SB 2681: Bettencourt bill on voter registration challenges

Caption

relating to the basis for a third-party challenge to a voter's registration.

Summary

Changes what a challenger must swear to.

The bill changes what a person must swear to when filing a challenge to someone else's voter registration. A challenger must still name the voter and state a specific qualification the voter has not met, but that claim can now rest either on the challenger's personal knowledge or on a fact that is generally known or can be found from a reliable source. This affects voters filing challenges, the voters being challenged, and county registrars, and it means challenges can be grounded in records or data rather than only in what the challenger knows firsthand.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 149 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 149 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).GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 8, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Elections committee 6-2, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2681 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Paul BettencourtRSenate 7

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to the basis for a third-party challenge to a voter's registration.

WHAT IT DOES

Changes what a challenger must swear to.

The bill changes what a person must swear to when filing a challenge to someone else's voter registration. A challenger must still name the voter and state a specific qualification the voter has not met, but that claim can now rest either on the challenger's personal knowledge or on a fact that is generally known or can be found from a reliable source. This affects voters filing challenges, the voters being challenged, and county registrars, and it means challenges can be grounded in records or data rather than only in what the challenger knows firsthand.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 4, 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 State Affairs
Apr 7, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 7, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 7, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Apr 7, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 10, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 10, 2025Vote taken in committee
Apr 14, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
Apr 14, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Apr 15, 2025Co-author authorized
May 7, 2025Placed on intent calendar
May 8, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
May 8, 2025Record vote
May 8, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
May 8, 2025Record vote
May 8, 2025Three day rule suspended
May 8, 2025Record vote
May 8, 2025Read 3rd time
May 8, 2025Passed
May 8, 2025Record vote
May 8, 2025Reported engrossed
May 8, 2025Received from the Senate
May 10, 2025Read first time
May 10, 2025Referred to Elections
May 20, 2025Considered in formal meeting
May 20, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 22, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 22, 2025Committee report distributed
May 23, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 24, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 26, 2025Placed on General State Calendar

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 24 yea · 7 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · May 8, 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

Paul Bettencourt

Donors

Donors report through Friends of Paul Bettencourt.

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 · Oct 27, 2024 to Jun 30, 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.

Money

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

Votes4

Senate May 8, 2025

Yea: 24
Nay: 7
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 0

Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 24, Nays 7.

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

Yea: 24 (published)
Nay: 7 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate May 8, 2025

Yea: 25
Nay: 6
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 0

Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Bettencourt moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 2681 be placed on its third reading and final passage: SB 2681, Relating to the basis for a third-party challenge to a voter's registration. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 25, Nays 6.

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

Yea: 25 (published)
Nay: 6 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate May 8, 2025

Yea: 24
Nay: 7
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 0

Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 24, Nays 7. (Same as previous roll call)

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

Yea: 24 (published)
Nay: 7 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate May 8, 2025

Yea: 24
Nay: 7
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0
Excused: 0

Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Bettencourt moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 2681 at this time on its second reading: SB 2681, Relating to the basis for a third-party challenge to a voter's registration. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 24, Nays 7.

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

Yea: 24 (published)
Nay: 7 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses7

For: 4
Against: 2
On: 1

Names

For

Self3 registrations
Self; Texas Eagle Forum1 registration

Against

ACLU of Texas1 registration
Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration

On

Texas Secretary of State1 registration

Sources

7 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 significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 4, 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.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Mar 13, 2025

05/26/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

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

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

Coauthors

Bob HallRSenate 2

Companion

HB 5362 by DeAyala (identical)

Subjects

Elections--Registration & Suffrage

Text

The text as introduced · 149 words

89R13942 AB-F

By: Bettencourt
S.B. No. 2681

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the basis for a third-party challenge to a voter's

registration.

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

SECTION 1. Section 16.092, Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 16.092. SWORN STATEMENT REQUIRED. A voter desiring to

challenge a registration must file with the registrar a sworn

statement of the grounds for the challenge that:

(1) identifies the voter whose registration is being

challenged; and

(2) states a specific qualification for registration

that the challenged voter has not met based on :

(A) the personal knowledge of the voter desiring

to challenge the registration ; or

(B) a fact not subject to reasonable dispute

because the fact is generally known or can be determined from a

reliable source .

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

Senate May 8, 2025

Senate May 8, 2025

Senate May 8, 2025

Senate May 8, 2025

For

Against

On

Companion