Monitoring the Session

SB 1465

bill requiring life jackets on boats 16 feet or longer

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Juan "Chuy" HinojosaDSenate 20

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 personal flotation device requirements for certain recreational vessels.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Everyone on board wears one while the boat is moving.

The bill requires every person on board a recreational boat 16 feet or longer to wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket while the boat is moving. It touches recreational boaters, their passengers and anyone who runs a pleasure boat of that size on Texas waters. Starting September 1, 2025, simply having life jackets on board is no longer enough for these boats, because everyone has to actually wear one while under way.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 102 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 102 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 20, 2025 and referred to the Senate Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1465 · 2025-02-20

SOLD BY

Sen. Juan "Chuy" HinojosaDSenate 20

ITEM

relating to personal flotation device requirements for certain recreational vessels.

WHAT IT DOES

Everyone on board wears one while the boat is moving.

The bill requires every person on board a recreational boat 16 feet or longer to wear a Coast Guard-approved life jacket while the boat is moving. It touches recreational boaters, their passengers and anyone who runs a pleasure boat of that size on Texas waters. Starting September 1, 2025, simply having life jackets on board is no longer enough for these boats, because everyone has to actually wear one while under way.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

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 Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$18KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15KAssociated General Contractors of Texas PAC$15K

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 23, 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$17,500.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$17,500.00

Cash
$17,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$17,500.00

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 3, 2024 to Jun 27, 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: 100977616, 101009664.

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 · Jul 24, 2024 to Nov 25, 2024. 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: 100977616.

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC$15,000.00

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

$15,000.00

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

Also funds 120 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 25, 2024 to Jun 15, 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: 100977616, 101059341.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$17,500.00

Cash
$17,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$17,500.00

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 3, 2024 to Jun 27, 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: 100977616, 101009664.

×

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 · Jul 24, 2024 to Nov 25, 2024. 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: 100977616.

×

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

$15,000.00

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

Also funds 120 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 25, 2024 to Jun 15, 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: 100977616, 101059341.

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 20, 2025

03/06/2025 S Referred to Water, Agriculture, & Rural Affairs

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 · Water, Agriculture and Rural Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Parks & Wildlife--Water Safety

Safety

BOATS & BOATING

Text

The text as introduced · 102 words

89R9916 MP-D

By: Hinojosa of Hidalgo
S.B. No. 1465

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to personal flotation device requirements for certain

recreational vessels.

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

SECTION 1. Section 31.066, Parks and Wildlife Code, is

amended by adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:

(c-1) Each person on board a recreational vessel 16 feet or

more in length must wear a wearable personal flotation device of the

sort prescribed by the commandant of the Coast Guard while the

vessel is under way.

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