Monitoring the Session

SB 445

bill ending the secretary of state’s electronic access fee

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Juan "Chuy" HinojosaDSenate 20

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 eliminating the fee for electronic access to certain information maintained by the secretary of state.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Free access. Software transfer can still cost a reasonable fee.

The bill deletes the rule that the secretary of state must set and charge a fee for electronic access to certain information it keeps. Anyone who uses that electronic access system would no longer pay a fee to use it, though the office can still charge a reasonable fee for transferring software. The change takes effect September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 121 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 121 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Nov 21, 2024 and referred to the Senate State Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB445 · 2024-11-21

SOLD BY

Sen. Juan "Chuy" HinojosaDSenate 20

ITEM

relating to eliminating the fee for electronic access to certain information maintained by the secretary of state.

WHAT IT DOES

Free access. Software transfer can still cost a reasonable fee.

The bill deletes the rule that the secretary of state must set and charge a fee for electronic access to certain information it keeps. Anyone who uses that electronic access system would no longer pay a fee to use it, though the office can still charge a reasonable fee for transferring software. The change takes effect 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 State Affairs
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Juan "Chuy" Hinojosa

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$18KTexas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15KAssociated General Contractors of Texas PAC$15K

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 23, 2024 to Jun 30, 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$17,500.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$17,500.00

Cash
$17,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$17,500.00

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 · Sep 3, 2024 to Jun 27, 2025. 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: 100977616, 101009664.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$15,000.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$15,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 24, 2024 to Nov 25, 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: 100977616.

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC$15,000.00

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

$15,000.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$15,000.00

Also funds 120 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 25, 2024 to Jun 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: 100977616, 101059341.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$17,500.00

Cash
$17,500.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$17,500.00

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 · Sep 3, 2024 to Jun 27, 2025. 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: 100977616, 101009664.

×

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$15,000.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$15,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 24, 2024 to Nov 25, 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: 100977616.

×

Associated General Contractors of Texas PAC

$15,000.00

Cash
$15,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$15,000.00

Also funds 120 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 19, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 25, 2024 to Jun 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: 100977616, 101059341.

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 21, 2024

02/03/2025 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

Business & Commerce--General

Fees & Other Nontax Revenue--State

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions

COMPUTERS & SOFTWARE

SECRETARY OF STATE

Text

The text as introduced · 121 words

89R2817 SRA-D

By: Hinojosa of Hidalgo
S.B. No. 445

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to eliminating the fee for electronic access to certain

information maintained by the secretary of state.

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

SECTION 1. Section 405.018(d), Government Code, is amended

to read as follows:

(d) [ The secretary of state shall set and charge a fee for

access to information under Subsection (a) in an amount reasonable

and necessary to cover the costs of establishing and administering

the system under that subsection. ] The secretary of state may

assess a reasonable fee for a transfer of software under Subsection

(b).

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.