Monitoring the Session

SB 2782

bill requiring discovery plans in Ethics Commission complaints

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Brian BirdwellRSenate 22

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to discovery requirements related to sworn complaints made to the Texas Ethics Commission.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Staff and the accused agree first. Discovery gets a cap and deadline.

The bill orders the Texas Ethics Commission to adopt a rule requiring its staff and the person accused in a sworn complaint to agree on a discovery control plan before evidence gathering starts. The plan must be approved by the commission, follow the civil procedure rules with the commission setting the discovery level, cap discovery and set a completion deadline. It also must set a deadline by which the commission either offers a settlement without a preliminary hearing or dismisses the complaint, which puts a clock on ethics investigations.

Labels

Labels: CROSS-PARTY HANDOFF. Lead author Brian Birdwell (R) in the Senate. Lead sponsor Oscar Longoria (D) in the House. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 8, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the State Affairs committee 14-0, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2782 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Sen. Brian BirdwellRSenate 22

ITEM

relating to discovery requirements related to sworn complaints made to the Texas Ethics Commission.

WHAT IT DOES

Staff and the accused agree first. Discovery gets a cap and deadline.

The bill orders the Texas Ethics Commission to adopt a rule requiring its staff and the person accused in a sworn complaint to agree on a discovery control plan before evidence gathering starts. The plan must be approved by the commission, follow the civil procedure rules with the commission setting the discovery level, cap discovery and set a completion deadline. It also must set a deadline by which the commission either offers a settlement without a preliminary hearing or dismisses the complaint, which puts a clock on ethics investigations.

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 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

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to State Affairs
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in public hearing
  9. Vote taken in committee
  10. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  11. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  12. Committee report printed and distributed
  13. Placed on intent calendar
  14. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  15. Vote recorded in Journal
  16. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  17. Vote recorded in Journal
  18. Three day rule suspended
  19. Record vote
  20. Read 3rd time
  21. Passed
  22. Record vote
  23. Reported engrossed
  24. Received from the Senate
  25. Read first time
  26. Referred to State Affairs
  27. Considered in formal meeting
  28. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  29. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  30. Committee report distributed
  31. Committee report sent to Calendars
  32. Considered in Calendars
  33. Placed on General State Calendar
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 30 yea · 1 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

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.

Votes3

Senate May 8, 2025

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

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.

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1. (Same as previous roll call)

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 8, 2025

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

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.

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 SB 2782 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.

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 8, 2025

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

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.

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

Sources

Senator Birdwell moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 2782 at this time on its second reading: SB 2782, Relating to discovery requirements related to sworn complaints made to the Texas Ethics Commission. The motion prevailed. Senator Johnson asked to be recorded as voting "Nay" on suspension of the regular order of business. 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.

Witnesses3
For
0
Against
2
On
1
Names

Against

  • Self2 registrations

On

  • Texas Ethics Commission1 registration
Sources

3 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 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.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Mar 14, 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.

Sponsors
Oscar LongoriaDHouse 35

House committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 14 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Senate committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Courts--Civil Procedure

Ethics

ETHICS COMMISSION, TEXAS

Text

The text as introduced · 198 words

89R17005 MZM-F

By: Birdwell
S.B. No. 2782

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to discovery requirements related to sworn complaints made

to the Texas Ethics Commission.

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

SECTION 1. Section 571.1242, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subsection (k) to read as follows:

(k) Notwithstanding any other law, the commission by rule

shall require commission staff and a respondent to agree to a

discovery control plan that outlines procedures for conducting

discovery under this section in connection with a sworn complaint.

The discovery control plan must:

(1) be approved by the commission before discovery

begins;

(2) comply with the Texas Rules of Civil Procedure,

except that the commission shall determine the level of discovery

under Rule 190, Texas Rules of Civil Procedure, appropriate for the

category of the violation alleged in a complaint;

(3) establish discovery limits and a deadline by which

discovery must be completed; and

(4) establish a deadline by which the commission must:

(A) propose an agreement to the respondent to

settle the complaint without holding a preliminary hearing; or

(B) dismiss the complaint.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.