Monitoring the Session

SB 2473

bill requiring notice before agencies use AI hiring tools

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. José MenéndezDSenate 26

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 use of an automated employment decision tool by a state agency to assess a job applicant's fitness for a position.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Tell applicants first, and explain what traits it evaluates.

The bill bars Texas state agencies from using automated hiring tools, such as algorithms or artificial intelligence that judge a job applicant's fitness, unless the agency first tells the applicant the tool may be used and explains how it works and what traits it may evaluate. It covers state agencies and the people who apply for state jobs. Starting September 1, 2025, agencies must give that notice and must take steps to keep these tools from discriminating against protected classes.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 13, 2025 and referred to the Senate Business & Commerce committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2473 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Sen. José MenéndezDSenate 26

ITEM

relating to the use of an automated employment decision tool by a state agency to assess a job applicant's fitness for a position.

WHAT IT DOES

Tell applicants first, and explain what traits it evaluates.

The bill bars Texas state agencies from using automated hiring tools, such as algorithms or artificial intelligence that judge a job applicant's fitness, unless the agency first tells the applicant the tool may be used and explains how it works and what traits it may evaluate. It covers state agencies and the people who apply for state jobs. Starting September 1, 2025, agencies must give that notice and must take steps to keep these tools from discriminating against protected classes.

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 Business & Commerce
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

José Menéndez

Donors

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas$25KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20KTexas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10K

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 2, 2024 to Oct 5, 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.

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas$25,000.00

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jan 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 22, 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: 101065471.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$20,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

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.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 101012370, 101032316, 101072614.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$10,000.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 2, 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: 101032316.

Money

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

×

Kickapoo Traditional Tribes of Texas

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jan 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jan 22, 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: 101065471.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$20,000.00

Cash
$20,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$20,000.00

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.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 101012370, 101032316, 101072614.

×

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 2, 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: 101032316.

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

04/03/2025 S Referred to Business & Commerce

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 · Business & Commerce · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Artificial Intelligence (IQ7C5)

Labor--General

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions

State Employees

COMPUTERS & SOFTWARE

Text

The text as introduced · 369 words

89R16156 LRM-D

By: Menéndez
S.B. No. 2473

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the use of an automated employment decision tool by a

state agency to assess a job applicant's fitness for a position.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 656, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subchapter E to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER E. PROVISIONS REGARDING JOB APPLICANT SCREENING; USE OF

AUTOMATED EMPLOYMENT DECISION TOOL

Sec. 656.201. DEFINITIONS. In this subchapter:

(1) "Algorithm" means a computerized procedure

consisting of a set of steps used to accomplish a determined task.

(2) "Applicant" means a person applying for a job

offered by a state agency.

(3) "Artificial intelligence system" means a system of

machine learning and related technologies that use data to train

statistical models for the purpose of enabling computer systems to

perform tasks normally associated with human intelligence or

perception, such as computer vision, speech or natural language

processing, and content generation.

(4) "Automated employment decision tool" means a

computational process or software application that uses

algorithms, machine learning, statistical modeling, data

analytics, or an artificial intelligence system to assess an

applicant's fitness for a position.

(5) "State agency" has the meaning assigned by Section

656.021.

Sec. 656.202. USE OF AUTOMATED EMPLOYMENT DECISION TOOL. A

state agency may not use or deploy an automated employment decision

tool in violation of this subchapter.

Sec. 656.203. DISCLOSURE REQUIRED. A state agency may not

use an automated employment decision tool in regard to an applicant

unless the state agency:

(1) notifies the applicant that an automated

employment decision tool may be used to assess the applicant's

fitness for the position; and

(2) provides the applicant with information

describing how the automated employment decision tool will be used

to assess the applicant's fitness for the position, including what

characteristics may be evaluated for that purpose.

Sec. 656.204. DISCRIMINATION PROHIBITED. A state agency

shall take measures to mitigate biases in any automated employment

decision tool used or deployed by the state agency to ensure the

tool does not discriminate on the basis of a state or federal

protected class in violation of law.

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