SB 1548
bill drops the 20,000-signature cap on charter petitions
Died in committee
Verdict: No flags
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 requirements for a petition proposing an amendment to the charter of a home-rule municipality.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Five percent of qualified voters is the only test left.
This bill removes the 20,000-signature cap on petitions that force a city council to put a charter amendment on the ballot, so the only test left is signatures from five percent of the city's qualified voters. It touches voters and petition organizers in home-rule cities, and it matters most in large cities where five percent of voters is far more than 20,000 people. In those big cities, citizen groups will need many more signatures to force a charter election, starting with petitions submitted on or after September 1, 2025.
Labels
Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the Senate Local Government committee on Mar 24, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-SB1548 · 2025-02-21
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to the requirements for a petition proposing an amendment to the charter of a home-rule municipality.
WHAT IT DOES
Five percent of qualified voters is the only test left.
This bill removes the 20,000-signature cap on petitions that force a city council to put a charter amendment on the ballot, so the only test left is signatures from five percent of the city's qualified voters. It touches voters and petition organizers in home-rule cities, and it matters most in large cities where five percent of voters is far more than 20,000 people. In those big cities, citizen groups will need many more signatures to force a charter election, starting with petitions submitted on or after September 1, 2025.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source
Sources
Fiscal note · version I · March 21, 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
- Received by the Secretary of the Senate
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to Local Government
- Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- Considered in public hearing
- Testimony taken in committee
- Left pending in committee
FILED UNDER
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
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.
Killam Development Ltd.$72,700.00
Killam Development Ltd.
$72,700.00
- Cash
- $10,000.00
- Paid by others
- $62,700.00
- Total
- $72,700.00
Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Dec 9, 2024 to Sep 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 16, 2025 to Aug 20, 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: 101011018, 101057658.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$60,000.00
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC
$60,000.00
- Cash
- $60,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $60,000.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Nov 11, 2024 to Aug 31, 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: 100959783, 100987492, 101011018, 101035338, 101057658.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Killam Development Ltd.
$72,700.00
- Cash
- $10,000.00
- Paid by others
- $62,700.00
- Total
- $72,700.00
Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Dec 9, 2024 to Sep 28, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.
Sources
Derived itemized flow · Dec 16, 2025 to Aug 20, 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: 101011018, 101057658.
Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC
$60,000.00
- Cash
- $60,000.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $60,000.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Nov 11, 2024 to Aug 31, 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: 100959783, 100987492, 101011018, 101035338, 101057658.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source
Sources
Fiscal note · version I · March 21, 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.
Sources
Texas Senate · Filed Feb 21, 2025
03/24/2025 S Left pending in committee
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
Subjects
City Government--General
County Government--General
Text
The text as introduced · 192 words
89R1603 AMF-D By: Zaffirini S.B. No. 1548 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to the requirements for a petition proposing an amendment to the charter of a home-rule municipality. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 9.004(a), Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows: (a) Except as provided by Section 9.0045, the governing body of a municipality on its own motion may submit a proposed charter amendment to the municipality's qualified voters for their approval at an election. The governing body shall submit a proposed charter amendment to the voters for their approval at an election if the submission is supported by a petition signed by a number of qualified voters of the municipality equal to at least five percent of the number of qualified voters of the municipality [ or 20,000, whichever number is the smaller ]. SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only to a petition proposing a charter amendment that is submitted to a municipality on or after the effective date of this Act. SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.