SB 1397

new 504th district court for Ellis County

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 creation of an additional judicial district in Ellis County.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Ellis County gets one more district court. That’s the bill.

The bill creates a new state district court, the 504th Judicial District, covering Ellis County. It touches Ellis County residents, lawyers and litigants, who gain one more district court to hear their cases. On the ground, the county gets an additional district court as soon as the Act takes effect, either immediately or on September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 136 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 136 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 19, 2025 and referred to the Senate Jurisprudence committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1397 · 2025-02-19

SOLD BY

Sen. Bob HallRSenate 2

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to the creation of an additional judicial district in Ellis County.

WHAT IT DOES

Ellis County gets one more district court. That’s the bill.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Feb 19, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Feb 19, 2025Filed
Mar 5, 2025Co-author authorized
Mar 6, 2025Read first time
Mar 6, 2025Referred to Jurisprudence

FILED UNDER

GOVERNMENT GROWTH UNDER A CONSERVATIVE BANNER

THE TEXT

“The 504th Judicial District is created on the effective date of this Act.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill creates a new district court for Ellis County, which adds a new judgeship and the court staff that goes with it.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Bob Hall

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$135K Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC$116K Bryan Hughes Campaign$100K

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 · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 23, 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$135,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$135,000.00

Cash: $129,000.00
Paid by others: $6,000.00
Total: $135,000.00

polling $6,000.00

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 · Sep 12, 2024 to Oct 23, 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: 100987789, 101010195, 101040645, 101069307, 101073278.

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC$116,000.00

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC

$116,000.00

Cash: $110,000.00
Paid by others: $6,000.00
Total: $116,000.00

polling $6,000.00

Also funds 30 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 3, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 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: 101010195, 101033131, 101073278.

Bryan Hughes Campaign$100,000.00

Bryan Hughes Campaign

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 29, 2026 to Oct 5, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 29, 2026 to Oct 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: 101073278.

Money

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$135,000.00

Cash: $129,000.00
Paid by others: $6,000.00
Total: $135,000.00

polling $6,000.00

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 · Sep 12, 2024 to Oct 23, 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: 100987789, 101010195, 101040645, 101069307, 101073278.

Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC

$116,000.00

Cash: $110,000.00
Paid by others: $6,000.00
Total: $116,000.00

polling $6,000.00

Also funds 30 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 3, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 27, 2025 to Oct 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: 101010195, 101033131, 101073278.

Bryan Hughes Campaign

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 29, 2026 to Oct 5, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 29, 2026 to Oct 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: 101073278.

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 19, 2025

03/06/2025 S Referred to Jurisprudence

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Coauthors

Brian BirdwellRSenate 22

Senate committee · Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

ELLIS COUNTY

Courts--County & Statutory

Courts--General

Text

The text as introduced · 136 words

89R10372 BCH-D

By: Hall
S.B. No. 1397

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the creation of an additional judicial district in

Ellis County.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 24, Government Code, is

amended by adding Section 24.60049 to read as follows:

Sec. 24.60049. 504TH JUDICIAL DISTRICT (ELLIS COUNTY). The

504th Judicial District is composed of Ellis County.

SECTION 2. The 504th Judicial District is created on the

effective date of this Act.

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.