Monitoring the Session

SB 2456

bill making TDCJ tell inmates about religious programs

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Bryan HughesRSenate 1

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 religious programs and activities available to inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Every eligible volunteer religious program and study.

The bill requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to tell each inmate about every volunteer program and activity they are eligible for that involves religious services or studying religious texts. It touches inmates in state custody and the department staff who build their individual treatment plans. Any religious program an inmate takes part in must now be recorded in that inmate's individual treatment plan, starting September 1, 2025.

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 Mar 13, 2025 and referred to the Senate Criminal Justice committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2456 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Bryan HughesRSenate 1

ITEM

relating to religious programs and activities available to inmates of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

WHAT IT DOES

Every eligible volunteer religious program and study.

The bill requires the Texas Department of Criminal Justice to tell each inmate about every volunteer program and activity they are eligible for that involves religious services or studying religious texts. It touches inmates in state custody and the department staff who build their individual treatment plans. Any religious program an inmate takes part in must now be recorded in that inmate's individual treatment plan, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Criminal Justice
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Bryan Hughes

Donors

GOPAC Election Fund$250KCRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)$100KCourt Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100K

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 23, 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.

GOPAC Election Fund$250,000.00

GOPAC Election Fund

$250,000.00

Cash
$250,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$250,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101028838, 101071548.

CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)$100,000.00

CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Sep 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 4, 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: 101067724.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 13, 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: 101071548.

Money

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

×

GOPAC Election Fund

$250,000.00

Cash
$250,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$250,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101028838, 101071548.

×

CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Sep 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 4, 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: 101067724.

×

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 13, 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: 101071548.

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 Mar 13, 2025

03/25/2025 S Referred to Criminal Justice

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 · Criminal Justice · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Corrections--Jails & Prisons

Religion

CRIMINAL JUSTICE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 120 words

By: Hughes
S.B. No. 2456

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to religious programs and activities available to inmates

of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

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

SECTION 1. Section 508.152, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (b-3) to read as follows:

(b-3) The department shall:

(1) inform each inmate of all volunteer programs and

other activities that the inmate is eligible to participate in that

involve religious services or the studying of religious texts; and

(2) include in an inmate's individual treatment plan

all religious programs and activities described by Subdivision (1)

that the inmate participates in.

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