SB 2779: bill sending coastal hotel tax money to the park board

Caption

relating to the allocation and use of certain hotel occupancy tax revenues.

Summary

The money skips the city and goes only to beach cleanup.

The bill changes who receives a share of state hotel tax money collected from hotels in an eligible coastal city that has a park board of trustees for its beaches: the comptroller now pays that money to the park board instead of the city, and it may be spent only to clean and maintain public beaches. The park board gets the money only if the city puts at least one percent of its own local hotel tax toward beach upkeep and either applies for state beach funds or gives the comptroller the same information that application would require. Separately, local hotel tax money statewide may not be spent in a way, or through a program, that discriminates based on race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 29, 2025. Died in the House: left pending in the Ways & Means committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2779 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Sen. Brian BirdwellRSenate 22

ITEM

relating to the allocation and use of certain hotel occupancy tax revenues.

WHAT IT DOES

The money skips the city and goes only to beach cleanup.

The bill changes who receives a share of state hotel tax money collected from hotels in an eligible coastal city that has a park board of trustees for its beaches: the comptroller now pays that money to the park board instead of the city, and it may be spent only to clean and maintain public beaches. The park board gets the money only if the city puts at least one percent of its own local hotel tax toward beach upkeep and either applies for state beach funds or gives the comptroller the same information that application would require. Separately, local hotel tax money statewide may not be spent in a way, or through a program, that discriminates based on race, color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 15, 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 14, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Mar 14, 2025Filed
Apr 3, 2025Read first time
Apr 3, 2025Referred to Economic Development
Apr 14, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 14, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 14, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Apr 14, 2025Left pending in committee
Apr 15, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 15, 2025Vote taken in committee
Apr 16, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
Apr 16, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Apr 28, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Apr 29, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 29, 2025Record vote
Apr 29, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
Apr 29, 2025Record vote
Apr 29, 2025Three day rule suspended
Apr 29, 2025Record vote
Apr 29, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 29, 2025Passed
Apr 29, 2025Record vote
Apr 29, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 29, 2025Received from the Senate
Apr 30, 2025Read first time
Apr 30, 2025Referred to Ways & Means
May 12, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
May 12, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 12, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
May 12, 2025Left pending in committee

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 25 yea · 6 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · Apr 29, 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

Brian Birdwell

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC Austin TX$30,000

Good Government Fund Fort Worth TX$10,000

Texas Oil & Gas Assn. Good Govt. Cmte Austin TX$10,000

Derived from itemized gifts, Jul 1, 2024 to Jun 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

$353,800 raised since Jul 1, 2024. Derived sum of published report totals. blank in the state's data, consistent with zero. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 4 of 4 filed reports carry a published figure.

$502,039 spent since Jul 1, 2024. Derived sum of published report totals. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026. 4 of 4 filed reports carry a published figure.

$731,044 cash on hand. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

$0 loans outstanding. Published report total. Stock, as of Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived sum of itemized contributions in regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Unitemized contributions are not included. Flow, Jul 1, 2024 through Jun 30, 2026. State filing data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Money

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

Votes4

Senate Apr 29, 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

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 25, Nays 6. (Same as previous roll call)

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 Apr 29, 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 Birdwell moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 2779 be placed on its third reading and final passage. 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 Apr 29, 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

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 25, Nays 6. (Same as previous roll call)

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 Apr 29, 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 Birdwell moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2779 at this time on its second reading: CSSB 2779, Relating to the allocation and use of certain hotel occupancy tax revenues. 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.

Witnesses9

For: 7
Against: 1
On: 1

Names

For

City of Galveston2 registrations
Galveston Park Board of Trustees2 registrations
Self1 registration
Texas Travel Alliance2 registrations

Against

City of Galveston1 registration

On

Comptroller of Public Accounts1 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 S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 15, 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 14, 2025

05/12/2025 H Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed

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

House committee · Ways & Means · Final status: Died in committee

Senate committee · Economic Development · Committee vote 4 aye, 1 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Taxation--Hotel, Motel Occupancy

COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

Text

The text as introduced · 334 words

By: Birdwell
S.B. No. 2779

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the allocation and use of certain hotel occupancy tax

revenues.

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

SECTION 1. Section 156.2511, Tax Code, is amended by

amending Subsections (a) and (b) and adding Subsection (b-1) to

read as follows:

(a) Not later than the last day of the month following a

calendar quarter, the comptroller shall:

(1) compute the amount of revenue derived from the

collection of taxes imposed under this chapter at a rate of two

percent and received from hotels located in an eligible coastal

municipality that has created a park board of trustees to

administer public beaches under Chapter 306, Local Government Code;

and

(2) issue to the park board of trustees created by the

eligible coastal municipality a warrant drawn on the general

revenue fund in the amount computed under Subdivision (1).

(b) Money [ An eligible coastal municipality may use money ]

received under this section may be used only to clean and maintain

public beaches in the eligible coastal [ that ] municipality.

(b-1) The comptroller may issue a warrant under this section

only if the eligible coastal municipality has:

(1) allocated at least one percent of the tax imposed

by the municipality under Chapter 351 to clean and maintain public

beaches in the municipality; and

(2) either:

(A) applied for state funds under Subchapter C,

Chapter 61, Natural Resources Code; or

(B) made available to the comptroller the same

information required to be contained in an application under

Section 61.069, Natural Resources Code.

SECTION 2. Section 351.101, Tax Code, is amended by adding

Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:

(b-1) Notwithstanding Subsection (a), revenue derived from

the tax authorized by this chapter may not be expended in a manner

or by a program or activity that discriminates on the basis of race,

color, disability, sex, religion, age, or national origin.

SECTION 3. 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 Apr 29, 2025

Senate Apr 29, 2025

Senate Apr 29, 2025

Senate Apr 29, 2025

For

Against

On