HB 972

Simmons Bill Raises The Texas Minimum Wage To $15

Filed

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Rep. Lauren Ashley SimmonsDHouse 146

Initial review · graded Nov 9, 2026 · How we grade

Caption

relating to the minimum wage.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

$15 an hour starting September 1, 2027, or the federal minimum if that’s ever higher.

This bill raises the Texas minimum wage to $15 an hour, or to the federal minimum wage if that is ever higher. It touches employers in Texas and the workers they pay, subject to an exception in a separate existing section the bill does not change, and it also repeals another section of the minimum wage chapter without restating what that section said. Starting September 1, 2027, employers covered by the state law would have to pay at least $15 an hour instead of the current floor.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 169 by Rep. Reynolds (Died in committee) and 89R HB 5297 by Rep. Talarico (Died in committee). Checked against 88R and 89R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 169 by Rep. Reynolds (Died in committee) and 89R HB 5297 by Rep. Talarico (Died in committee). Filed in 3 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R and 89R only.TRY NO. 3. Filed in 3 sessions: 88R, 89R and 90R. Checked against 88R and 89R only.QUICK READ: 105 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 105 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 90R bill as filed runs 406 words (derived, 1,020 graded bills, snapshot Nov 10, 2026).

Receipt

The receipt

90R-HB972 · 2026-11-09

SOLD BY

Rep. Lauren Ashley SimmonsDHouse 146

ITEM

relating to the minimum wage.

WHAT IT DOES

$15 an hour starting September 1, 2027, or the federal minimum if that’s ever higher.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Nov 9, 2026Filed

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Lauren Ashley Simmons

Donors

Texas Organizing Project Political Action Committee$17K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15K Texas Sands PAC$12K

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 · Oct 27, 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.

Texas Organizing Project Political Action Committee$17,454.66

Texas Organizing Project Political Action Committee

$17,454.66

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $17,454.66
Total: $17,454.66

printing $10,819.39Other filed descriptions $6,635.27

Also funds 4 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 30, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 2, 2026 to Oct 22, 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: 101072739.

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 · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 16, 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: 100986942, 101031959, 101060742, 101072739.

Texas Sands PAC$12,000.00

Texas Sands PAC

$12,000.00

Cash: $12,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $12,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 20, 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: 100986942, 101060742, 101072739.

Money

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

Texas Organizing Project Political Action Committee

$17,454.66

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $17,454.66
Total: $17,454.66

printing $10,819.39Other filed descriptions $6,635.27

Also funds 4 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Sep 30, 2024 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Oct 2, 2026 to Oct 22, 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: 101072739.

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 · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 16, 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: 100986942, 101031959, 101060742, 101072739.

Texas Sands PAC

$12,000.00

Cash: $12,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $12,000.00

Also funds 121 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 3, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 20, 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: 100986942, 101060742, 101072739.

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 a super-expensive superintelligence, Nov 9, 2026, against the published rubric.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 3 times: 88R, 89R and now. Checked against 88R and 89R only.

88R HB 169

by Rep. Reynolds, different lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Feb 23, 2023: Referred to International Relations & Economic Development

Relating to the minimum wage.

Caption, 88R bill history

89R HB 5297

by Rep. Talarico, different lead author · Died in committee · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Apr 7, 2025: Referred to s/c on Workforce by Speaker

Relating to the minimum wage.

Caption, 89R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 9, 2026

11/09/2026 H Filed

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Nov 10, 2026 at 2:38 AM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Companion

HB 110 by Rodríguez Ramos (duplicate)

HB 132 by Walle (duplicate)

HB 856 by Anchía (duplicate)

Subjects

Labor--Wages

MINIMUM WAGE

Text

The text as introduced · 105 words

90R128 DNC-D

By: Simmons
H.B. No. 972

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the minimum wage.

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

SECTION 1. Section 62.051, Labor Code, is amended to read as

follows:

Sec. 62.051. MINIMUM WAGE. Except as provided by Section

62.057, an employer shall pay to each employee not less than the

greater of:

(1) $15 an hour; or

(2) the federal minimum wage under Section 6, Fair

Labor Standards Act of 1938 (29 U.S.C. Section 206).

SECTION 2. Section 62.151, Labor Code, is repealed.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2027.