SB 181

Prison Gender Assessment Bill Comes Down To One ‘May’

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review

Sen. José MenéndezDSenate 26

Why it's charged

List of feelings

THE TEXT

“The department may adopt a gender-responsive version of the instrument”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The only new language in the bill uses "may". It creates no duty, deadline, or consequence. The department can keep doing exactly what it does now.

List of feelings

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 authority of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to adopt a gender-responsive risk and needs assessment instrument.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The department “may” adopt a gender-responsive version. No duty, no deadline, no consequence.

The bill lets the Texas prison system adopt a separate version of its offender risk and needs assessment tool built for a specific gender. It touches the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and the adults in the state criminal justice system who are assessed with that tool. Nothing has to change on the ground, because the department may build the gender-specific version but is never required to.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 120 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 120 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 Criminal Justice committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB181 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Sen. José MenéndezDSenate 26

ITEM

relating to the authority of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to adopt a gender-responsive risk and needs assessment instrument.

WHAT IT DOES

The department “may” adopt a gender-responsive version. No duty, no deadline, no consequence.

CHARGES

[x] LIST OF FEELINGSanalysis confidence 50%

THE TEXT

“The department may adopt a gender-responsive version of the instrument”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The only new language in the bill uses "may". It creates no duty, deadline, or consequence. The department can keep doing exactly what it does now.

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Nov 12, 2024Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Nov 12, 2024Filed
Feb 3, 2025Read first time
Feb 3, 2025Referred to Criminal Justice

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

José Menéndez

Donors

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas$25K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10K

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.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 12, 2024

02/03/2025 S Referred to Criminal Justice

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Senate committee · Criminal Justice · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Corrections--Parole, Probation & Pardons

Criminal Procedure--General

Criminal Procedure--Sentencing & Punishment

CRIMINAL JUSTICE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 120 words

89R4675 BCH-F

By: Menéndez
S.B. No. 181

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of the Texas Department of Criminal

Justice to adopt a gender-responsive risk and needs assessment

instrument.

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

SECTION 1. Section 501.0921(a), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) The department shall adopt a standardized instrument to

assess, based on criminogenic factors, the risks and needs of each

offender within the adult criminal justice system. The department

may adopt a gender-responsive version of the instrument to assess

offenders of a specific gender that takes into account factors that

particularly affect that gender.

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