Monitoring the Session

SB 2819

Bettencourt Bill’s Appointment Ban Skips Every Sitting Elections Administrator

Did not pass

Verdict: Smells

SmellsReviewed
Sen. Paul BettencourtRSenate 7
Why it's charged
The hole

THE TEXT

“A person who is serving as county elections administrator immediately before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective date of this Act”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

Every sitting administrator is exempt from the new ban on holding appointed positions. The rule only reaches an office as its administrator turns over. This is a common transition clause, but it pushes the bill's effect out to future appointments.

The hole

Reviewed · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the restrictions on political activities of a county elections administrator.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Take another appointed post, lose the job. New appointees only, from September 1, 2025.

The bill adds a new limit on county elections administrators: they may not hold any other office or position appointed by an elected official. An administrator who takes such a position automatically gives up the administrator job. The rule covers only administrators appointed on or after September 1, 2025, so anyone already in the job stays under the old rules.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2819 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Sen. Paul BettencourtRSenate 7

ITEM

relating to the restrictions on political activities of a county elections administrator.

WHAT IT DOES

Take another appointed post, lose the job. New appointees only, from September 1, 2025.

The bill adds a new limit on county elections administrators: they may not hold any other office or position appointed by an elected official. An administrator who takes such a position automatically gives up the administrator job. The rule covers only administrators appointed on or after September 1, 2025, so anyone already in the job stays under the old rules.

CHARGES

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 40%

THE TEXT

“A person who is serving as county elections administrator immediately before the effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed immediately before the effective date of this Act”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

Every sitting administrator is exempt from the new ban on holding appointed positions. The rule only reaches an office as its administrator turns over. This is a common transition clause, but it pushes the bill's effect out to future appointments.

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 22, 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
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

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.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses7
For
6
Against
1
On
0
Names

For

  • Self4 registrations
  • Self; Convention of States1 registration
  • Self; Harris county ballot security1 registration

Against

  • Self1 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 fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 22, 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

04/30/2025 S Committee report printed and distributed: Apr 30 2025 3:55PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report

Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 3:19 PM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Senate committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 9 aye, 0 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Companion

HB 677 by DeAyala (identical)

Subjects

Elections--Administration

Elections--Election Officers

Elections--General

Text

The text as introduced · 210 words

89R3657 MPF-F

By: Bettencourt
S.B. No. 2819

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the restrictions on political activities of a county

elections administrator.

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

SECTION 1. Section 31.035(a), Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) A county elections administrator may not be a candidate

for a public office or an office of a political party, hold a public

office, [ or ] hold an office of or position in a political party , or

hold another office or position appointed by an elected official .

At the time an administrator becomes a candidate or accepts an

office or position in violation of this subsection, the

administrator vacates the position of administrator.

SECTION 2. Section 31.035(a), Election Code, as amended by

this Act, applies only to the appointment of a county elections

administrator that occurs on or after the effective date of this

Act. A person who is serving as county elections administrator

immediately before the effective date of this Act is governed by the

law as it existed immediately before the effective date of this Act,

and that law is continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.