SB 2876

bill raising the riot penalty for wearing a mask

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 increasing the criminal penalty for participating in a riot while wearing a mask or other face covering.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Class A misdemeanor if the face covering conceals identity.

The bill raises the penalty for taking part in a riot to a Class A misdemeanor when the person wore a mask or other face covering to hide their identity. It touches people charged under the state's existing riot offense and the prosecutors and courts that handle those cases. Starting September 1, 2025, a masked rioter who meant to conceal their identity faces a stiffer penalty, while the existing rule tying riot penalties to higher-grade offenses committed during the riot stays in place.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the Senate State Affairs committee 10-0 on Apr 16, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2876 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Sen. Bryan HughesRSenate 1

ITEM

relating to increasing the criminal penalty for participating in a riot while wearing a mask or other face covering.

WHAT IT DOES

Class A misdemeanor if the face covering conceals identity.

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 12, 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 7, 2025Read first time
Apr 7, 2025Referred to Criminal Justice
Apr 9, 2025Rereferred to committee
Apr 9, 2025Referred to State Affairs
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 16, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 16, 2025Vote taken in committee
Apr 22, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
Apr 22, 2025Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
Apr 22, 2025Committee report printed and distributed

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Bryan Hughes

Donors

GOPAC Election Fund$250K CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)$100KCourt Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100K

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 · Jul 1, 2024 to Oct 23, 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.

GOPAC Election Fund$250,000.00

GOPAC Election Fund

$250,000.00

Cash: $250,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $250,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 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.

Report IDs: 101028838, 101071548.

CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)$100,000.00

CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Sep 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 4, 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.

Report IDs: 101067724.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 13, 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.

Report IDs: 101071548.

Money

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

GOPAC Election Fund

$250,000.00

Cash: $250,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $250,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 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.

Report IDs: 101028838, 101071548.

CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Sep 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 4, 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.

Report IDs: 101067724.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash: $100,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $100,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 13, 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.

Report IDs: 101071548.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses100

For: 7
Against: 91
On: 2

Names

For

Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
Dallas Police Association1 registration
Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP #391 registration
Self1 registration
Self; Houston Police Officers’ Union1 registration
Self; Sheriffs Association of Texas1 registration
TMPA1 registration

Against

ACLU of Texas1 registration
American Civil Liberties Union of Texas1 registration
Disability Rights Texas2 registrations
Self82 registrations
Self; Equity Action1 registration
Self; Mask With America1 registration
Self; The Council on American-Islamic Relations, Texas1 registration
Texas Civil Rights Project2 registrations

On

Coalition of Texans with Disabilities1 registration
Texas Department of Public Safety1 registration

Sources

100 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 12, 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

04/22/2025 S Committee report printed and distributed: Apr 22 2025 11:31AM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report

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

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

Subjects

Crimes--Miscellaneous

Criminal Procedure--General

Text

The text as introduced · 258 words

89R10330 JCG-D

By: Hughes
S.B. No. 2876

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to increasing the criminal penalty for participating in a

riot while wearing a mask or other face covering.

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

SECTION 1. Section 42.02(f), Penal Code, is amended to read

as follows:

(f) An offense under this section is :

(1) an offense of the same classification as any

offense of a higher grade committed by anyone engaged in the riot if

the offense was:

(A) [ (1) ] in the furtherance of the purpose of

the assembly; or

(B) [ (2) ] an offense which should have been

anticipated as a result of the assembly ; or

(2) a Class A misdemeanor if it is shown on the trial

of the offense that at the time of the offense the actor was wearing

a mask or other face covering with the intent to conceal the actor's

identity .

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.

An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,

and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For

purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the

effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred

before that date.

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