SB 1524: bill barring foster homes from listing weapon types

Caption

relating to the collection and confidentiality of information regarding weapons in agency foster homes; creating a civil penalty.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Agencies can’t make foster homes list their firearms.

The bill bars the state's child welfare agencies and the private child-placing agencies they contract with from making foster homes list the specific types of weapons, including firearms, in the home, or report changes in those types. Any weapon-type information those agencies already have may be used only to decide whether weapons are present, and it is kept confidential from public records requests. A private child-placing agency that misuses the information can face a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, collected by the attorney general, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 1229 by Rep. Cody Harris (Did not pass). 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.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1524 · 2025-02-21

SOLD BY

Sen. Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11

+ 2 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the collection and confidentiality of information regarding weapons in agency foster homes; creating a civil penalty.

WHAT IT DOES

Agencies can’t make foster homes list their firearms.

The bill bars the state's child welfare agencies and the private child-placing agencies they contract with from making foster homes list the specific types of weapons, including firearms, in the home, or report changes in those types. Any weapon-type information those agencies already have may be used only to decide whether weapons are present, and it is kept confidential from public records requests. A private child-placing agency that misuses the information can face a civil penalty of up to $5,000 per violation, collected by the attorney general, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 20, 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 21, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Feb 21, 2025Filed
Mar 6, 2025Read first time
Mar 6, 2025Referred to Health & Human Services
Mar 26, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 26, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 26, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Mar 26, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 10, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 10, 2025Vote taken in committee
Apr 14, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
Apr 14, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Apr 15, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Apr 22, 2025Co-author authorized
Apr 22, 2025Not again placed on intent calendar
Apr 29, 2025Placed on intent calendar
May 5, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
May 5, 2025Record vote
May 5, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
May 5, 2025Record vote
May 6, 2025Co-author authorized
May 6, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
May 6, 2025Record vote
May 6, 2025Read 3rd time
May 6, 2025Passed
May 6, 2025Record vote
May 6, 2025Reported engrossed
May 7, 2025Received from the Senate
May 8, 2025Read first time
May 8, 2025Referred to Human Services
May 20, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 20, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
May 20, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
May 21, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 21, 2025Committee report distributed
May 22, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 22 yea · 9 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · May 6, 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

Mayes Middleton

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1.14MRussell Gordy$300,000Kenneth Fisher$215,000

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 6, 2024 to Oct 24, 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$1,140,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,140,000.00

Cash: $1,140,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $1,140,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 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: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.

Russell Gordy$300,000.00

Kenneth Fisher$215,000.00

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,140,000.00

Cash: $1,140,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $1,140,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 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: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.

Votes4

Senate May 6, 2025

Yea: 22
Nay: 9
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 22, Nays 9. (Same as previous roll call)

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

Yea: 22 (published)
Nay: 9 (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 May 6, 2025

Yea: 22
Nay: 9
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 Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1524 at this time on its third reading and final passage: SB 1524, Relating to the collection and confidentiality of information regarding weapons in agency foster homes; creating a civil penalty. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 9.

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

Yea: 22 (published)
Nay: 9 (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 May 5, 2025

Yea: 22
Nay: 9
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 22, Nays 9. (Same as previous roll call)

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

Yea: 22 (published)
Nay: 9 (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 May 5, 2025

Yea: 22
Nay: 9
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 Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1524 at this time on its second reading: SB 1524, Relating to the collection and confidentiality of information regarding weapons in agency foster homes; creating a civil penalty. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 9.

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

Yea: 22 (published)
Nay: 9 (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.

Witnesses11

For: 6
Against: 3
On: 2

Names

For

Family Freedom Project1 registration
National Rifle Association1 registration
Self; Gun Owners of America1 registration
Self; Texas Gun Rights1 registration
Texas State Rifle Association2 registrations

Against

Self; GIFFORDS1 registration
Self; Texas Gun Sense1 registration
Texans Care for Children1 registration

On

Dept of Family and Protective Services1 registration
Health and Human Services Commission1 registration

Sources

11 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 20, 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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 1229

by Rep. Cody Harris, different lead author · Did not pass · same text

Introduced text

Last action, May 23, 2023: Co-sponsor authorized

Relating to the collection and confidentiality of information regarding firearms and ammunition in agency foster homes; creating a civil penalty.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Feb 21, 2025

05/22/2025 H Committee report sent to Calendars

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

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

Coauthors

Bob HallRSenate 2

Adam HinojosaRSenate 27

Companion

HB 1403 by Harris (identical)

Subjects

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

Family--Child Protection

Weapons

FOSTER CARE

FAMILY & PROTECTIVE SERVICES, DEPARTMENT OF

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION

Text

The text as introduced · 268 words

89R524 BDP-D

By: Middleton
S.B. No. 1524

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the collection and confidentiality of information

regarding weapons in agency foster homes; creating a civil penalty.

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

SECTION 1. Section 42.042, Human Resources Code, is amended

by adding Subsections (e-6), (e-7), (e-8), and (e-9) to read as

follows:

(e-6) The commission, the department, and a child-placing

agency that contracts with the department may not require an agency

foster home to:

(1) disclose the specific types of weapons, including

firearms, that are present in the home; or

(2) notify the child-placing agency if there is any

change in the types of weapons, including firearms, that are

present in the home.

(e-7) If the commission, the department, or a child-placing

agency that contracts with the department has or obtains

information relating to the types of weapons, including firearms,

that are present in an agency foster home, the commission,

department, or child-placing agency may not use that information

for any purpose other than determining whether there are weapons

present in the home.

(e-8) A child-placing agency that violates Subsection (e-7)

is liable to the state for a civil penalty in an amount not to exceed

$5,000 for each violation. The attorney general may bring an action

to recover a civil penalty authorized under this subsection.

(e-9) Information relating to the types of weapons,

including firearms, that are present in an agency foster home is

confidential and is not subject to disclosure under Chapter 552,

Government Code.

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Senate May 6, 2025

Senate May 6, 2025

Senate May 5, 2025

Senate May 5, 2025

For

Against

On

88R HB 1229

Companion