SB 1331
Hancock’s bill on repealing civil service for police and firefighters
Died in committee
Verdict: No flags
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 repeal of a municipal civil service system for firefighters and police officers in certain municipalities.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Petition cutoff drops from under 950,000 people to under 70,000.
The bill shrinks the group of cities whose voters can petition to end the civil service system for their police and firefighters, lowering the population cutoff from under 950,000 to under 70,000. It touches residents, police officers and firefighters in civil service cities with populations from 70,000 up to 950,000, who lose the petition-and-election route to repeal. Petitions that already have an election ordered still go forward under the old rule, and the change takes effect immediately with a two-thirds vote or otherwise on September 1, 2025.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB1331 · 2025-02-14
SOLD BY
+ 1 coauthor
ITEM
relating to the repeal of a municipal civil service system for firefighters and police officers in certain municipalities.
WHAT IT DOES
Petition cutoff drops from under 950,000 people to under 70,000.
The bill shrinks the group of cities whose voters can petition to end the civil service system for their police and firefighters, lowering the population cutoff from under 950,000 to under 70,000. It touches residents, police officers and firefighters in civil service cities with populations from 70,000 up to 950,000, who lose the petition-and-election route to repeal. Petitions that already have an election ordered still go forward under the old rule, and the change takes effect immediately with a two-thirds vote or otherwise on September 1, 2025.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source
Sources
Fiscal note · version I · May 2, 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
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Local Government
- Co-author authorized
- Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- Considered in public hearing
- Testimony taken in committee
- Left pending in committee
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
Top donors to Texans for Kelly Hancock SPAC during his Senate service. Not tied to this bill.
Sources
Gifts to Texans for Kelly Hancock SPAC dated July 1, 2024 to June 18, 2025, while he served in the Senate.
Derived from itemized gifts. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
MoneyMissing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source
Sources
Fiscal note · version I · May 2, 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 14, 2025
05/05/2025 S Left pending in committee
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
Senate committee · Local Government · Final status: Died in committee
Companion
HB 2713 by Darby (identical)
Subjects
City Government--Employees/Officers
Fire Fighters & Police--General
Text
The text as introduced · 268 words
89R9715 MZM-F By: Hancock S.B. No. 1331 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the repeal of a municipal civil service system for firefighters and police officers in certain municipalities. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 143.004(e), Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows: (e) If the governing body of a municipality with a population of less than 70,000 [ 950,000 ] that has operated under this chapter for at least one year receives a petition requesting an election to repeal this chapter that is signed by at least 10 percent of the qualified voters of the municipality, the governing body shall order an election submitting to the voters the question on whether this chapter should be repealed. If a majority of the qualified voters vote to repeal this chapter, this chapter is void in that municipality. SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to a petition for which an election has not been ordered before the effective date of this Act. A petition for which an election has been ordered before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law in effect when the election was ordered, and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this Act takes effect September 1, 2025.