Monitoring the Session

SB 169

bill keeps prisons between 65 and 85 degrees

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. José MenéndezDSenate 26

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 temperature at which a facility operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is maintained.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Every facility the prison system runs, in Fahrenheit.

The bill requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to keep every facility it operates between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It touches the prison system, the people held in its facilities, and the staff who work there. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, but the department does not have to meet the temperature range until September 1, 2026.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 1213 by Rep. Rosenthal (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 HB 1213 by Rep. Rosenthal (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: 138 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 138 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 Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the Senate Finance committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB169 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

+ 3 more authors, 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to the temperature at which a facility operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is maintained.

WHAT IT DOES

Every facility the prison system runs, in Fahrenheit.

The bill requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to keep every facility it operates between 65 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. It touches the prison system, the people held in its facilities, and the staff who work there. The law takes effect September 1, 2025, but the department does not have to meet the temperature range until September 1, 2026.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Co-author authorized
  4. Read first time
  5. Referred to Finance
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

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 2, 2024 to Oct 5, 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.

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas$25,000.00

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jan 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 22, 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: 101065471.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 101012370, 101032316, 101072614.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 2, 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: 101032316.

Money

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

×

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jan 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 22, 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: 101065471.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 101012370, 101032316, 101072614.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 2, 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: 101032316.

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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R HB 1213

by Rep. Rosenthal, different lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Mar 3, 2023: Referred to Corrections

Relating to the temperature at which a facility operated by the Texas Department of Criminal Justice is maintained.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 12, 2024

02/03/2025 S Referred to Finance

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Coauthors

Senate committee · Finance · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

HB 489 by Rosenthal (identical)

HB 3443 by Reynolds (very similar)

Subjects

Corrections--Jails & Prisons

CRIMINAL JUSTICE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 138 words

89R3064 SCR-F

By: Menéndez, et al.
S.B. No. 169

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the temperature at which a facility operated by the

Texas Department of Criminal Justice is maintained.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter A, Chapter 501, Government Code, is

amended by adding Section 501.028 to read as follows:

Sec. 501.028. TEMPERATURE REQUIREMENTS AT DEPARTMENT

FACILITIES. The department shall ensure that the temperature in

each facility operated by the department is maintained at not less

than 65 degrees Fahrenheit or more than 85 degrees Fahrenheit.

SECTION 2. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice is not

required to comply with the requirements of Section 501.028,

Government Code, as added by this Act, until September 1, 2026.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.