Monitoring the Session

SB 295

bill makes government building arson a first-degree felony

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Charles PerryRSenate 28

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 punishment for the offense of arson involving a government building.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Aim a fire at a government building, get the top felony tier.

The bill raises the penalty for arson to a first-degree felony when the property the person meant to damage or destroy is a government building. It touches people prosecuted for arson and the courts that sentence them. Arson aimed at a government building moves up from a second-degree felony to the same top level already used for arson of homes and places of worship, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 12, 2024 and referred to the Senate Criminal Justice committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB295 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Sen. Charles PerryRSenate 28

ITEM

relating to the punishment for the offense of arson involving a government building.

WHAT IT DOES

Aim a fire at a government building, get the top felony tier.

The bill raises the penalty for arson to a first-degree felony when the property the person meant to damage or destroy is a government building. It touches people prosecuted for arson and the courts that sentence them. Arson aimed at a government building moves up from a second-degree felony to the same top level already used for arson of homes and places of worship, starting September 1, 2025.

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 Criminal Justice
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Charles Perry

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60KRyan Texas PAC$35KFort Stockton Holdings LP$25K

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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$60,000.00

Cash
$60,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$60,000.00

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 · Nov 13, 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.

Report IDs: 100983698, 101007598, 101030579, 101072377.

Ryan Texas PAC$35,000.00

Ryan Texas PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

Also funds 25 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 23, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 13, 2024 to Mar 12, 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: 100983698, 101057700.

Fort Stockton Holdings LP$25,000.00

Fort Stockton Holdings LP

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Nov 23, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Nov 23, 2024. 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: 100983698.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$60,000.00

Cash
$60,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$60,000.00

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 · Nov 13, 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.

Report IDs: 100983698, 101007598, 101030579, 101072377.

×

Ryan Texas PAC

$35,000.00

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$35,000.00

Also funds 25 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 23, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 13, 2024 to Mar 12, 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: 100983698, 101057700.

×

Fort Stockton Holdings LP

$25,000.00

Cash
$25,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$25,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Nov 23, 2024. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Nov 23, 2024. 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: 100983698.

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 Nov 12, 2024

02/03/2025 S Referred to Criminal Justice

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 · Criminal Justice · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

HB 2666 by Virdell (identical)

Subjects

Crimes--Against Property

Criminal Procedure--Sentencing & Punishment

ARSON

Text

The text as introduced · 230 words

89R4107 SCR-D

By: Perry
S.B. No. 295

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the punishment for the offense of arson involving a

government building.

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

SECTION 1. Section 28.02(d), Penal Code, is amended to read

as follows:

(d) An offense under Subsection (a) is a felony of the

second degree, except that the offense is a felony of the first

degree if it is shown on the trial of the offense that:

(1) bodily injury or death was suffered by any person

by reason of the commission of the offense; or

(2) the property intended to be damaged or destroyed

by the actor was a :

(A) government building;

(B) habitation ; or

(C) [ a ] place of assembly or worship.

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.