secondary

school campus on request of the governing body of the school.

(b) The board of trustees of a school district or governing

body of a private school may request the commissioners court of a

county or governing body of a municipality to adopt a prohibition

described by Subsection (a)(2) or (3) for a district or school

campus within the described area.

(c) A county order or municipal ordinance adopted under this

section does not apply to an establishment whose gross receipts

from the sale of cigarettes, e-cigarettes, and tobacco products is

less than 50 percent of the establishment's total gross receipts at

the establishment's premises within an area described by Subsection

(a)(1), (2), or (3).

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.