SB 868: $30M cap gone on insurer fee for fire departments

Caption

relating to the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program and authorizing an increase in the assessment on certain insurers that fund the program.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The charge rises to match whatever the Legislature appropriates.

The bill removes the $30 million yearly cap on the fee the state charges certain insurers to pay for rural volunteer fire department aid, so the charge can rise to match whatever the Legislature appropriates from that fund. It touches the insurers that pay the assessment and the volunteer fire departments that get the money. It also sets aside at least 10 percent of each year's fund money for departments in areas the state forest service calls high risk for large wildfires, and any unused share can go to other requests, starting September 1, 2025.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB868 · 2025-01-22

SOLD BY

Sen. Kevin SparksRSenate 31

+ 5 coauthors

ITEM

relating to the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program and authorizing an increase in the assessment on certain insurers that fund the program.

WHAT IT DOES

The charge rises to match whatever the Legislature appropriates.

The bill removes the $30 million yearly cap on the fee the state charges certain insurers to pay for rural volunteer fire department aid, so the charge can rise to match whatever the Legislature appropriates from that fund. It touches the insurers that pay the assessment and the volunteer fire departments that get the money. It also sets aside at least 10 percent of each year's fund money for departments in areas the state forest service calls high risk for large wildfires, and any unused share can go to other requests, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · April 29, 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

Jan 22, 2025Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Jan 22, 2025Filed
Feb 4, 2025Co-author authorized
Feb 13, 2025Read first time
Feb 13, 2025Referred to Finance
Feb 20, 2025Co-author authorized
Apr 2, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 2, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 2, 2025Testimony taken in committee
Apr 2, 2025Vote taken in committee
Apr 3, 2025Reported favorably as substituted
Apr 3, 2025Committee report printed and distributed
Apr 8, 2025Placed on intent calendar
Apr 9, 2025Co-author authorized
Apr 9, 2025Rules suspended-Regular order of business
Apr 9, 2025Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
Apr 9, 2025Vote recorded in Journal
Apr 9, 2025Three day rule suspended
Apr 9, 2025Record vote
Apr 9, 2025Read 3rd time
Apr 9, 2025Passed
Apr 9, 2025Record vote
Apr 9, 2025Reported engrossed
Apr 10, 2025Received from the Senate
Apr 17, 2025Read first time
Apr 17, 2025Referred to Appropriations
Apr 24, 2025Considered in formal meeting
Apr 24, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
Apr 30, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
Apr 30, 2025Committee report distributed
May 1, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 19, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 21, 2025Placed on General State Calendar
May 22, 2025Read 2nd time
May 22, 2025Passed to 3rd reading
May 22, 2025Record vote RV#3223
May 22, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 23, 2025Read 3rd time
May 23, 2025Passed
May 23, 2025Record vote RV#3316
May 23, 2025Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
May 23, 2025House passage reported
May 23, 2025Reported enrolled
May 26, 2025Signed in the Senate
May 26, 2025Signed in the House
May 27, 2025Sent to the Governor
Jun 20, 2025Signed by the Governor
Jun 20, 2025Effective on 9/1/25

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 134 yea · 3 nay

Senate · 30 yea · 0 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 23, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate: Final passage · Apr 9, 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

Kevin Sparks

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$60KKyle & Jamie Stallings$25,000Tim Dunn$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 25, 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 · Oct 15, 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: 101012623, 101029380, 101072732.

Kyle & Jamie Stallings$25,000.00

Tim Dunn$25,000.00

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 · Oct 15, 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: 101012623, 101029380, 101072732.

Votes5

House May 23, 2025

Yea: 134
Nay: 3
Present, not voting: 2
Absent: 4
Excused: 7

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3316

SB 868 was passed by (Record 3316): 134 Yeas, 3 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 134 (published)
Nay: 3 (published)
Present, not voting: 2 (published)
Absent: 4 (derived from named list)
Excused: 7 (derived from named list)

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

House May 22, 2025

Yea: 135
Nay: 1
Present, not voting: 3
Absent: 7
Excused: 4

Names

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

House journal

Sources

Record 3223

SB 868 was passed to third reading by (Record 3223): 135 Yeas, 1 Nays, 3 Present, not voting.

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

Yea: 135 (published)
Nay: 1 (published)
Present, not voting: 3 (published)
Absent: 7 (derived from named list)
Excused: 4 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Yea: 30
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: 1

Names

KingExcused

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

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0. (Same as previous roll call)

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

Yea: 30 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Yea: 30
Nay: 0
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: 1

Names

KingExcused

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

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

Sources

Senator Sparks moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that CSSB 868 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 0.

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

Yea: 30 (published)
Nay: 0 (published)
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Yea: Not printed
Nay: Not printed
Present, not voting: Not printed
Absent: Not printed
Excused: 1

Names

KingExcused

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

Senate journal

Names were not printed for yea. Only the named positions are included in member records.

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: 1 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses10

For: 8
Against: 0
On: 2

Names

For

AEP Texas1 registration
AEP Texas, ETT1 registration
Association of Electric Companies of Texas1 registration
SAFE-D, the Texas State Association of Fire and Emergency Districts1 registration
State Firefighters' and Fire Marshals Association1 registration
Texas & Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association1 registration
Texas Farm Bureau1 registration
Texas Municipal League1 registration

On

Texas A&M Forest Service2 registrations

Sources

10 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 E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · April 29, 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 Jan 22, 2025

06/20/2025 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

Donna CampbellRSenate 25

Pete FloresRSenate 24

Brent HagenbuchRSenate 30

Lois KolkhorstRSenate 18

Companion

HB 2054 by King (identical)

Subjects

Disaster Preparedness & Relief

Fire Fighters & Police--Volunteer

Insurance--Fire, Allied Lines & Home

State Finances--Appropriations

RURAL

COMPTROLLER OF PUBLIC ACCOUNTS

Text

The text as introduced · 268 words

2025S0023-2 01/16/25

By: Sparks
S.B. No. 868

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the Rural Volunteer Fire Department Assistance Program

and authorizing an increase in the assessment on certain insurers

that fund the program.

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

SECTION 1. Section 2007.002, Insurance Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 2007.002. ASSESSMENT. The comptroller shall assess

against all insurers to which this chapter applies amounts for each

state fiscal year necessary, as determined by the commissioner, to

collect [ a combined total equal to the lesser of:

[ (1) ] the total amount that the General Appropriations

Act appropriates from the volunteer fire department assistance fund

account in the general revenue fund for that state fiscal year ,

other than appropriations for contributions to the Texas Emergency

Services Retirement System made under Section 614.104(d),

Government Code[ ; or

[ (2) $30 million ].

SECTION 2. Section 614.102, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subsections (i) and (j) to read as follows:

(i) At least 10 percent of appropriations for a state fiscal

year from the fund is allocated for the purpose of providing

assistance to volunteer fire departments in areas of the state

defined by the service as high risk for large wildfires.

(j) If the amount of assistance requested in a state fiscal

year by eligible departments described by Subsection (i) is less

than the amount allocated under that subsection, the remaining

amount may be used for other types of requests for assistance

described by this subchapter.

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 23, 2025

House May 22, 2025

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Senate Apr 9, 2025

Senate Apr 9, 2025

For

On

Companion