Monitoring the Session

SB 2793

bill letting landowners plant in the highway right-of-way

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Angela PaxtonRSenate 8

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 the operation of a program by the Texas Department of Transportation to allow a real property owner to plant or replace vegetation in a right-of-way.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

TxDOT writes the rules and runs the program.

The bill orders the Texas Department of Transportation to write rules and run a program that lets landowners next to state highways plant or replace plants in the highway right-of-way. It touches property owners whose land abuts a state highway right-of-way, within 500 feet of their property, and they must pay all costs, use locally adapted plants, and stay clear of utility lines. On the ground, owners could swap out roadside plants that block the view of their property or plant new ones for looks, while the state keeps the right to reclaim the land for road work and utilities owe nothing if they tear the plants out.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 14, 2025 and referred to the Senate Transportation committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2793 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Sen. Angela PaxtonRSenate 8

ITEM

relating to the operation of a program by the Texas Department of Transportation to allow a real property owner to plant or replace vegetation in a right-of-way.

WHAT IT DOES

TxDOT writes the rules and runs the program.

The bill orders the Texas Department of Transportation to write rules and run a program that lets landowners next to state highways plant or replace plants in the highway right-of-way. It touches property owners whose land abuts a state highway right-of-way, within 500 feet of their property, and they must pay all costs, use locally adapted plants, and stay clear of utility lines. On the ground, owners could swap out roadside plants that block the view of their property or plant new ones for looks, while the state keeps the right to reclaim the land for road work and utilities owe nothing if they tear the plants out.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Transportation
ALSO NOTED · NOT CHARGED (1)

CARVE-OUT · analysis confidence 30%

THE TEXT

“replace existing vegetation in the right-of-way if the vegetation to be replaced reduces the visibility of the property.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The program lets abutting owners clear roadside plants that block views of their property, which mainly helps roadside businesses wanting visibility. The caption is honest about the program, so this is a minor tag.

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Angela Paxton

Donors

James Stanton$47,500Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40KGary Blake$30,000

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.

James Stanton$47,500.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$40,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash
$40,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$40,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 11, 2024 to Jun 30, 2025. 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.

Report IDs: 100982305, 101012314.

Gary Blake$30,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$40,000.00

Cash
$40,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$40,000.00

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 11, 2024 to Jun 30, 2025. 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.

Report IDs: 100982305, 101012314.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

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

04/03/2025 S Referred to Transportation

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Senate committee · Transportation · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

HB 3514 by Canales (identical)

Subjects

Highways

Property Interests--General

Property Interests--Real Property

Transportation--Miscellaneous

TRANSPORTATION, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 368 words

89R9118 AJZ-F

By: Paxton
S.B. No. 2793

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the operation of a program by the Texas Department of

Transportation to allow a real property owner to plant or replace

vegetation in a right-of-way.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 202, Transportation Code,

is amended by adding Section 202.0585 to read as follows:

Sec. 202.0585. VEGETATION IN RIGHT-OF-WAY. (a) Subject to

Subsections (b) and (c), the department by rule shall develop and

implement a program to allow an owner of real property abutting or

adjoining property acquired by the department for the right-of-way

of a road in the state highway system to:

(1) plant vegetation or replace existing vegetation in

the right-of-way if the owner determines that the new vegetation

will enhance the aesthetic appeal of the property; or

(2) replace existing vegetation in the right-of-way if

the vegetation to be replaced reduces the visibility of the

property.

(b) The program may authorize an owner of real property

described by Subsection (a) to plant or replace existing vegetation

only in the right-of-way, including the outer separation, located

within 500 feet of the property.

(c) An owner of real property who plants or replaces

vegetation in the right-of-way in accordance with this section:

(1) is responsible for all costs associated with the

planting or replacement of vegetation;

(2) may use only vegetation adapted to local

conditions; and

(3) may not interfere with any public utility

infrastructure located in the right-of-way.

(d) The rules adopted by the department under Subsection (a)

may not impair or relinquish the state's right to use the

right-of-way when needed to construct or reconstruct the road for

which it was acquired.

(e) Use by the owner of adjoining or abutting real property

under this section is not abandonment of the right-of-way by the

department.

(f) This section does not require a utility, as defined by

Section 203.091, that performs work in the right-of-way to replace

vegetation or provide compensation to an owner of real property for

replacing vegetation if the removal of vegetation is necessary to

perform the work.

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