SB 1433: Attorney General Can Block Requests For Lawmakers’ Records

Caption

relating to the assertion of legislative privilege by the attorney general in certain legal challenges to the constitutionality of state statutes.

Caption from analyzed text · version F.

Summary

Lawmakers never have to step in. Then 30 days to show who it represents.

The bill lets the attorney general claim legislative privilege for the state, a state agency or a state official during discovery, hearings or trial in lawsuits challenging whether a state law is constitutional. The attorney general then has 30 days to show it actually represents someone who can properly claim that privilege, unless claiming it would create a conflict in that representation. This touches people suing the state over its laws, because the attorney general can now block requests for lawmakers' internal records and testimony without the lawmakers themselves stepping in.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1433 · 2025-02-19

SOLD BY

Sen. Paul BettencourtRSenate 7

ITEM

relating to the assertion of legislative privilege by the attorney general in certain legal challenges to the constitutionality of state statutes.

WHAT IT DOES

Lawmakers never have to step in. Then 30 days to show who it represents.

The bill lets the attorney general claim legislative privilege for the state, a state agency or a state official during discovery, hearings or trial in lawsuits challenging whether a state law is constitutional. The attorney general then has 30 days to show it actually represents someone who can properly claim that privilege, unless claiming it would create a conflict in that representation. This touches people suing the state over its laws, because the attorney general can now block requests for lawmakers' internal records and testimony without the lawmakers themselves stepping in.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 11, 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

Feb 19, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Feb 19, 2025Filed
Mar 6, 2025Read first time
Mar 6, 2025Referred to State Affairs
Mar 13, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 13, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 13, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Mar 13, 2025Left pending in committee
Mar 20, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 20, 2025Vote taken in committee
Mar 24, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
Mar 24, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Apr 24, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Apr 28, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 28, 2025Record vote
Apr 28, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
Apr 28, 2025Record vote
Apr 29, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 29, 2025Record vote
Apr 29, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 29, 2025Passed
Apr 29, 2025Record vote
Apr 29, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 29, 2025Received from the Senate
Apr 30, 2025Read first time
Apr 30, 2025Referred to State Affairs
May 1, 2025Considered in formal meeting
May 1, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 6, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 6, 2025Committee report distributed
May 6, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 23, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 25, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 27, 2025Read 2nd time
May 27, 2025Passed to 3rd reading
May 27, 2025Record vote RV#3788
May 27, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 28, 2025Read 3rd time
May 28, 2025Passed
May 28, 2025Record vote RV#3892
May 28, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 28, 2025House passage reported
May 28, 2025Reported enrolled
May 30, 2025Signed in the Senate
Jun 1, 2025Signed in the House
Jun 1, 2025Sent to the Governor
Jun 20, 2025Signed by the Governor
Jun 20, 2025Effective on 9/1/25

FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

“The attorney general may assert legislative privilege on behalf of the state or a state agency or official during discovery, hearing, or trial”…

Bill text, enrolled version (F)

The bill gives the state's lawyer a new shield against discovery of legislative records and testimony in lawsuits challenging state laws.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 86 yea · 52 nay

Senate · 21 yea · 10 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 28, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · Apr 29, 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

Paul Bettencourt

Donors

Donors report through Friends of Paul Bettencourt.

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.

Money

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

Votes6

House May 28, 2025

Yea: 86
Nay: 52
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 4
Excused: 7

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3892

SB 1433 was passed by (Record 3892): 86 Yeas, 52 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 86 (published)
Nay: 52 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
Excused: 7 (derived from named list)

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

House May 27, 2025

Yea: 91
Nay: 48
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 7
Excused: 3

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3788

SB 1433 was passed to third reading by (Record 3788): 91 Yeas, 48 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 91 (published)
Nay: 48 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 7 (derived from named list)
Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 29, 2025

Yea: 21
Nay: 10
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 21, Nays 10. (Same as previous roll call)

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

Yea: 21 (published)
Nay: 10 (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 29, 2025

Yea: 21
Nay: 10
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 Bettencourt moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1433 at this time on its third reading and final passage: SB 1433, Relating to the assertion of legislative privilege by the attorney general in certain legal challenges to the constitutionality of state statutes. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 21, Nays 10.

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

Yea: 21 (published)
Nay: 10 (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 28, 2025

Yea: 21
Nay: 10
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 21, Nays 10. (Same as previous roll call)

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

Yea: 21 (published)
Nay: 10 (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 28, 2025

Yea: 21
Nay: 10
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 Bettencourt moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1433 at this time on its second reading: SB 1433, Relating to the assertion of legislative privilege by the attorney general in certain legal challenges to the constitutionality of state statutes. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 21, Nays 10.

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

Yea: 21 (published)
Nay: 10 (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.

Witnesses8

For: 3
Against: 3
On: 2

Names

For

Self3 registrations

Against

ACLU of Texas1 registration
Self1 registration
Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration

On

OAG1 registration
Self1 registration

Sources

8 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 I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 11, 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 F by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Feb 19, 2025

06/20/2025 E Effective on 9/1/25

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

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

Companion

HB 3022 by Smithee (identical)

Subjects

Courts--General

Legislature

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Text

The text as introduced · 213 words

89R12949 JRJ-F

By: Bettencourt
S.B. No. 1433

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the assertion of legislative privilege by the attorney

general in certain legal challenges to the constitutionality of

state statutes.

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

SECTION 1. Section 402.010, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subsections (e), (f), and (g) to read as follows:

(e) The attorney general may assert legislative privilege

on behalf of the state or a state agency or official during

discovery, hearing, or trial in an action described by this section

unless asserting the privilege would create a conflict in the

attorney general's representation of the state or a state agency or

official.

(f) The attorney general has 30 days from the date

legislative privilege is asserted under Subsection (e) to provide

evidence of representation of the state or a state agency or

official who may properly assert the privilege. The provision of

evidence of that representation on or before that date establishes

the attorney general's authority to assert legislative privilege

under Subsection (e).

(g) The attorney general's authority under Subsection (e)

is not exclusive and does not affect another person's ability to

assert legislative privilege in any matter.

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

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

House May 28, 2025

House May 27, 2025

Senate Apr 29, 2025

Senate Apr 29, 2025

Senate Apr 28, 2025

Senate Apr 28, 2025

For

Against

On

Companion