SB 525

citizenship required to serve on boards and task forces

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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 eligibility of a person who is not a United States citizen to be appointed to or serve in a public office or on an advisory board or task force.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Covers public office, state and local, advisory boards included.

The bill requires a person to be a United States citizen to be appointed to or serve in a public office, including state and local boards, commissions, advisory boards and task forces. It reaches appointees across all three branches of state government and in cities, counties and other local governments, but not offices whose qualifications are set only by the federal or state constitution. Non-citizens already serving in covered appointed seats lose their seats on September 1, 2025, unless they become citizens by that date.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Dec 4, 2024 and referred to the Senate State Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB525 · 2024-12-04

SOLD BY

Sen. Lois KolkhorstRSenate 18

ITEM

relating to the eligibility of a person who is not a United States citizen to be appointed to or serve in a public office or on an advisory board or task force.

WHAT IT DOES

Covers public office, state and local, advisory boards included.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Dec 4, 2024Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Dec 4, 2024Filed
Feb 3, 2025Read first time
Feb 3, 2025Referred to State Affairs

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Lois Kolkhorst

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60K Border Health PAC$35K SRR Ranches, LLC$30K

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 11, 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 19, 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: 101007416, 101012417, 101070754.

Border Health PAC$35,000.00

Border Health PAC

$35,000.00

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

Also funds 17 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 28, 2024 to Aug 26, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 6, 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: 101012417.

SRR Ranches, LLC$30,000.00

SRR Ranches, LLC

$30,000.00

Cash: $30,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $30,000.00

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 8, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 101012417, 101070754.

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 19, 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: 101007416, 101012417, 101070754.

Border Health PAC

$35,000.00

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

Also funds 17 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 28, 2024 to Aug 26, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Dec 6, 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: 101012417.

SRR Ranches, LLC

$30,000.00

Cash: $30,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $30,000.00

Also funds 3 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 8, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 23, 2024 to Oct 1, 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: 101012417, 101070754.

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 Dec 4, 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

Companion

HB 312 by Tepper (identical)

Subjects

City Government--Employees/Officers

County Government--Employees/Officers

Legislature

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions

Text

The text as introduced · 290 words

89R1173 LRM-D

By: Kolkhorst
S.B. No. 525

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the eligibility of a person who is not a United States

citizen to be appointed to or serve in a public office or on an

advisory board or task force.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 601, Government Code, is amended by

adding Section 601.012 to read as follows:

Sec. 601.012. CITIZENSHIP REQUIRED FOR CERTAIN

APPOINTMENTS. (a) A person must be a United States citizen to be

appointed to or serve in a public office, including on the governing

body of a commission, board, or other agency, or on an advisory

board or task force:

(1) within the executive, legislative, or judicial

branch of state government; or

(2) of a political subdivision of this state.

(b) Subsection (a) does not apply to an office for which the

federal or state constitution prescribes exclusive qualification

requirements.

SECTION 2. Section 601.012, Government Code, as added by

this Act, applies to an appointment that occurs on or after

September 1, 2025.

SECTION 3. The term of office of a person who is not a United

States citizen who was appointed before September 1, 2025, to serve

in a position that is subject to Section 601.012, Government Code,

as added by this Act, ends September 1, 2025, unless the person

becomes a United States citizen on or before that date.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.