Monitoring the Session

SB 2299

Johnson Bill Makes Cities Ask The Legislature Before Changing Immunity

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Nathan JohnsonDSenate 16

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 authority of a home-rule municipality to adopt a charter, charter amendment, ordinance, or other measure affecting the municipality's governmental immunity.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

No charter election or local measure on the city’s lawsuit shield without a legislative resolution.

The bill bars a home-rule city from changing its own governmental immunity, the legal shield that limits lawsuits against it, through a charter amendment or a local ordinance unless the Legislature first passes a resolution approving it. It touches city councils, charter commissions and local voters, and it folds immunity changes into the same legislative pre-approval rule that already covers climate-related charter provisions. On the ground, a city cannot hold a charter election or enforce a local measure that changes its immunity without the Legislature's sign-off.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the Senate Local Government committee on Apr 28, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2299 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

Sen. Nathan JohnsonDSenate 16

ITEM

relating to authority of a home-rule municipality to adopt a charter, charter amendment, ordinance, or other measure affecting the municipality's governmental immunity.

WHAT IT DOES

No charter election or local measure on the city’s lawsuit shield without a legislative resolution.

The bill bars a home-rule city from changing its own governmental immunity, the legal shield that limits lawsuits against it, through a charter amendment or a local ordinance unless the Legislature first passes a resolution approving it. It touches city councils, charter commissions and local voters, and it folds immunity changes into the same legislative pre-approval rule that already covers climate-related charter provisions. On the ground, a city cannot hold a charter election or enforce a local measure that changes its immunity without the Legislature's sign-off.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 25, 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. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

…“measure that purports to change the municipality's governmental”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill locks a city's lawsuit shield in place by requiring the Legislature to approve any local measure that would change the city's governmental immunity.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Nathan Johnson

Donors

Daniel Cocanougher$250,000Texas Sands PAC$130KMarguerite Hoffman$125,000

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.

Daniel Cocanougher$250,000.00
Texas Sands PAC$129,500.00

Texas Sands PAC

$129,500.00

Cash
$129,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$129,500.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 27, 2024 to May 12, 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: 100990378, 101033698, 101040111, 101052272.

Marguerite Hoffman$125,000.00
Money

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

×

Texas Sands PAC

$129,500.00

Cash
$129,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$129,500.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 27, 2024 to May 12, 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: 100990378, 101033698, 101040111, 101052272.

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 · April 25, 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 11, 2025

04/28/2025 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

Text

The text as introduced · 341 words

89R15174 SCL-D

By: Johnson
S.B. No. 2299

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to authority of a home-rule municipality to adopt a

charter, charter amendment, ordinance, or other measure affecting

the municipality's governmental immunity.

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

SECTION 1. Section 9.0015, Local Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 9.0015. DEFINITION. In this chapter, "restricted

[ "climate ] charter provision " means a charter provision or proposed

charter amendment to a charter provision:

(1) establishing a comprehensive rule or policy

statement that purports to address climate change or the

municipality's environmental impact, including water and energy

use and air pollution ; or

(2) that purports to change the municipality's

governmental immunity .

SECTION 2. Section 9.004(d), Local Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(d) An amendment may not :

(1) contain more than one subject ; or

(2) except as provided by Section 9.0045, change a

municipality's governmental immunity .

SECTION 3. Section 9.0045, Local Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 9.0045. APPROVAL OF RESTRICTED [ CLIMATE ] CHARTER

PROVISION [ OR AMENDMENT TO CHARTER ] BY LEGISLATURE REQUIRED. A

municipality may not hold an election for voter approval of a

restricted [ proposed climate ] charter provision unless the

legislature adopts a resolution approving the restricted [ proposed

climate ] charter provision .

SECTION 4. Subchapter E, Chapter 51, Local Government Code,

is amended by adding Section 51.080 to read as follows:

Sec. 51.080. AUTHORITY TO CHANGE GOVERNMENTAL IMMUNITY. A

municipality may not adopt or enforce an ordinance, rule, or other

measure that purports to change the municipality's governmental

immunity unless the legislature adopts a resolution approving the

proposed ordinance, rule, or measure.

SECTION 5. 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.