Monitoring the Session

SB 1879

Schwertner’s bill giving TDCJ land to Walker County

Became law

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Charles SchwertnerRSenate 5

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 transfer of certain state property from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to Walker County.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Exactly 14.999 acres. Precision!

The bill orders the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to hand a 14.999-acre tract of state land in Walker County over to Walker County. The county may use the land only for a justice center, and the land goes back to the state if the county uses it for anything else or does not use it for a justice center within 10 years. The bill also skips two Natural Resources Code sections that would otherwise apply to the transfer, and it takes effect right away or on September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: INSTANT LAW. Took effect immediately, on May 13, 2025. 833 of the 1,185 graded 89R laws took effect Sep 1, 2025 (derived from the bill histories, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1879 · 2025-03-04

SOLD BY

ITEM

relating to the transfer of certain state property from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to Walker County.

WHAT IT DOES

Exactly 14.999 acres. Precision!

The bill orders the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to hand a 14.999-acre tract of state land in Walker County over to Walker County. The county may use the land only for a justice center, and the land goes back to the state if the county uses it for anything else or does not use it for a justice center within 10 years. The bill also skips two Natural Resources Code sections that would otherwise apply to the transfer, and it takes effect right away or on September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 30, 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

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Local Government
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in public hearing
  9. Vote taken in committee
  10. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  11. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  12. Committee report printed and distributed
  13. Placed on local & uncontested calendar
  14. Laid before the Senate
  15. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  16. Vote recorded in Journal
  17. Three day rule suspended
  18. Record vote
  19. Read 3rd time
  20. Passed
  21. Record vote
  22. Reported engrossed
  23. Received from the Senate
  24. Read first time
  25. Referred to Corrections
  26. Considered in formal meeting
  27. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  28. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  29. Committee report distributed
  30. Committee report sent to Calendars
  31. Laid out in lieu of companion HB 3773
  32. Read 2nd time
  33. Passed to 3rd reading
  34. Record vote RV#664
  35. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  36. Read 3rd time
  37. Passed
  38. Record vote RV#793
  39. House passage reported
  40. Reported enrolled
  41. Signed in the Senate
  42. Signed in the House
  43. Sent to the Governor
  44. Signed by the Governor
  45. Effective immediately
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 147 yea · 0 nay

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · Apr 29, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · Apr 16, 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

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donors

Donors report through Texans for Charles Schwertner.

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 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.

Money

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

Votes5

House Apr 29, 2025

Yea
147
Nay
0
Present, not voting
2
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 793

SB 1879 was passed by (Record 793): 147 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 147 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House Apr 28, 2025

Yea
142
Nay
1
Present, not voting
1
Absent
5
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 664

SB 1879 was passed to third reading by (Record 664): 142 Yeas, 1 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

  • Yea: 142 (published)
  • Nay: 1 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 1 (published)
  • Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 16, 2025

Final passage

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records final passage. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

SB 1879 (Schwertner) Relating to the transfer of certain state property from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to Walker County. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 16, 2025

Suspension of the three-day rule

Yea
31
Nay
0
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records suspension of the three-day rule. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

SB 1879 (Schwertner) Relating to the transfer of certain state property from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to Walker County. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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

  • Yea: 31 (published)
  • Nay: 0 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 16, 2025

Passage to engrossment

Yea
Not printed
Nay
Not printed
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
Not printed
Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records passage to engrossment. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.

Sources

SB 1879 (Schwertner) Relating to the transfer of certain state property from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to Walker County. (viva voce vote) (31-0) (31-0)

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

  • Yea: Not printed
  • Nay: Not printed
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: Not printed
  • Excused: Not printed

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses1
For
0
Against
0
On
1
Names

On

  • Texas Department of Criminal Justice1 registration
Sources

1 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 I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 30, 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 Mar 4, 2025

05/13/2025 E Effective immediately

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

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 6:51 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Sponsors

House committee · Corrections · Committee vote 8 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · Local Government · Committee vote 6 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Companion

HB 3773 by Wharton (identical)

Subjects

WALKER COUNTY (G96ZI)

County Government--Land Use & Zoning

Property Interests--Real Property

Public Lands, Buildings & Resources

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions

CRIMINAL JUSTICE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 778 words

89R11047 RAL-F

By: Schwertner
S.B. No. 1879

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the transfer of certain state property from the Texas

Department of Criminal Justice to Walker County.

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

SECTION 1. (a) As soon as practicable, the Texas Department

of Criminal Justice shall transfer to Walker County the real

property interests of the State of Texas and the department in the

tract of land described by Subsection (f) of this section.

(b) Walker County may use the property transferred under

this Act only for a justice center. If Walker County uses the

property for any purpose other than the purpose described by this

subsection or if Walker County fails to use the property for the

purpose described by this subsection before the 10th anniversary of

the date of transfer, ownership of the property automatically

reverts to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

(c) The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall transfer

the property by an appropriate instrument of transfer. The

instrument of transfer must:

(1) provide that:

(A) Walker County may use the property only for a

justice center; and

(B) ownership of the property will automatically

revert to the Texas Department of Criminal Justice if Walker

County:

(i) uses the property for any purpose other

than the purpose described by Paragraph (A) of this subdivision; or

(ii) fails to use the property for the

purpose described by Paragraph (A) of this subdivision before the

10th anniversary of the date of the transfer; and

(2) describe the property to be transferred by metes

and bounds.

(d) The Texas Department of Criminal Justice shall retain

custody of the instrument of transfer after the instrument of

transfer is filed in the real property records of Walker County.

(e) Sections 31.158 and 31.159, Natural Resources Code, do

not apply to the transfer of real property authorized by this Act.

(f) The tract of land referred to in this section is

described as follows:

State of Texas 14.999 Acres

County of WALKER

EXHIBIT "A"

Field notes of a 14.999 acres (653,371 sq. ft.)out of a called

279.39 acres, lying and being situated in the P. Gray League, A-24,

Walker County, being the same land described in Volume 112, Page 52

of the Official Records of Walker County, Texas and being more

particularly described herein;

Beginning at a concrete monument found in the south margin of a 100'

wide road (FM 2821), being the east margin of a variable width

county road (Smith Hill Road), marking the northwest corner and

point of beginning of the herein described 14.999 acres;

Thence N 60°21'13" E, along and with the south margin of FM 2821 , a

distance of 159.94 feet to a concrete monument found, marking an

interior corner of the herein described 14.999 acres;

Thence continuing along and with the south margin of FM 2821 with a

curve to the right having a radius of 3780.30 feet, an arc length of

745.28, with a chord bearing of N 81°11'59" E , and a chord distance

of 744.07 feet to a concrete monument found for an interior corner

of the herein described 14.999 acres;

Thence N 86°58'17" E, continuing along and with the south margin of

FM 2821, a distance of 182.83 feet to a 1/2" iron rod set marked

"Campbell - Sandoval" from which a concrete monument found bears N

86°58'19" E, a distance of 557.10 feet marking the northeast corner

of the herein described 14.999 acres;

Thence S 03°53'37" E, departing the south margin of FM 2821, cutting

across and through the called 279.39 acre parent tract, a distance

of 634.00 feet to a 1/2" iron rod set marked "Campbell - Sandoval",

marking the southeast corner of the herein described 14.999 acres;

Thence S 85°53'14" W, cutting across and through the called 279.39

acre parent tract , a distance of 1067.85 feet to a 1/2" iron rod set

marked "Campbell - Sandoval" from which a 1/2" iron rod found bears

S 03°56'02" E, a distance of 121.33 feet, said point being in the

east margin of the aforementioned Smith Hill Road, marking the

southwest corner of the herein described 14.999 acres;

Thence N 03°56'02" W, along and with the east margin of Smith Hill

Road, a distance of 507.71 feet back to point of beginning and

containing 14.999 acres.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.