Monitoring the Session

SB 393

bill bars local debt that outlasts the equipment

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Kevin SparksRSenate 31

Initial review · graded Oct 22, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the authority of a political subdivision to issue debt to purchase or lease property.

Caption from analyzed text · version S.

Summary

No borrowing for property that wears out before the debt is paid.

The bill bars cities, counties, school districts and other local governments from borrowing money to buy or lease equipment and other movable property when that property will wear out, under federal tax depreciation schedules, before the debt is paid off. It touches every political subdivision in Texas that issues bonds, notes or other public securities. It also keeps the existing limit on long-term debt for buildings and land improvements, while moving equipment purchases under the new, stricter rule starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 561 (Died in committee) and this bill (Did not pass). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 561 (Died in committee). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the Senate Local Government committee 4-1 on Mar 31, 2025. Placed on the intent calendar on May 25, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB393 · 2024-11-19

SOLD BY

Sen. Kevin SparksRSenate 31

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to the authority of a political subdivision to issue debt to purchase or lease property.

WHAT IT DOES

No borrowing for property that wears out before the debt is paid.

The bill bars cities, counties, school districts and other local governments from borrowing money to buy or lease equipment and other movable property when that property will wear out, under federal tax depreciation schedules, before the debt is paid off. It touches every political subdivision in Texas that issues bonds, notes or other public securities. It also keeps the existing limit on long-term debt for buildings and land improvements, while moving equipment purchases under the new, stricter rule starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 1, 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 Local Government
  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. Left pending in committee
  11. Considered in public hearing
  12. Vote taken in committee
  13. Reported favorably as substituted
  14. Committee report printed and distributed
  15. Placed on intent calendar
  16. Not again placed on intent calendar
  17. Placed on intent calendar
  18. Not again placed on intent calendar
  19. Placed on intent calendar
  20. Co-author authorized
  21. Not again placed on intent calendar
  22. Placed on intent calendar
  23. Not again placed on intent calendar
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Kevin Sparks

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60KKyle & Jamie Stallings$25,000Tim Dunn$25,000

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 25, 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 · Oct 15, 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: 101012623, 101029380, 101072732.

Kyle & Jamie Stallings$25,000.00
Tim Dunn$25,000.00
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 · Oct 15, 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: 101012623, 101029380, 101072732.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses9
For
4
Against
5
On
0
Names

For

  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Americans for Prosperity1 registration
  • Texas Public Policy Foundation1 registration
  • Texas Taxpayers and Research Association1 registration

Against

  • Bexar County Commissioners Court1 registration
  • Dallas County1 registration
  • El Paso County1 registration
  • Harris County Commissioners Court1 registration
  • Travis County Commissioners Court1 registration
Sources

9 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 S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 1, 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 S by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R SB 561

by Sen. Sparks, same lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, May 2, 2023: Referred to Pensions, Investments & Financial Services

Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to issue debt to purchase or lease tangible personal property.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 19, 2024

05/26/2025 S Not again placed on intent calendar

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.

Coauthors
Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11

Senate committee · Local Government · Committee vote 4 aye, 1 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Companion

HB 1514 by Schofield (identical)

Subjects

City Government--Finance

County Government--Finance

Political Subdivisions

Property Interests--Personal Property

Property Interests--Real Property

Text

The text as introduced · 339 words

89R1488 AMF-D

By: Sparks
S.B. No. 393

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the authority of a political subdivision to issue debt

to purchase or lease tangible personal property.

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

SECTION 1. The heading to Chapter 1253, Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

CHAPTER 1253. PUBLIC SECURITIES [ GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS ]

ISSUED BY POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS

SECTION 2. Section 1253.001, Government Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 1253.001. DEFINITIONS [ DEFINITION ]. In this chapter :

(1) "Political [ , "political ] subdivision" means a

county, municipality, school district, junior college district,

other special district, or other subdivision of state government.

(2) "Public security" has the meaning assigned by

Section 1201.002.

SECTION 3. Chapter 1253, Government Code, is amended by

adding Section 1253.0015 to read as follows:

Sec. 1253.0015. LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY TO ISSUE PUBLIC

SECURITY FOR TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY. A political subdivision

may not issue a public security to purchase or lease tangible

personal property if the expected useful life of the property for

the purpose of calculating depreciation deductions under the

Internal Revenue Code of 1986 ends before the maturity date of the

public security.

SECTION 4. Section 1253.002

, Government Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 1253.002. LIMITATION ON AUTHORITY TO ISSUE GENERAL

OBLIGATION BONDS FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO REAL PROPERTY . [ (a) In this

section, "personal property" has the meaning assigned by Section

1.04, Tax Code.

[ (b) ] Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a

political subdivision may not issue general obligation bonds to

purchase, improve, or construct one or more improvements to real

property [ , to purchase one or more items of personal property, or

to do both, ] if the weighted average maturity of the issue of bonds

exceeds 120 percent of the reasonably expected weighted average

economic life of the improvements [ and personal property ] financed

with the issue of bonds.

SECTION 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.