Regular Session
County Commissioners Courts (Approval Authority) • Texas A&M Forest Service (Drought Determination)
Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation
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This bill's path through the Texas Legislature
BILL ANALYSIS |
| H.B. 554 |
| By: Leo Wilson |
| Intergovernmental Affairs |
| Committee Report (Unamended) |
| BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The bill author has informed the committee that constituents in House District 23 have called for fireworks to be allowed to be sold to the public for the celebration of the Juneteenth holiday. H.B. 554 seeks to address this issue by providing for such sale if approved by a county commissioners court.
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| CRIMINAL JUSTICE IMPACT
It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly create a criminal offense, increase the punishment for an existing criminal offense or category of offenses, or change the eligibility of a person for community supervision, parole, or mandatory supervision.
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| RULEMAKING AUTHORITY It is the committee's opinion that this bill does not expressly grant any additional rulemaking authority to a state officer, department, agency, or institution.
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| ANALYSIS H.B. 554 amends the Occupations Code to authorize a retail fireworks permit holder to sell fireworks to the public for the Juneteenth holiday during the period beginning June 14 and ending at midnight on June 19 in a county in which the commissioners court has approved the sale of fireworks during the period. H.B. 554 amends the Local Government Code to require the Texas A&M Forest Service to make its services available each day during the Juneteenth holiday fireworks season to respond to a county request to determine whether drought conditions exist on average in the county. The bill sets an annual deadline of before June 1 by which the county commissioners court must adopt an order prohibiting or restricting the sale or use of restricted fireworks in the county's unincorporated area based on a drought determination for that fireworks season.
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| EFFECTIVE DATE On passage, or, if the bill does not receive the necessary vote, September 1, 2025.
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| H.B. No. 554 | ||
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| relating to the sale of fireworks on and before the Juneteenth | ||
| holiday. | ||
| BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: | ||
| SECTION 1. Section 2154.202(g), Occupations Code, is | ||
| amended to read as follows: | ||
| (g) Except as provided by Subsection (h), a retail fireworks | ||
| permit holder may sell fireworks only to the public, and only during | ||
| periods: | ||
| (1) beginning June 14 and ending at midnight on June 19 | ||
| in a county in which the commissioners court of the county has | ||
| approved the sale of fireworks during the period; | ||
| (2) beginning June 24 and ending at midnight on July 4; | ||
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(3) [ |
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| on January 1 of the following year; and | ||
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(4) [ |
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| May 5 if the fireworks are sold at a location that is not more than | ||
| 100 miles from the Texas-Mexico border and that is in a county in | ||
| which the commissioners court of the county has approved the sale of | ||
| fireworks during the period. | ||
| SECTION 2. Sections 352.051(b) and (d), Local Government | ||
| Code, are amended to read as follows: | ||
| (b)(1) The Texas A&M Forest Service in the ordinary course | ||
| of its activities shall determine whether drought conditions, as | ||
| defined under Subsection (a)(2), exist on average in any county | ||
| requesting such a determination. The Texas A&M Forest Service | ||
| shall make available the measurement index guidelines used to | ||
| determine whether drought conditions exist in a particular area. | ||
| Following any determination that such drought conditions exist, the | ||
| Texas A&M Forest Service shall notify said county or counties when | ||
| such drought conditions no longer exist. The Texas A&M Forest | ||
| Service shall make its services available each day during the Texas | ||
| Independence Day, San Jacinto Day, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Fourth | ||
| of July, Diwali, and December fireworks seasons to respond to the | ||
| request of any county for a determination whether drought | ||
| conditions exist on average in the county. | ||
| (2) The Texas A&M Forest Service shall be allowed to | ||
| take such donations of equipment or funds as necessary to aid in the | ||
| carrying out of this section. | ||
| (d) To facilitate compliance with an order adopted under | ||
| Subsection (c), the order must be adopted before: | ||
| (1) February 15 of each year for the Texas | ||
| Independence Day fireworks season; | ||
| (2) April 1 of each year for the San Jacinto Day | ||
| fireworks season; | ||
| (3) April 25 of each year for the Cinco de Mayo | ||
| fireworks season; | ||
| (4) May 15 of each year for the Memorial Day fireworks | ||
| season; | ||
| (5) June 1 of each year for the Juneteenth fireworks | ||
| season; | ||
| (6) June 15 of each year for the Fourth of July | ||
| fireworks season; | ||
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(7) [ |
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| the Diwali fireworks season; and | ||
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(8) [ |
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| fireworks season. | ||
| 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. | ||
| TO: | Honorable Cecil Bell, Chair, House Committee on Intergovernmental Affairs |
| FROM: | Jerry McGinty, Director, Legislative Budget Board |
| IN RE: | HB554 by Leo Wilson (Relating to the sale of fireworks on and before the Juneteenth holiday in certain counties.), As Introduced |
| Source Agencies: |
| LBB Staff: | JMc, SZ, BC, CWi, CMA, |
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Common questions about HB554
HB554 immediately authorizes a new retail fireworks sales period from June 14 through midnight on June 19 to coincide with Juneteenth. This is not a statewide authorization; sales are legal only if the specific County Commissioners Court has affirmatively approved the sale. Retailers face a critical compliance gap between the new Juneteenth season and the standard July 4th season (June 20–23) where sales remain prohibited.
HB554 was authored by Texas Representative Terri Leo-Wilson during the Regular Session.
HB554 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 26, 2025.
HB554 is enforced by County Commissioners Courts (Approval Authority) and Texas A&M Forest Service (Drought Determination).
The compliance urgency for HB554 is rated as "critical". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.
The cost impact of HB554 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.
HB554 addresses topics including holidays, safety, safety--fireworks, juneteenth and county government.
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