SB 617: bill requiring hearings before city homeless housing conversions

Caption

relating to hearing and public notice requirements regarding the conversion by a municipality of certain properties to house homeless individuals.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

At least 90 days before work starts, within one mile of the property.

The bill bars a city council from approving the conversion of city-controlled property into housing for homeless people unless it first holds a public hearing at least 90 days before the work starts, held within one mile of the property. It touches city governments and the homes and businesses within a one-mile radius, which must get mailed notice at least 36 hours before the hearing, and any of those notice-holders can go to district court to stop a conversion if the city skips the steps. On the ground, these projects now face a public hearing, a 90-day wait and a possible neighbor lawsuit, except for temporary shelter during disasters or emergencies, and the rule overrides conflicting city charters.

Labels

Labels: BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R SB 1214 (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.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB617 · 2024-12-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Charles SchwertnerRSenate 5

ITEM

relating to hearing and public notice requirements regarding the conversion by a municipality of certain properties to house homeless individuals.

WHAT IT DOES

At least 90 days before work starts, within one mile of the property.

The bill bars a city council from approving the conversion of city-controlled property into housing for homeless people unless it first holds a public hearing at least 90 days before the work starts, held within one mile of the property. It touches city governments and the homes and businesses within a one-mile radius, which must get mailed notice at least 36 hours before the hearing, and any of those notice-holders can go to district court to stop a conversion if the city skips the steps. On the ground, these projects now face a public hearing, a 90-day wait and a possible neighbor lawsuit, except for temporary shelter during disasters or emergencies, and the rule overrides conflicting city charters.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 15, 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 Local Government
Mar 17, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Mar 17, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 17, 2025Left pending in committee
Mar 24, 2025Considered in public hearing
Mar 24, 2025Vote taken in committee
Mar 25, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendments
Mar 25, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Apr 1, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Apr 2, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 2, 2025Record vote
Apr 2, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
Apr 2, 2025Record vote
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 Intergovernmental Affairs
Apr 28, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 28, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 9, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 9, 2025Committee report distributed
May 10, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 13, 2025Laid out in lieu of companion HB 4626
May 13, 2025Read 2nd time
May 13, 2025Passed to 3rd reading
May 13, 2025Record vote RV#2343
May 13, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 14, 2025Read 3rd time
May 14, 2025Passed
May 14, 2025Record vote RV#2422
May 14, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 14, 2025House passage reported
May 14, 2025Reported enrolled
May 15, 2025Signed in the Senate
May 15, 2025Signed in the House
May 15, 2025Sent to the Governor
May 27, 2025Signed by the Governor
May 27, 2025Effective on 9/1/25

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 97 yea · 38 nay

Senate · 22 yea · 9 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 14, 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

Charles Schwertner

Donors

Donors report through Texans for Charles Schwertner.

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 1, 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.

Money

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

Votes6

House May 14, 2025

Yea: 97
Nay: 38
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 10
Excused: 3

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2422

SB 617 was passed by (Record 2422): 97 Yeas, 38 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 97 (published)
Nay: 38 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 10 (derived from named list)
Excused: 3 (derived from named list)

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

House May 13, 2025

Yea: 87
Nay: 47
Present, not voting: 1
Absent: 2
Excused: 13

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 2343

SB 617 was passed to third reading by (Record 2343): 87 Yeas, 47 Nays, 1 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 87 (published)
Nay: 47 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 2 (derived from named list)
Excused: 13 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Yea: 22
Nay: 9
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 22, Nays 9.

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

Yea: 22 (published)
Nay: 9 (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: 25
Nay: 6
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 Schwertner moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 617 be placed on its third reading and final passage: SB 617, Relating to hearing and public notice requirements regarding the conversion by a municipality of certain properties to house homeless individuals. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 25, Nays 6.

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

Yea: 25 (published)
Nay: 6 (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: 22
Nay: 9
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 22, Nays 9. (Same as previous roll call)

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

Yea: 22 (published)
Nay: 9 (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: 22
Nay: 9
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 Schwertner moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 617 at this time on its second reading: SB 617, Relating to hearing and public notice requirements regarding the conversion by a municipality of certain properties to house homeless individuals. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 9.

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

Yea: 22 (published)
Nay: 9 (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.

Witnesses7

For: 2
Against: 5
On: 0

Names

For

Self1 registration
Texas UU Justice Ministry1 registration

Against

Caritas of Austin1 registration
City of San Antonio1 registration
Self2 registrations
Texas Homeless Network1 registration

Sources

7 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 fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · March 15, 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 1214

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

Introduced text

Last action, May 4, 2023: Referred to Urban Affairs

Relating to hearing and public notice requirements regarding the conversion by a municipality of certain properties to house homeless individuals.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Dec 13, 2024

05/27/2025 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.

Companion

HB 4626 by Harris Davila (identical)

Subjects

City Government--General

Housing--Homeless Persons

HOMELESS

PUBLIC NOTICE

Text

The text as introduced · 412 words

89R1184 JG-F

By: Schwertner
S.B. No. 617

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to hearing and public notice requirements regarding the

conversion by a municipality of certain properties to house

homeless individuals.

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

SECTION 1. Subtitle A, Title 8, Local Government Code, is

amended by adding Chapter 255 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 255. CONVERSION OF PROPERTY FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES

Sec. 255.001. SPECIAL HEARING AND NOTICE REQUIREMENTS FOR

CONVERSION OF PROPERTY TO HOUSE HOMELESS INDIVIDUALS. (a) Except

as provided by Subsection (e), a municipality's governing body may

not approve the conversion of a property under the municipality's

control to provide housing to homeless individuals unless the

governing body holds a public hearing not less than 90 days before

the municipality begins the conversion. The governing body must

hold the hearing at a location within a one-mile radius of the

property.

(b) Not later than 36 hours before a public hearing required

under Subsection (a) is held, a municipality's governing body must

provide notice of the hearing by mail to each residence and business

located within a one-mile radius of the property described by that

subsection.

(c) If a municipality's governing body fails to comply with

this section, an individual who is entitled to notice under

Subsection (b) may bring an action for injunctive relief in a

district court in the county in which the property described by

Subsection (a) is located to prevent the conversion of the

property.

(d) In the event of a conflict between this chapter and a

provision in a municipality's charter relating to the conversion or

notice of the conversion of a property described by Subsection (a),

this chapter controls.

(e) This section does not apply to the conversion of a

property to provide temporary shelter or housing during a natural

disaster, declared state of emergency, or other life-threatening

public emergency.

SECTION 2. Chapter 255, Local Government Code, as added by

this Act, applies only to the conversion of property described by

Section 255.001(a), Local Government Code, as added by this Act,

that is set to begin on or after the effective date of this Act.

SECTION 3. 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.

Verdict: No flags

The receipt

SOLD BY

ITEM

WHAT IT DOES

CHARGES

TOTAL

HISTORY

SIGNED FOR BY

Donors

House May 14, 2025

House May 13, 2025

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Senate Apr 2, 2025

Senate Apr 2, 2025

For

Against

88R SB 1214

Companion