SB 2879

bill rewriting Supreme Court civil rulemaking power

Died in committee

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 the Texas Supreme Court's rulemaking power over practice and procedure in civil actions.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Pre-1939 procedure statutes repealed, but in force until a rule replaces them.

The bill rewrites the law that lets the Texas Supreme Court make rules for how civil lawsuits are run, saying all pre-1939 procedure statutes are repealed but stay in force until the court adopts a rule covering the same subject. It touches the Supreme Court, the secretary of state, and every lawyer and litigant in a Texas civil case. On the ground, old procedure statutes drop away only when the court writes a replacing rule, and the court must file a list of the superseded laws with the secretary of state each time it files a rule.

Labels

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

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2879 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

Sen. Bryan HughesRSenate 1

ITEM

relating to the Texas Supreme Court's rulemaking power over practice and procedure in civil actions.

WHAT IT DOES

Pre-1939 procedure statutes repealed, but in force until a rule replaces them.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Mar 14, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Mar 14, 2025Filed
Apr 7, 2025Read first time
Apr 7, 2025Referred to State Affairs

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.

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

04/07/2025 S Referred to State Affairs

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 · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Courts--Appellate

Courts--Civil Procedure

SUPREME COURT

Text

The text as introduced · 282 words

2025S0247-1 03/13/25

By: Hughes
S.B. No. 2879

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the Texas Supreme Court's rulemaking power over

practice and procedure in civil actions.

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

SECTION 1. Section 22.004, Government Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (c) and adding Subsections (c-1) and (c-2) to

read as follows:

(c) So that the supreme court has full rulemaking power in

civil actions, [ a rule adopted by the supreme court repeals ] all

[ conflicting ] laws and parts of laws governing practice and

procedure in civil actions enacted before May 15, 1939, are

repealed, subject to Subsection (c-1) [ , but substantive law is not

repealed ]. This subsection does not repeal a substantive law.

(c-1) No laws or parts of laws described by Subsection (c)

are superseded until the supreme court adopts a rule that governs

the subject matter of the law or part of a law.

(c-2) At the time the supreme court files a rule, the court

shall file with the secretary of state a list of each article or

section of general law or each part of an article or section of

general law that has been superseded under Subsection (c-1) [ is

repealed or modified in any way ]. The list has the same weight and

effect as a decision of the court.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.