SB 608: bill counting evidence kits police failed to pick up

Caption

relating to reporting information regarding certain evidence collection kits.

Summary

The yearly report adds kits not collected on time.

The bill adds a new count to the state's yearly report on sexual assault evidence collection kits: the number of kits that police did not pick up within the time state law requires. It also requires county sexual assault response teams to include that same count in their every-other-year report to the county commissioners court. The state report must carry the title "Statewide Electronic Tracking System Report" and be posted on the department's public website, starting with a September 1, 2025 effective date.

Labels

Labels: CROSS-PARTY HANDOFF. Lead author Pete Flores (R) in the Senate. Lead sponsor Donna Howard (D) in the House. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB608 · 2024-12-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Pete FloresRSenate 24

+ 2 coauthors

ITEM

relating to reporting information regarding certain evidence collection kits.

WHAT IT DOES

The yearly report adds kits not collected on time.

The bill adds a new count to the state's yearly report on sexual assault evidence collection kits: the number of kits that police did not pick up within the time state law requires. It also requires county sexual assault response teams to include that same count in their every-other-year report to the county commissioners court. The state report must carry the title "Statewide Electronic Tracking System Report" and be posted on the department's public website, starting with a September 1, 2025 effective date.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 17, 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

Dec 13, 2024Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Dec 13, 2024Filed
Feb 3, 2025Read first time
Feb 3, 2025Referred to Criminal Justice
Mar 18, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 18, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 18, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Mar 18, 2025Vote taken in committee
Mar 19, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
Mar 19, 2025Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
Mar 19, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Mar 25, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Mar 26, 2025Not again placed on intent calendar
Mar 27, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Mar 31, 2025Not again placed on intent calendar
Apr 1, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Apr 2, 2025Co-author authorized
Apr 2, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 2, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
Apr 2, 2025Vote recorded in Journal
Apr 2, 2025Three day rule suspended
Apr 2, 2025Record vote
Apr 2, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 2, 2025Passed
Apr 2, 2025Record vote
Apr 2, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 3, 2025Received from the Senate
Apr 9, 2025Read first time
Apr 9, 2025Referred to Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs
Apr 23, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 23, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 28, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 28, 2025Committee report distributed
Apr 29, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
Apr 30, 2025Laid out in lieu of companion HB 1775
Apr 30, 2025Read 2nd time
Apr 30, 2025Passed to 3rd reading
Apr 30, 2025Record vote RV#1070
Apr 30, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 1, 2025Read 3rd time
May 1, 2025Passed
May 1, 2025Record vote RV#1113
May 1, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 1, 2025House passage reported
May 1, 2025Reported enrolled
May 5, 2025Signed in the Senate
May 5, 2025Signed in the House
May 6, 2025Sent to the Governor
May 14, 2025Signed by the Governor
May 14, 2025Effective on 9/1/25

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 140 yea · 0 nay

Senate · 31 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 1, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · Apr 2, 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

Pete Flores

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$55KMorris Jaffe$25,000Justin Jaffe$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 12, 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$55,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$55,000.00

Cash: $55,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $55,000.00

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 13, 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: 100985131, 101008112, 101072110.

Morris Jaffe$25,000.00

Justin Jaffe$25,000.00

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$55,000.00

Cash: $55,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $55,000.00

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 13, 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: 100985131, 101008112, 101072110.

Votes5

House May 1, 2025

Yea: 140
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 8
Excused: 1

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1113

SB 608 was passed by (Record 1113): 140 Yeas, 0 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 140 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 8 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

House Apr 30, 2025

Yea: 139
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 2
Excused: 8

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 1070

SB 608 was read second time and was passed to third reading by (Record 1070): 139 Yeas, 0 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 139 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
Excused: 8 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Yea: 31
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Flores moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 608 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0. The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

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

Yea: 31 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

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

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Yea: 31
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Sources

Senator Flores moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 608 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 31, Nays 0.

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

Yea: 31 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

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

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

Names

Senate journal

Names were not printed. No individual positions are inferred.

Voice vote. No numeric tally or individual yeas are inferred.

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by a viva voce vote.

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

Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: Not printed

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

Witnesses13

For: 11
Against: 0
On: 2

Names

For

Asian Family Support Services of Austin1 registration
City of Houston1 registration
Game Warden Peace Officers Association1 registration
Self4 registrations
Texas Assoc Against Sexual Assault1 registration
Texas Council ob Family Violence1 registration
Travis Co District Attorney's Office1 registration
Travis County Commissioners Court1 registration

On

Dps1 registration
Self; SAFE Alliance1 registration

Sources

13 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 17, 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 Dec 13, 2024

05/14/2025 E Effective on 9/1/25

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

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

Coauthors

César BlancoDSenate 29

José MenéndezDSenate 26

Companion

HB 1775 by Howard (identical)

Subjects

Crimes--Against Persons--Sexual

Criminal Procedure--General

Health Care Providers

Law Enforcement

EVIDENCE

PUBLIC SAFETY, DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 374 words

89R2957 MCF-F

By: Flores
S.B. No. 608

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to reporting information regarding certain evidence

collection kits.

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

SECTION 1. Section 420.034, Government Code, is amended by

amending Subsection (h) and adding Subsection (i) to read as

follows:

(h) Not later than December 1 of each year, the department

shall submit a report to the governor, lieutenant governor, speaker

of the house of representatives, and members of the legislature

identifying the number of evidence collection kits :

(1) that have not yet been submitted for laboratory

analysis or for which the laboratory analysis has not yet been

completed, as applicable ; and

(2) that a law enforcement agency did not take

possession of within the period required by Section 420.035(b) or

(c), as applicable .

(i) The annual report required by Subsection (h) must be

titled "Statewide Electronic Tracking System Report" and must be

posted on the department's publicly accessible Internet website.

SECTION 2. Section 351.257, Local Government Code, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 351.257. REPORT. Not later than December 1 of each

odd-numbered year, a response team shall provide to the

commissioners court of each county the response team serves a

report that includes:

(1) a list of response team members able to

participate in the quarterly meetings required by Section

351.254(c);

(2) a copy of the written protocol developed under

Section 351.256; and

(3) either:

(A) a biennial summary detailing:

(i) the number of sexual assault reports

received by local law enforcement agencies;

(ii) the number of investigations conducted

as a result of those reports;

(iii) the number of indictments presented

in connection with a report and the disposition of those cases;

[ and ]

(iv) the number of reports of sexual

assault for which no indictment was presented; and

(v) the number of evidence collection kits

described by Section 420.031, Government Code, that a law

enforcement agency did not take possession of within the period

required by Section 420.035(b) or (c), Government Code, as

applicable; or

(B) an explanation of the reason the response

team failed to provide the information described by Paragraph (A).

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

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

House May 1, 2025

House Apr 30, 2025

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Senate Apr 2, 2025

For

On

Companion