Monitoring the Session

SB 406

Middleton Birth Certificate Bill Leaves The Amending Certificate Route Open

Died in committee

Verdict: Smells

SmellsInitial review
Sen. Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11
Why it's charged
The hole

THE TEXT

…“a court may not order the issuance of, a birth certificate that incorporates the completed or corrected biological sex information”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The ban covers only a new certificate that folds the change into its text. The same section still lets registrars issue a copy of the original with an amending certificate attached, and the bill does not clearly close that route for sex changes.

The hole

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 required inclusion of a person's sex on a birth certificate and prohibited change of sex on the birth certificate of certain persons.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Only a new certificate that “incorporates” the change is barred. An attached amending certificate isn’t clearly covered.

The bill requires Texas birth certificates to record a child's biological sex as male or female, based on sex organs, chromosomes, or endogenous profile. It touches the people who file birth records, local and state registrars, courts, and anyone seeking to change the sex listed on a birth certificate, with a separate path for children a physician finds have atypical or ambiguous sex traits at birth. Starting September 1, 2025, registrars and courts may not issue or order a new birth certificate with changed sex information unless it fixes a clerical error, fills in a missing entry, or reflects a later sex determination for a child with ambiguous traits.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 162 by Sen. Perry (Died in committee) and this bill (Died in committee). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 162 by Sen. Perry (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.GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on Apr 3, 2025. Died in the House: never got out of the Public Health committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB406 · 2024-11-21

SOLD BY

+ 3 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the required inclusion of a person's sex on a birth certificate and prohibited change of sex on the birth certificate of certain persons.

WHAT IT DOES

Only a new certificate that “incorporates” the change is barred. An attached amending certificate isn’t clearly covered.

The bill requires Texas birth certificates to record a child's biological sex as male or female, based on sex organs, chromosomes, or endogenous profile. It touches the people who file birth records, local and state registrars, courts, and anyone seeking to change the sex listed on a birth certificate, with a separate path for children a physician finds have atypical or ambiguous sex traits at birth. Starting September 1, 2025, registrars and courts may not issue or order a new birth certificate with changed sex information unless it fixes a clerical error, fills in a missing entry, or reflects a later sex determination for a child with ambiguous traits.

CHARGES

[x] THE HOLEanalysis confidence 40%

THE TEXT

…“a court may not order the issuance of, a birth certificate that incorporates the completed or corrected biological sex information”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The ban covers only a new certificate that folds the change into its text. The same section still lets registrars issue a copy of the original with an amending certificate attached, and the bill does not clearly close that route for sex changes.

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 7, 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. Co-author authorized
  4. Read first time
  5. Referred to State Affairs
  6. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  7. Considered in public hearing
  8. Testimony taken in committee
  9. Left pending in committee
  10. Considered in public hearing
  11. Vote taken in committee
  12. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  13. Committee report printed and distributed
  14. Co-author authorized
  15. Placed on intent calendar
  16. Not again placed on intent calendar
  17. Placed on intent calendar
  18. Co-author authorized
  19. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  20. Record vote
  21. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  22. Record vote
  23. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  24. Record vote
  25. Read 3rd time
  26. Passed
  27. Record vote
  28. Reported engrossed
  29. Received from the Senate
  30. Read first time
  31. Referred to Public Health
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 20 yea · 11 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · Apr 3, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

Smells

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1.14MRussell Gordy$300,000Kenneth Fisher$215,000

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 6, 2024 to Oct 24, 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$1,140,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,140,000.00

Cash
$1,140,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$1,140,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 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: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.

Russell Gordy$300,000.00
Kenneth Fisher$215,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,140,000.00

Cash
$1,140,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$1,140,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 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: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.

Votes4

Senate Apr 3, 2025

Yea
20
Nay
11
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
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 20, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

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

  • Yea: 20 (published)
  • Nay: 11 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 3, 2025

Yea
20
Nay
11
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 406 at this time on its third reading and final passage: SB 406, Relating to the required inclusion of a person's sex on a birth certificate and prohibited change of sex on the birth certificate of certain persons. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 20, Nays 11.

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

  • Yea: 20 (published)
  • Nay: 11 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Yea
20
Nay
11
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
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 20, Nays 11. (Same as previous roll call)

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

  • Yea: 20 (published)
  • Nay: 11 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Yea
20
Nay
11
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 406 at this time on its second reading: SB 406, Relating to the required inclusion of a person's sex on a birth certificate and prohibited change of sex on the birth certificate of certain persons. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 20, Nays 11.

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

  • Yea: 20 (published)
  • Nay: 11 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses146
For
17
Against
128
On
1
Names

For

  • Self4 registrations
  • Self; Harris county ballot security1 registration
  • Self; Moms for America1 registration
  • Self; Mom’s for America1 registration
  • Self; Protecting texas children1 registration
  • Self; Texaa Coalition for Kids1 registration
  • Self; Texas Eagle Forum1 registration
  • Self; Texas Family Project1 registration
  • Self; Texas Gun Rights1 registration
  • Self; Texas Values2 registrations
  • Self; True texas projeect1 registration
  • Texas Values2 registrations

Against

  • Common Cause Texas1 registration
  • Human Rights Campaign1 registration
  • Self113 registrations
  • Self; ACLU of Texas1 registration
  • Self; Equality Texas1 registration
  • Self; Moms Demand Action1 registration
  • Self; National LGBTQ Task Force1 registration
  • Self; Planned Parenthood Texas Votes1 registration
  • Self; Students Engaged in Advancing Texas1 registration
  • Self; Texas Health Action1 registration
  • Self; Texas Transgender Nondiscrimination Scholars1 registration
  • Self; Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry2 registrations
  • Self; Transgender Education Network of Texas1 registration
  • Self; Transgender Education Network of TX1 registration
  • Texas Counseling Association1 registration

On

  • Texas Department of State Health Services1 registration
Sources

146 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 · March 7, 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.

FILED BEFORE

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

88R SB 162

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

Introduced text

Last action, Apr 10, 2023: Referred to Public Health

Relating to the required inclusion of a person's sex on a birth certificate and prohibited change of sex on the birth certificate of certain minors.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 21, 2024

04/17/2025 H Referred to Public Health: Apr 17 2025 2:29PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Coauthors

House committee · Public Health · Final status: Died in committee

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

Companion

HB 477 by Swanson (similar)

HB 2291 by Lowe (identical)

Subjects

Health--General

BIRTH & DEATH CERTIFICATES

HEALTH & HUMAN SERVICES COMMISSION

Text

The text as introduced · 574 words

89R603 EAS-D

By: Middleton
S.B. No. 406

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the required inclusion of a person's sex on a birth

certificate and prohibited change of sex on the birth certificate

of certain persons.

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

SECTION 1. Section 192.002, Health and Safety Code, is

amended by adding Subsection (c-1) to read as follows:

(c-1) The form must include a space for recording the

biological sex of a person as either male or female.

SECTION 2. Section 192.003, Health and Safety Code, is

amended by adding Subsections (f) and (g) to read as follows:

(f) Subject to Subsection (g), a person required to file a

birth certificate under this section shall ensure the biological

sex of a child, as determined by the sex organs, chromosomes, or

endogenous profile of the child, is listed in the appropriate space

on the child's birth certificate. A person required to report a

birth under this section shall report the child's biological sex to

the local registrar, and the local registrar shall list the

biological sex in the appropriate space on the birth certificate.

(g) A person is not required to list on the birth

certificate or report to the local registrar the biological sex of a

child whose biological sex is not determined at birth because the

child, as determined by a physician, has atypical or ambiguous sex

organs, chromosomes, or endogenous profile for either male or

female. The birth certificate may be amended under Section 192.011

at any time after the child's sex is determined to complete the

information on the certificate by including the child's determined

sex.

SECTION 3. Section 192.011, Health and Safety Code, is

amended by amending Subsection (b) and adding Subsection (d) to

read as follows:

(b) Except as provided by Subsection (d), on [ On ] the

request of the person or the person's legal representative, the

state registrar, local registrar, or other person who issues birth

certificates shall issue a birth certificate that incorporates the

completed or corrected information instead of issuing a copy of the

original or supplementary certificate with an amending certificate

attached.

(d) The state registrar, local registrar, or other person

who issues a birth certificate under this section may not issue, and

a court may not order the issuance of, a birth certificate that

incorporates the completed or corrected biological sex information

for a person unless:

(1) the certificate corrects a clerical error on the

original birth certificate;

(2) the original birth certificate does not list the

person's biological sex as required by Section 192.003(f) and the

certificate completes the information by listing the person's

biological sex; or

(3) for a person who at birth had atypical or ambiguous

sex organs, chromosomes, or endogenous profile for either male or

female and whose sex is later determined, the certificate:

(A) corrects the biological sex information

listed as either male or female on an original birth certificate by

listing the person's determined sex as the other biological sex; or

(B) completes the biological sex information not

previously listed on an original birth certificate by listing the

person's determined sex.

SECTION 4. As soon as practicable after the effective date

of this Act, the executive commissioner of the Health and Human

Services Commission shall adopt rules necessary to implement the

changes in law made by this Act.

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