SB 250: cities can annex land beside railroad rights-of-way

Caption

relating to municipal annexation of an area adjacent to contiguous or connecting railroad rights-of-way.

Summary

When the rail line runs along the city’s edge.

This bill lets a Texas city that is already annexing land also take in an extra piece of land that sits next to a railroad right-of-way, when that railroad line runs along the city's edge and touches the land being annexed. Every owner of that extra land must agree, and the extra land is treated as touching the city even if only the railroad strip connects them. The state rule on narrow-strip annexations does not apply to this extra land, so cities can use rail corridors to reach consenting owners' property starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NO AUTOGRAPH. Became law without the governor's signature on May 27, 2025.INSTANT LAW. Took effect immediately, on May 27, 2025. 833 of the 1,185 graded 89R laws took effect Sep 1, 2025 (derived from the bill histories, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).DO-OVER. Reworked text of a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 2956 by Rep. Shine (Vetoed). 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.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB250 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Sen. Pete FloresRSenate 24

ITEM

relating to municipal annexation of an area adjacent to contiguous or connecting railroad rights-of-way.

WHAT IT DOES

When the rail line runs along the city’s edge.

This bill lets a Texas city that is already annexing land also take in an extra piece of land that sits next to a railroad right-of-way, when that railroad line runs along the city's edge and touches the land being annexed. Every owner of that extra land must agree, and the extra land is treated as touching the city even if only the railroad strip connects them. The state rule on narrow-strip annexations does not apply to this extra land, so cities can use rail corridors to reach consenting owners' property starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.

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

Nov 12, 2024Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Nov 12, 2024Filed
Feb 3, 2025Read first time
Feb 3, 2025Referred to Local Government
Apr 28, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 28, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 28, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Apr 28, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 29, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 29, 2025Vote taken in committee
Apr 30, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
Apr 30, 2025Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
Apr 30, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
May 5, 2025Placed on intent calendar
May 6, 2025Not again placed on intent calendar
May 7, 2025Placed on intent calendar
May 7, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
May 7, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
May 7, 2025Vote recorded in Journal
May 7, 2025Three day rule suspended
May 7, 2025Record vote
May 7, 2025Read 3rd time
May 7, 2025Passed
May 7, 2025Record vote
May 7, 2025Reported engrossed
May 7, 2025Received from the Senate
May 8, 2025Read first time
May 8, 2025Referred to Land & Resource Management
May 9, 2025Considered in formal meeting
May 9, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 12, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 12, 2025Committee report distributed
May 12, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 13, 2025Laid out in lieu of companion HB 4689
May 13, 2025Read 2nd time
May 13, 2025Passed to 3rd reading
May 13, 2025Record vote RV#2325
May 13, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 14, 2025Read 3rd time
May 14, 2025Passed
May 14, 2025Record vote RV#2421
May 14, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 14, 2025House passage reported
May 14, 2025Reported enrolled
May 15, 2025Signed in the Senate
May 15, 2025Signed in the House
May 15, 2025Sent to the Governor
May 27, 2025Filed without the Governor's signature
May 27, 2025Effective immediately

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 111 yea · 8 nay

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 14, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · May 7, 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

Pete Flores

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$55KMorris Jaffe$25,000Justin Jaffe$25,000

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 12, 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$55,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$55,000.00

Cash: $55,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $55,000.00

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 13, 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.

Report IDs: 100985131, 101008112, 101072110.

Morris Jaffe$25,000.00

Justin Jaffe$25,000.00

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$55,000.00

Cash: $55,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $55,000.00

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 13, 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.

Report IDs: 100985131, 101008112, 101072110.

Votes5

House May 14, 2025

Yea: 111
Nay: 8
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 26
Excused: 3

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2421

SB 250 was passed by (Record 2421): 111 Yeas, 8 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 111 (published)
Nay: 8 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 26 (derived from named list)
Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

House May 13, 2025

Yea: 129
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 3
Absent: 13
Excused: 5

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2325

SB 250 was read second time and was passed to third reading by (Record 2325): 129 Yeas, 0 Nays, 3 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 129 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 3 (published)
Absent: 13 (derived from named list)
Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

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

Senate May 7, 2025

Yea: 31
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Flores moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 250 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

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

Yea: 31 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

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

Senate May 7, 2025

Yea: 31
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Flores moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 250 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

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

Yea: 31 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

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

Senate May 7, 2025

Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

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

Sources

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: Not printed

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

Witnesses9

For: 8
Against: 1
On: 0

Names

For

City of Corpus Christi1 registration
City of Fort Worth1 registration
City of Houston1 registration
City of San Antonio1 registration
City of Sugar Land1 registration
City of Temple2 registrations
Texas Munciipal League1 registration

Against

Self1 registration

Sources

9 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

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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 2956

by Rep. Shine, different lead author · Vetoed · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, Jun 18, 2023: Vetoed by the Governor

Relating to municipal annexation of an area adjacent to contiguous or connecting railroad rights-of-way.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 12, 2024

05/27/2025 E Effective immediately

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed · House Committee Report · Enrolled

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

Companion

HB 4689 by Hickland (identical)

Subjects

City Government--Annexation

Transportation--Railroads

Text

The text as introduced · 271 words

89R3656 SCL-F

By: Flores
S.B. No. 250

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to municipal annexation of an area adjacent to contiguous

or connecting railroad rights-of-way.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 43, Local Government Code,

is amended by adding Section 43.1057 to read as follows:

Sec. 43.1057. ANNEXATION OF AREA ADJACENT TO CONTIGUOUS OR

CONNECTING RAILROAD RIGHT-OF-WAY. (a) Notwithstanding any other

law, a municipality that is annexing an area under Subchapter C-3,

C-4, C-5, or D may also annex with the initial area an additional

area if:

(1) the area is adjacent to a right-of-way of a railway

line, spur, or other railroad property that is:

(A) contiguous and runs parallel to the

municipality's boundaries; and

(B) contiguous to the area being annexed under

Subchapter C-3, C-4, C-5, or D; and

(2) each owner of the area agrees to the annexation by

the municipality.

(b) For purposes of Subsection (a) or other law with a

municipal boundary contiguous requirement, including a municipal

charter or ordinance, an area adjacent or contiguous to the initial

area being annexed under Subsection (a) is considered adjacent and

contiguous to the annexing municipality.

(c) Section 43.054 does not apply to the annexation under

this section of the additional area described by Subsection (a).

SECTION 2. 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.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

House May 14, 2025

House May 13, 2025

Senate May 7, 2025

Senate May 7, 2025

Senate May 7, 2025

For

Against

88R HB 2956

Companion