Monitoring the SessionSB 1501
Died in committee
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
relating to the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of general obligation bonds by political subdivisions.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Percentages or amounts on the proposition are binding.
The bill requires a local government that issues voter-approved general obligation bonds to spend the bond money in the percentages or amounts stated on the ballot proposition. It touches cities, counties, school districts and other political subdivisions that ask voters for bond authority, and the voters who approve those bonds. Starting September 1, 2025, bond money cannot be shifted away from the split that voters were shown on the ballot.
Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 1939 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 1939 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.QUICK READ: 103 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 103 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 Local Government committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
89R-SB1501 · 2025-02-20
relating to the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of general obligation bonds by political subdivisions.
Percentages or amounts on the proposition are binding.
The bill requires a local government that issues voter-approved general obligation bonds to spend the bond money in the percentages or amounts stated on the ballot proposition. It touches cities, counties, school districts and other political subdivisions that ask voters for bond authority, and the voters who approve those bonds. Starting September 1, 2025, bond money cannot be shifted away from the split that voters were shown on the ballot.
[ ] NONE FOUND
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
THE TEXT
“A political subdivision shall allocate the proceeds from the issuance of general obligation bonds authorized by the voters in the percentage or amount stated in the ballot proposition”…
Bill text, introduced version (I)
The bill ties how local governments spend voter-approved bond debt to the split stated on the ballot.
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CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors report through Friends of Paul Bettencourt.
Not tied to this bill.
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.
MoneyMissing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.
by Sen. Bettencourt, same lead author · Died in committee · same text
Introduced textLast action, Mar 20, 2023: Referred to Local Government
Relating to the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of general obligation bonds by political subdivisions.
Caption, 88R bill history
Texas Senate · Filed Feb 20, 2025
03/06/2025 S Referred to Local Government
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
City Government--Finance
County Government--Finance
Political Subdivisions
BONDS
The text as introduced · 103 words
89R10347 JBD-D By: Bettencourt S.B. No. 1501 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of general obligation bonds by political subdivisions. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Chapter 1253, Government Code, is amended by adding Section 1253.004 to read as follows: Sec. 1253.004. ALLOCATION OF PROCEEDS. A political subdivision shall allocate the proceeds from the issuance of general obligation bonds authorized by the voters in the percentage or amount stated in the ballot proposition to authorize the issuance. SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.