Monitoring the SessionSB 2085
Died in committee
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
relating to prohibiting the denial of a driver's license renewal for failure to appear in court, failure to pay a fine or cost, or failure to satisfy a judgment.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Unpaid fines or a missed court date no longer block a renewal.
The bill repeals Chapter 706 of the Transportation Code and two other driver's license sections, which ends the state's power to block a license renewal over a missed court date, an unpaid fine or cost, or an unpaid judgment. It touches Texas drivers with old court debts or missed appearances, the Department of Public Safety, and the courts that report those drivers. Drivers can renew their licenses despite those debts, and the fee account that paid for the program stays open but is no longer limited to paying DPS for running it.
Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 2050 (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 2050 (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.NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 7, 2025 and referred to the Senate State Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
89R-SB2085 · 2025-03-07
relating to prohibiting the denial of a driver's license renewal for failure to appear in court, failure to pay a fine or cost, or failure to satisfy a judgment.
Unpaid fines or a missed court date no longer block a renewal.
The bill repeals Chapter 706 of the Transportation Code and two other driver's license sections, which ends the state's power to block a license renewal over a missed court date, an unpaid fine or cost, or an unpaid judgment. It touches Texas drivers with old court debts or missed appearances, the Department of Public Safety, and the courts that report those drivers. Drivers can renew their licenses despite those debts, and the fee account that paid for the program stays open but is no longer limited to paying DPS for running it.
[ ] NONE FOUND
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
No verified beat found.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Not tied to this bill.
The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.
Derived itemized flow · Sep 4, 2024 to Nov 30, 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.
$15,000.00
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.
TeamDerived itemized flow · Oct 25, 2024 to Nov 3, 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: 100990780, 101043817.
$10,000.00
Also funds 131 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 8, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamDerived itemized flow · on Oct 24, 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: 101043817.
$8,833.00
Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Sep 1, 2024 to Sep 4, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
Derived itemized flow · on Nov 1, 2024. 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: 100990780.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
$15,000.00
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.
TeamDerived itemized flow · Oct 25, 2024 to Nov 3, 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: 100990780, 101043817.
$10,000.00
Also funds 131 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Jul 8, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
TeamDerived itemized flow · on Oct 24, 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: 101043817.
$8,833.00
Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.
Derived recipient stock · Sep 1, 2024 to Sep 4, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.
TEC account match.
Derived itemized flow · on Nov 1, 2024. 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: 100990780.
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.
Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.
by Sen. Miles, same lead author · Died in committee · reworked
Introduced textLast action, Mar 21, 2023: Referred to State Affairs
Relating to prohibiting the denial of a driver's license renewal for failure to appear in court, failure to pay a fine or cost, or failure to satisfy a judgment.
Caption, 88R bill history
Texas Senate · Filed Mar 7, 2025
03/24/2025 S Referred to State Affairs
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 · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee
Vehicles & Traffic--Driver's Licenses
The text as introduced · 241 words
89R396 AJZ-F By: Miles S.B. No. 2085 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to prohibiting the denial of a driver's license renewal for failure to appear in court, failure to pay a fine or cost, or failure to satisfy a judgment. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 133.124, Local Government Code, is amended to read as follows: Sec. 133.124. ALLOCATION OF FEES TO TRANSPORTATION ADMINISTRATIVE FEE ACCOUNT. The transportation administrative fee account is an account in the general revenue fund. The account consists of money allocated to the account under Section 133.102(e). [ Money in the account may be appropriated only to the Department of Public Safety to defray the administrative costs associated with implementing Chapter 706, Transportation Code. ] SECTION 2. Section 521.042(f), Transportation Code, is amended to read as follows: (f) Except as provided by Subsection (g) [ and Chapter 706 ], the department may not consider a record of a conviction of a license holder that is received by the department after the first anniversary of the date of the conviction in a decision to impose an enforcement action against the license holder, including a decision to suspend, revoke, or deny renewal of the license holder's driver's license. SECTION 3. The following provisions of the Transportation Code are repealed: (1) Section 521.317; (2) Section 521.3452(b); and (3) Chapter 706. SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.