SB 170

stealing a gun from a car becomes a felony

Filed

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

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

Caption

relating to the punishment for the offense of burglary of a vehicle involving theft of a firearm; increasing a criminal penalty.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Class A misdemeanor becomes third-degree felony. Starting September 1, 2027.

The bill raises the penalty for breaking into a vehicle when the person steals a firearm during the break-in, making it a third-degree felony instead of a Class A misdemeanor. It touches people prosecuted for vehicle burglary that involves taking a gun, and it borrows the Penal Code's existing definition of firearm. Starting September 1, 2027, these cases carry a much heavier punishment, while offenses committed before that date stay under the old law.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R SB 1166 by Sen. Birdwell (Did not pass) and 89R SB 872 by Sen. Birdwell (Did not pass). Checked against 88R and 89R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 89R SB 872 by Sen. Birdwell (Did not pass). 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.

Receipt

The receipt

90R-SB170 · 2026-11-09

SOLD BY

Sen. Brent HagenbuchRSenate 30

ITEM

relating to the punishment for the offense of burglary of a vehicle involving theft of a firearm; increasing a criminal penalty.

WHAT IT DOES

Class A misdemeanor becomes third-degree felony. Starting September 1, 2027.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Nov 9, 2026Received by the Secretary of the Senate
Nov 9, 2026Filed

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Brent Hagenbuch

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$50K Denton County Republican Lincoln Cabinet PAC$25KJohn Kleinheinz$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 · Oct 27, 2024 to Jun 15, 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$50,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$50,000.00

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $50,000.00

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 · Jun 23, 2025 to Sep 8, 2025. 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: 101010787, 101032653.

Denton County Republican Lincoln Cabinet PAC$25,000.00

Denton County Republican Lincoln Cabinet PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Apr 8, 2026 to Apr 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Apr 21, 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: 101058859.

John Kleinheinz$25,000.00

Money

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

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$50,000.00

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $50,000.00

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 · Jun 23, 2025 to Sep 8, 2025. 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: 101010787, 101032653.

Denton County Republican Lincoln Cabinet PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

Also funds 1 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Apr 8, 2026 to Apr 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Apr 21, 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: 101058859.

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 SB 1166

by Sen. Birdwell, different lead author · Did not pass · reworked

Introduced text

Last action, May 17, 2023: Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)

Relating to the punishment for the offense of burglary of a vehicle involving theft of a firearm; increasing a criminal penalty.

Caption, 88R bill history

89R SB 872

by Sen. Birdwell, different lead author · Did not pass · same text

Introduced text

Last action, May 26, 2025: Placed on General State Calendar

Relating to the punishment for the offense of burglary of a vehicle involving theft of a firearm; increasing a criminal penalty.

Caption, 89R bill history

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Nov 9, 2026

11/09/2026 S Filed

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Nov 10, 2026 at 2:40 AM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

Subjects

Crimes--Against Property

Criminal Procedure--General

Criminal Procedure--Sentencing & Punishment

Weapons

BURGLARY

Text

The text as introduced · 402 words

90R1765 CJD-F

By: Hagenbuch
S.B. No. 170

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the punishment for the offense of burglary of a vehicle

involving theft of a firearm; increasing a criminal penalty.

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

SECTION 1. Sections 30.04(b) and (d), Penal Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(b) For purposes of this section :

(1) "Enter" [ , "enter" ] means to intrude:

(A) [ (1) ] any part of the body; or

(B) [ (2) ] any physical object connected with the

body.

(2) "Firearm" has the meaning assigned by Section

46.01.

(d) An offense under this section is a Class A misdemeanor,

except that:

(1) the offense is a Class A misdemeanor with a minimum

term of confinement of six months if it is shown on the trial of the

offense that the defendant has been previously convicted of an

offense under this section;

(2) the offense is a state jail felony if:

(A) it is shown on the trial of the offense that

the defendant has been previously convicted two or more times of an

offense under this section; or

(B) the vehicle or part of the vehicle broken

into or entered is a rail car; and

(3) the offense is a felony of the third degree if:

(A) the vehicle broken into or entered is owned

or operated by a wholesale distributor of prescription drugs and

the actor breaks into or enters that vehicle with the intent to

commit theft of a controlled substance; [ or ]

(B) it is shown on the trial of the offense that

the actor committed the offense in the course of committing an

offense under Section 20.05(a)(2) ; or

(C) the actor committed theft of a firearm during

the commission of the offense .

SECTION 2. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to an offense committed on or after the effective date of this Act.

An offense committed before the effective date of this Act is

governed by the law in effect on the date the offense was committed,

and the former law is continued in effect for that purpose. For

purposes of this section, an offense was committed before the

effective date of this Act if any element of the offense occurred

before that date.

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