SB 2580: Phone Tracking Opens To Sheriffs In 500,000-Plus Counties

Caption

relating to the definition of a designated law enforcement office or agency for purposes of certain laws governing the installation and use of tracking equipment and access to certain communications.

Caption from analyzed text · version F.

Summary

Down from 3.3M. More sheriffs run tracking gear and phone location requests without asking DPS.

The bill lowers the population cutoff that lets a county sheriff's office act as a designated law enforcement agency under the state's tracking and communications-access law, from counties of 3.3 million or more to counties of 500,000 or more. It touches sheriff's departments in mid-sized and large counties, plus the people whose phones or vehicles those offices may track or locate. More sheriffs will be able to run tracking equipment and emergency phone location requests on their own, instead of asking a city police department, a state inspector general, or the Department of Public Safety to do it for them, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 144 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 144 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).

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2580 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Kelly HancockRSenate 9

ITEM

relating to the definition of a designated law enforcement office or agency for purposes of certain laws governing the installation and use of tracking equipment and access to certain communications.

WHAT IT DOES

Down from 3.3M. More sheriffs run tracking gear and phone location requests without asking DPS.

The bill lowers the population cutoff that lets a county sheriff's office act as a designated law enforcement agency under the state's tracking and communications-access law, from counties of 3.3 million or more to counties of 500,000 or more. It touches sheriff's departments in mid-sized and large counties, plus the people whose phones or vehicles those offices may track or locate. More sheriffs will be able to run tracking equipment and emergency phone location requests on their own, instead of asking a city police department, a state inspector general, or the Department of Public Safety to do it for them, starting 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 21, 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

Mar 13, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Mar 13, 2025Filed
Apr 3, 2025Read first time
Apr 3, 2025Referred to Criminal Justice
Apr 22, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 22, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 22, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Apr 22, 2025Vote taken in committee
Apr 23, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
Apr 23, 2025Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
Apr 23, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
May 1, 2025Placed on local & uncontested calendar
May 1, 2025Laid before the Senate
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 Criminal Jurisprudence
May 12, 2025Posting rule suspended
May 13, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
May 13, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 13, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
May 13, 2025Left pending in committee
May 15, 2025Considered in formal meeting
May 15, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 19, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 19, 2025Committee report distributed
May 19, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 20, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 22, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 22, 2025Read 2nd time
May 22, 2025Passed to 3rd reading
May 22, 2025Record vote RV#3291
May 22, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 23, 2025Read 3rd time
May 23, 2025Passed
May 23, 2025Record vote RV#3367
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

SURVEILLANCE STATE

THE TEXT

…“population of 500,000 [ 3.3 million ] or more;”

Bill text, enrolled version (F)

The bill widens the set of sheriff's offices allowed to install tracking equipment and access certain communications by cutting the county population threshold from 3.3 million to 500,000.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 139 yea · 2 nay

Senate · 30 yea · 1 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: 139
Nay: 2
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 1
Excused: 7

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3367

SB 2580 was passed by (Record 3367): 139 Yeas, 2 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 139 (published)
Nay: 2 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 1 (derived from named list)
Excused: 7 (derived from named list)

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

House May 22, 2025

Yea: 135
Nay: 6
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 4
Excused: 3

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3291

SB 2580 was passed to third reading by (Record 3291): 135 Yeas, 6 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 135 (published)
Nay: 6 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

Senate May 1, 2025

Final passage

Yea: 30
Nay: 1
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

SparksNay

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.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records final passage. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

SB 2580 (Hancock) Relating to the definition of a designated law enforcement office or agency for purposes of certain laws governing the installation and use of tracking equipment and access to certain communications. (viva voce vote) (30-1) "Nay" Sparks (30-1) "Nay" Sparks

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

Yea: 30 (published)
Nay: 1 (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

Suspension of the three-day rule

Yea: 30
Nay: 1
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

SparksNay

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.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records suspension of the three-day rule. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

Sources

SB 2580 (Hancock) Relating to the definition of a designated law enforcement office or agency for purposes of certain laws governing the installation and use of tracking equipment and access to certain communications. (viva voce vote) (30-1) "Nay" Sparks (30-1) "Nay" Sparks

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

Yea: 30 (published)
Nay: 1 (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

Passage to engrossment

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.

The journal row lists three votes in order: passage to engrossment, suspension of the three-day rule, and final passage. This entry records passage to engrossment. Repeated tallies belong to separate votes.

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

Sources

SB 2580 (Hancock) Relating to the definition of a designated law enforcement office or agency for purposes of certain laws governing the installation and use of tracking equipment and access to certain communications. (viva voce vote) (30-1) "Nay" Sparks (30-1) "Nay" Sparks

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: 9
Against: 0
On: 0

Names

For

Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)2 registrations
Dallas Police Association1 registration
Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union2 registrations
Self; Sheriffs’ Association of Texas1 registration
Sheriffs’ Association of Texas1 registration
Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)2 registrations

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.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

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 21, 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 F by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 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.

Companion

HB 3400 by Schatzline (identical)

Subjects

County Government--Employees/Officers

Crime Prevention

Law Enforcement

Safety

Utilities--Telecommunications

SHERIFFS

Text

The text as introduced · 144 words

89R15151 JCG-D

By: Hancock
S.B. No. 2580

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the definition of a designated law enforcement office

or agency for purposes of certain laws governing the installation

and use of tracking equipment and access to certain communications.

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

SECTION 1. Article 18B.001(4), Code of Criminal Procedure,

is amended to read as follows:

(4) "Designated law enforcement office or agency"

means:

(A) the sheriff's department of a county with a

population of 500,000 [ 3.3 million ] or more;

(B) a police department in a municipality with a

population of 200,000 or more;

(C) the office of inspector general of the Texas

Department of Criminal Justice; or

(D) the office of inspector general of the Texas

Juvenile Justice Department.

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

Companion