Texas 89th Legislature
Ethics
6 high-impact bills require immediate attention. 8 bills have bipartisan support.
High-Impact Bills
6 bills require immediate attention
Relating to the registration as a lobbyist of persons who engage in certain lobbying activities on behalf of a foreign adversary and to prohibitions on the receipt of compensation related to those lobbying activities; providing a civil penalty.
Relating to measures to protect institutions of higher education from foreign adversaries and to the prosecution of the criminal offense of theft of trade secrets; increasing a criminal penalty.
Relating to increasing the criminal penalties for certain misuse of official information, including misuse of official information that results in certain net pecuniary gains.
Relating to contracting with a school district or open-enrollment charter school by a vendor with whom a member of the board of trustees or governing body of the district or school or a related individual has certain business interests; creating a criminal offense.
Relating to the subject matter jurisdiction of the criminal trial courts of this state.
Relating to the regulation and use of artificial intelligence systems and the management of data by governmental entities.
Ethics Filing Activity
Compliance & Cost
Leading Authors
All Bills (14)
Relating to a restriction on the acceptance of political contributions and the making of certain political expenditures by a member of the legislature and certain political committees during certain periods in which a member is absent from a legislative session; authorizing a civil penalty.
Relating to a restriction on the acceptance of political contributions and the making of certain political expenditures by a member of the legislature and certain political committees during certain periods in which a member is absent from a legislative session; authorizing a civil penalty.
Relating to the registration as a lobbyist of persons who engage in certain lobbying activities on behalf of a foreign adversary and to prohibitions on the receipt of compensation related to those lobbying activities; providing a civil penalty.
Relating to the registration as a lobbyist of persons who engage in certain lobbying activities on behalf of a foreign adversary and to prohibitions on the receipt of compensation related to those lobbying activities; providing a civil penalty.
Relating to measures to protect institutions of higher education from foreign adversaries and to the prosecution of the criminal offense of theft of trade secrets; increasing a criminal penalty.
Relating to measures to protect institutions of higher education from foreign adversaries and to the prosecution of the criminal offense of theft of trade secrets; increasing a criminal penalty.
Relating to the qualification of candidates for, and the training and education of members of, the board of directors of an appraisal district.
Relating to the qualification of candidates for, and the training and education of members of, the board of directors of an appraisal district.
Relating to contracting with a school district or open-enrollment charter school by a vendor with whom a member of the board of trustees or governing body of the district or school or a related individual has certain business interests; creating a criminal offense.
Relating to contracting with a school district or open-enrollment charter school by a vendor with whom a member of the board of trustees or governing body of the district or school or a related individual has certain business interests; creating a criminal offense.
Relating to increasing the criminal penalties for certain misuse of official information, including misuse of official information that results in certain net pecuniary gains.
Relating to increasing the criminal penalties for certain misuse of official information, including misuse of official information that results in certain net pecuniary gains.
Relating to assistance in the investigation of certain open meetings offenses by the open records division of the attorney general's office.
Relating to assistance in the investigation of certain open meetings offenses by the open records division of the attorney general's office.
Relating to the duty of the attorney general to prosecute criminal offenses prescribed by the election laws of this state.
Relating to the duty of the attorney general to prosecute criminal offenses prescribed by the election laws of this state.
Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds to pay bail bonds; authorizing injunctive relief.
Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds to pay bail bonds; authorizing injunctive relief.
Relating to the deadline for the Texas Ethics Commission to resolve certain complaints.
Relating to the deadline for the Texas Ethics Commission to resolve certain complaints.
Relating to the subject matter jurisdiction of the criminal trial courts of this state.
Relating to the subject matter jurisdiction of the criminal trial courts of this state.
Relating to the administration of the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council and Texas Opioid Abatement Trust Fund.
Relating to the administration of the Texas Opioid Abatement Fund Council and Texas Opioid Abatement Trust Fund.
Relating to the regulation and use of artificial intelligence systems and the management of data by governmental entities.
Relating to the regulation and use of artificial intelligence systems and the management of data by governmental entities.
Relating to the imposition of civil penalties for certain violations with respect to political contributions and expenditures made by certain persons who engage in lobbying activities.
Relating to the imposition of civil penalties for certain violations with respect to political contributions and expenditures made by certain persons who engage in lobbying activities.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many Texas laws on ethics passed in 2025?
- The Texas 89th Legislature enacted 14 laws related to ethics. These bills were authored by 11 different legislators and address various aspects of ethics policy in Texas.
- Did ethics bills originate in the Texas House or Senate?
- Ethics legislation from the 89th Legislature includes 7 House bills and 7 Senate bills. Both chambers contributed significant legislation on this topic.
- Which Texas legislators authored the most ethics bills?
- The leading authors of ethics legislation include Sen. Joan Huffman (R) with 2 bills, Sen. Bryan Hughes (R) with 2 bills, Sen. Brian Birdwell (R) with 2 bills. These lawmakers have demonstrated particular focus on ethics issues during the 89th Legislature.
- How urgent are the compliance requirements for ethics legislation?
- Among the 14 ethics bills enacted, 6 have critical compliance urgency and 8 have moderate urgency. Businesses should prioritize reviewing high-urgency bills for immediate compliance planning.
- What subjects are related to ethics in Texas law?
- Ethics legislation frequently overlaps with Criminal Procedure, Crimes, Civil Remedies & Liabilities. Bills often address multiple related policy areas, so reviewing these connected subjects may provide additional context.
- Is there bipartisan support for ethics legislation in Texas?
- Yes, 8 of the 14 ethics bills (57%) have bipartisan sponsorship, with both Republican and Democrat sponsors. This indicates areas of cross-party agreement on ethics policy.
- When do Texas ethics laws from the 89th Legislature take effect?
- Most Texas legislation takes effect September 1, 2025, unless otherwise specified. Some ethics bills may have immediate effective dates or delayed implementation schedules. Review individual bills for specific effective dates and compliance deadlines.
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