Monitoring the Session

SB 311

bill widens the Texas Supreme Court’s writ power

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Bryan HughesRSenate 1

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 writ power of the Texas Supreme Court.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Court of Criminal Appeals loses its shield. Only the governor stays off limits.

This bill rewrites the list of who the Texas Supreme Court can hit with writs of mandamus, quo warranto, procedendo and certiorari. It deletes the current list of lower judges, courts of appeals and state officers, and drops the shield that now protects the Court of Criminal Appeals and its judges, so only the governor stays off limits. Starting with filings made on or after September 1, 2025, the Supreme Court could order any person or court, including the state's top criminal court, to act, except the governor.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 10, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee 6-5, no floor vote.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB311 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Sen. Bryan HughesRSenate 1

ITEM

relating to the writ power of the Texas Supreme Court.

WHAT IT DOES

Court of Criminal Appeals loses its shield. Only the governor stays off limits.

This bill rewrites the list of who the Texas Supreme Court can hit with writs of mandamus, quo warranto, procedendo and certiorari. It deletes the current list of lower judges, courts of appeals and state officers, and drops the shield that now protects the Court of Criminal Appeals and its judges, so only the governor stays off limits. Starting with filings made on or after September 1, 2025, the Supreme Court could order any person or court, including the state's top criminal court, to act, except the governor.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 5, 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. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Vote taken in committee
  11. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  12. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  13. Committee report printed and distributed
  14. Placed on intent calendar
  15. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  16. Record vote
  17. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  18. Record vote
  19. Three day rule suspended
  20. Record vote
  21. Read 3rd time
  22. Passed
  23. Record vote
  24. Reported engrossed
  25. Received from the Senate
  26. Read first time
  27. Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
  28. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  29. Meeting cancelled
  30. Posting rule suspended
  31. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  32. Considered in public hearing
  33. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  34. Left pending in committee
  35. Considered in public hearing
  36. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  37. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  38. Committee report distributed
  39. Committee report sent to Calendars
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 23 yea · 7 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · Apr 10, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Bryan Hughes

Donors

GOPAC Election Fund$250KCRAFTPAC (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.

Votes4

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Yea
23
Nay
7
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 23, Nays 7.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 23 (published)
  • Nay: 7 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Yea
24
Nay
6
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Hughes moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 311 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 24, Nays 6.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 24 (published)
  • Nay: 6 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Yea
23
Nay
7
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 23, Nays 7. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 23 (published)
  • Nay: 7 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate Apr 10, 2025

Yea
23
Nay
7
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Hughes moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 311 at this time on its second reading: SB 311, Relating to the writ power of the Texas Supreme Court. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 23, Nays 7.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 23 (published)
  • Nay: 7 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses16
For
3
Against
11
On
2
Names

For

  • Self3 registrations

Against

  • Common Cause Texas1 registration
  • Dallas County Criminal District Attorney - John Creuzot1 registration
  • Dallas Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot1 registration
  • Self8 registrations

On

  • Self1 registration
  • Supreme Court1 registration
Sources

16 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

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 E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 5, 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 Nov 12, 2024

05/20/2025 H Committee report sent to Calendars

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed · House Committee Report

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

Sponsors
Brooks LandgrafRHouse 81

House committee · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Committee vote 6 aye, 5 nay · Out of committee

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

Subjects

Courts--Judges

Courts--Personnel

Criminal Procedure--General

Criminal Procedure--Posttrial Procedure

SUPREME COURT

Text

The text as introduced · 245 words

89R3905 JTZ-F

By: Hughes
S.B. No. 311

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the writ power of the Texas Supreme Court.

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

SECTION 1. Section 22.002(a), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(a) The supreme court or a justice of the supreme court may

issue writs of procedendo and certiorari and all writs of quo

warranto and mandamus agreeable to the principles of law regulating

those writs, [ against a statutory county court judge, a statutory

probate court judge, a district judge, a court of appeals or a

justice of a court of appeals, or any officer of state government ]

except the supreme court or justice may not issue a writ against the

governor[ , the court of criminal appeals, or a judge of the court of

criminal appeals ].

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act to Section

22.002(a), Government Code, apply only to an application for a writ

of procedendo, certiorari, quo warranto, or mandamus filed in the

Texas Supreme Court on or after the effective date of this Act. An

application for a writ of procedendo, certiorari, quo warranto, or

mandamus filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by

the law in effect on the date the application was filed, and the

former law is continued in effect for that purpose.

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