Monitoring the Session

SB 2320

bill raising the penalties for DWI

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Phil KingRSenate 10

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 increasing the criminal punishment for certain driving while intoxicated offenses.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

0.15 or higher becomes a state jail felony.

The bill raises the penalties for driving while intoxicated in Texas. A first DWI moves from a Class B to a Class A misdemeanor, a first DWI with an open container also becomes a Class A misdemeanor, and a DWI with a 0.15 or higher alcohol level becomes a state jail felony instead of a Class A misdemeanor. A second DWI becomes a state jail felony instead of a Class A misdemeanor, starting with offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 9, 2025. Died in the House: failed to receive a favorable vote in the Criminal Jurisprudence committee on May 22, 2025.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2320 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

ITEM

relating to increasing the criminal punishment for certain driving while intoxicated offenses.

WHAT IT DOES

0.15 or higher becomes a state jail felony.

The bill raises the penalties for driving while intoxicated in Texas. A first DWI moves from a Class B to a Class A misdemeanor, a first DWI with an open container also becomes a Class A misdemeanor, and a DWI with a 0.15 or higher alcohol level becomes a state jail felony instead of a Class A misdemeanor. A second DWI becomes a state jail felony instead of a Class A misdemeanor, starting with offenses committed on or after September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($928,653)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version I · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 31, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB2320, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($12,684,504) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($928,653)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

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 Criminal Justice
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Vote taken in committee
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  10. Committee report printed and distributed
  11. Placed on intent calendar
  12. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  13. Vote recorded in Journal
  14. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  15. Vote recorded in Journal
  16. Three day rule suspended
  17. Record vote
  18. Read 3rd time
  19. Passed
  20. Record vote
  21. Statement(s) submitted
  22. Reported engrossed
  23. Received from the Senate
  24. Read first time
  25. Referred to Criminal Jurisprudence
  26. Referred directly to subcommittee by chair
  27. Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
  28. Considered by s/c in public hearing
  29. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
  30. Left pending in subcommittee
  31. Recalled from subcommittee
  32. Considered in formal meeting
  33. Left pending in committee
  34. Considered in formal meeting
  35. Failed to receive affirmative vote in comm.
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 28 yea · 2 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · Apr 9, 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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$30KErle Nye, Jr.$20,000Gideon Powell$20,000

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 · Oct 27, 2024 to Jun 30, 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$30,300.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$30,300.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$300.00
Total
$30,300.00
fundraiser $300.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Sep 26, 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: 100982783, 101007450, 101026985.

Erle Nye, Jr.$20,000.00
Gideon Powell$20,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$30,300.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$300.00
Total
$30,300.00
fundraiser $300.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Sep 26, 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: 100982783, 101007450, 101026985.

Votes3

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Yea
28
Nay
2
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 2. (Same as previous roll call)

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

  • Yea: 28 (published)
  • Nay: 2 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Yea
28
Nay
2
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Hancock, on behalf of Senator King, moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 2320 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 28, Nays 2.

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

  • Yea: 28 (published)
  • Nay: 2 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Yea
Not printed
Nay
Not printed
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
Not printed
Excused
1
Names

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

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

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

Sources

Senator Hancock, on behalf of Senator King, moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 2320 at this time on its second reading: SB 2320, Relating to increasing the criminal punishment for certain driving while intoxicated offenses. The motion prevailed. Senators Cook and Eckhardt asked to be recorded as voting "Nay" on suspension of the regular order of business. The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

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: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses14
For
11
Against
2
On
1
Names

For

  • Be A Blake Foundation1 registration
  • Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
  • Dallas Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot1 registration
  • Self1 registration
  • Self; 106th Judicial District Attorney1 registration
  • Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
  • Self; Major counties sheriffs of texas1 registration
  • Self; Sheriffs Association of Texas1 registration
  • Self; Sheriffs’ Association of Texas1 registration
  • Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)1 registration
  • Texas Police Chiefs Association1 registration

Against

  • Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration
  • Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association1 registration

On

  • Self1 registration
Sources

14 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
Net to General Revenue · FY 2026($928,653)

LBB estimate, flow · fiscal note version I · ( ) = negative · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 31, 2025

Estimated Two-year Net Impact to General Revenue Related Funds for SB2320, As Introduced: a negative impact of ($12,684,504) through the biennium ending August 31, 2027. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

First year · FY 2026 · ($928,653)

Probable Net Positive/(Negative) Impact to General Revenue Related Funds

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

05/22/2025 H Failed to receive affirmative vote in comm.

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed

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

House committee · Criminal Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Senate committee · Criminal Justice · Committee vote 7 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Criminal Procedure--Sentencing & Punishment

Vehicles & Traffic--DWI & DUID

Text

The text as introduced · 434 words

89R18103 CJD-F

By: King
S.B. No. 2320

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to increasing the criminal punishment for certain driving

while intoxicated offenses.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 49.04(b), (c), and (d), Penal Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(b) Except as provided by Subsections (c) and (d) and

Section 49.09, an offense under this section is a Class A [ B ]

misdemeanor, with a minimum term of confinement of 72 hours.

(c) If it is shown on the trial of an offense under this

section that at the time of the offense the person operating the

motor vehicle had an open container of alcohol in the person's

immediate possession, the offense is a Class A [ B ] misdemeanor,

with a minimum term of confinement of six days.

(d) If it is shown on the trial of an offense under this

section that an analysis of a specimen of the person's blood,

breath, or urine showed an alcohol concentration level of 0.15 or

more at the time the analysis was performed, the offense is a state

jail felony [ Class A misdemeanor ].

SECTION 2. Section 49.09(a), Penal Code, is amended to read

as follows:

(a) Except as provided by Subsection (b), [ an offense under

Section 49.04, 49.05, 49.06, or 49.065 is a Class A misdemeanor,

with a minimum term of confinement of 30 days, ] if it is shown on the

trial of the offense that the person has previously been convicted

one time of an offense relating to the operating of a motor vehicle

while intoxicated, an offense of operating an aircraft while

intoxicated, an offense of operating a watercraft while

intoxicated, or an offense of operating or assembling an amusement

ride while intoxicated :

(1) an offense under Section 49.05, 49.06, or 49.065

is a Class A misdemeanor with a minimum term of confinement of 30

days; and

(2) an offense under Section 49.04 is a state jail

felony .

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act. An

offense committed before the effective date of this Act is governed

by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed, and the

former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For purposes of

this section, an offense was committed before the effective date of

this Act if any element of the offense occurred before that date.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.