SB 2543: bill lifting caps on state veterans cemeteries

Caption

relating to the location of and the amount of certain revenue that may be used for state veterans cemeteries.

Summary

No seven-location cap and no $7 million yearly limit.

The bill removes the cap of up to seven state veterans cemetery locations and removes the $7 million yearly spending limit on veterans fund money for cemeteries. It touches the School Land Board, the Texas Veterans Commission and veterans who may be buried in state cemeteries. On the ground, the board can pick more cemetery sites and spend more from the veterans' land and housing funds to plan, run and expand cemeteries, though it still cannot use those funds to buy land.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2543 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Kelly HancockRSenate 9

+ 2 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the location of and the amount of certain revenue that may be used for state veterans cemeteries.

WHAT IT DOES

No seven-location cap and no $7 million yearly limit.

The bill removes the cap of up to seven state veterans cemetery locations and removes the $7 million yearly spending limit on veterans fund money for cemeteries. It touches the School Land Board, the Texas Veterans Commission and veterans who may be buried in state cemeteries. On the ground, the board can pick more cemetery sites and spend more from the veterans' land and housing funds to plan, run and expand cemeteries, though it still cannot use those funds to buy land.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 24, 2025

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined because the amount of funds that would be made available for any new state cemetery construction and operation from federal funds provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, legislative appropriations, or disbursements from the Veterans' Land Fund, the Veterans' Housing Assistance Fund, and the Veterans' Housing Assistance Fund II for the planning, operation, or maintenance of veterans' cemeteries are unknown. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Mar 13, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Mar 13, 2025Filed
Apr 3, 2025Read first time
Apr 3, 2025Referred to Vet Affairs
Apr 15, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 15, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 15, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 23, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 23, 2025Vote taken in committee
Apr 28, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
Apr 28, 2025Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
Apr 28, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Apr 29, 2025Corrected comm. report printed & distributed
Apr 30, 2025Placed on intent calendar
May 1, 2025Co-author authorized
May 1, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
May 1, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
May 1, 2025Vote recorded in Journal
May 1, 2025Three day rule suspended
May 1, 2025Record vote
May 1, 2025Read 3rd time
May 1, 2025Passed
May 1, 2025Record vote
May 1, 2025Reported engrossed
May 1, 2025Received from the Senate
May 2, 2025Read first time
May 2, 2025Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
May 7, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 7, 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 19, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 21, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 22, 2025Read 2nd time
May 22, 2025Passed to 3rd reading
May 22, 2025Record vote RV#3242
May 22, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 23, 2025Read 3rd time
May 23, 2025Passed
May 23, 2025Record vote RV#3322
May 23, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 23, 2025House passage reported
May 23, 2025Reported enrolled
May 26, 2025Signed in the Senate
May 26, 2025Signed in the House
May 27, 2025Sent to the Governor
Jun 20, 2025Signed by the Governor
Jun 20, 2025Effective on 9/1/25

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 136 yea · 0 nay

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 23, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · May 1, 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

Kelly Hancock

Donors

Stephen Brauer JR$57,791

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$14,750

Q Political Action Committee$12,500

Top donors to Texans for Kelly Hancock SPAC during his Senate service. Not tied to this bill.

Sources

Gifts to Texans for Kelly Hancock SPAC dated July 1, 2024 to June 18, 2025, while he served in the Senate.

Derived from itemized gifts. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Money

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

Votes5

House May 23, 2025

Yea: 136
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 5
Excused: 7

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3322

SB 2543 was passed by (Record 3322): 136 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 136 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
Excused: 7 (derived from named list)

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

House May 22, 2025

Yea: 137
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 5
Excused: 6

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3242

SB 2543 was passed to third reading by (Record 3242): 137 Yeas, 0 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 137 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 5 (derived from named list)
Excused: 6 (derived from named list)

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

Senate May 1, 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 Hancock moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 2543 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 1, 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 Hancock moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 2543 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 1, 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.

Witnesses4

For: 2
Against: 0
On: 2

Names

For

El Paso County1 registration
Self; Texas Coalition of Veterans Organizations1 registration

On

Texas General Land Office and Veterans Land Board1 registration
VLB/GLO1 registration

Sources

4 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 first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 24, 2025

The fiscal implications of the bill cannot be determined because the amount of funds that would be made available for any new state cemetery construction and operation from federal funds provided by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, legislative appropriations, or disbursements from the Veterans' Land Fund, the Veterans' Housing Assistance Fund, and the Veterans' Housing Assistance Fund II for the planning, operation, or maintenance of veterans' cemeteries are unknown. The bill would make no appropriation but could provide the legal basis for an appropriation of funds to implement the provisions of the bill.

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 13, 2025

06/20/2025 E Effective on 9/1/25

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.

Coauthors

Adam HinojosaRSenate 27

Juan "Chuy" HinojosaDSenate 20

Companion

HB 4053 by Hefner (identical)

Subjects

Cemeteries

Military & Veterans

State Finances--Management & Control

VETERANS' LAND BOARD

Text

The text as introduced · 227 words

89R15676 CS-D

By: Hancock
S.B. No. 2543

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the location of and the amount of certain revenue that

may be used for state veterans cemeteries.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 164.005(f) and (h), Natural Resources

Code, are amended to read as follows:

(f) The board, the chairman of the Texas Veterans

Commission, and two representatives of the veterans community

selected by the chairman of the Texas Veterans Commission shall:

(1) establish the guidelines for determining:

(A) the location and size of veterans cemeteries;

and

(B) the eligibility for burial in a veterans

cemetery; and

(2) select [ up to seven ] locations across the state

for veterans cemeteries.

(h) The board may use [ Of the ] funds available in the

veterans' land fund, the veterans' housing assistance fund, and the

veterans' housing assistance fund II that may be used for veterans

cemeteries[ , the board may spend not more than $7 million each

fiscal year ] to plan and design, operate, maintain, enlarge, or

improve veterans cemeteries. The board may not use funds from the

veterans' land fund, the veterans' housing assistance fund, or the

veterans' housing assistance fund II to acquire land to be used for

a veterans cemetery.

SECTION 2. 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

House May 23, 2025

House May 22, 2025

Senate May 1, 2025

Senate May 1, 2025

Senate May 1, 2025

For

On

Companion