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HB4996 • 2025

Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of refusal to execute the release of a fraudulent lien or claim.

Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of refusal to execute the release of a fraudulent lien or claim.

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor
Dyson | Lujan
Last action
2025-06-20
Official status
06/20/2025 E Effective on 9/1/25
Effective date
2025-06-20

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of refusal to execute the release of a fraudulent lien or claim.

Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of refusal to execute the release of a fraudulent lien or claim.

What This Bill Does

  • Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of refusal to execute the release of a fraudulent lien or claim.

Limits and Unknowns

  • This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

  1. 2025-06-20 Texas Legislature Online

    Signed by the Governor

  2. 2025-06-20 Texas Legislature Online

    Effective on 9/1/25

  3. 2025-05-26 Texas Legislature Online

    Sent to the Governor

  4. 2025-05-25 Texas Legislature Online

    Signed in the House

  5. 2025-05-25 Texas Legislature Online

    Signed in the Senate

  6. 2025-05-24 Texas Legislature Online

    Senate passage reported

  7. 2025-05-24 Texas Legislature Online

    Reported enrolled

  8. 2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Placed on intent calendar

  9. 2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Rules suspended-Regular order of business

  10. 2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Vote recorded in Journal

  11. 2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Read 2nd time & passed to 3rd reading

  12. 2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Vote recorded in Journal

  13. 2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Three day rule suspended

  14. 2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote

  15. 2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Read 3rd time

  16. 2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Passed

  17. 2025-05-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote

  18. 2025-05-21 Texas Legislature Online

    Reported favorably w/o amendments

  19. 2025-05-21 Texas Legislature Online

    Committee report printed and distributed

  20. 2025-05-20 Texas Legislature Online

    Scheduled for public hearing on . . .

  21. 2025-05-20 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in public hearing

  22. 2025-05-20 Texas Legislature Online

    Vote taken in committee

  23. 2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online

    Received from the House

  24. 2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online

    Read first time

  25. 2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online

    Referred to Criminal Justice

  26. 2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Placed on Local, Consent, and Res. Calendar

  27. 2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Read 2nd time

  28. 2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Passed to engrossment

  29. 2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal

  30. 2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Read 3rd time

  31. 2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Passed

  32. 2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote. RV#1573

  33. 2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Nonrecord vote recorded in Journal

  34. 2025-05-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Reported engrossed

  35. 2025-05-05 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in Local & Consent Calendars

  36. 2025-04-30 Texas Legislature Online

    Comm. report sent to Local & Consent Calendar

  37. 2025-04-29 Texas Legislature Online

    Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator

  38. 2025-04-29 Texas Legislature Online

    Committee report distributed

  39. 2025-04-25 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in formal meeting

  40. 2025-04-25 Texas Legislature Online

    Recommended to be sent to Local & Consent

  41. 2025-04-25 Texas Legislature Online

    Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)

  42. 2025-04-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Scheduled for public hearing on . . .

  43. 2025-04-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in public hearing

  44. 2025-04-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee

  45. 2025-04-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Left pending in committee

  46. 2025-04-03 Texas Legislature Online

    Read first time

  47. 2025-04-03 Texas Legislature Online

    Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development

  48. 2025-03-13 Texas Legislature Online

    Filed

Official Summary Text

Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of refusal to execute the release of a fraudulent lien or claim.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
89(R) HB 4996 - Enrolled version - Bill Text

H.B. No. 4996

AN ACT

relating to increasing the criminal penalty for the offense of

refusal to execute the release of a fraudulent lien or claim.

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

SECTION 1. Section 32.49(c), Penal Code, is amended to read

as follows:

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

except that the offense is a felony of the third degree if the owner

of the real or personal property subject to the fraudulent lien or

claim is a person the actor knows is a public servant
.

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, 2025.

______________________________

______________________________

President of the Senate

Speaker of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 4996 was passed by the House on May 7,

2025, by the following vote: Yeas 144, Nays 4, 2 present, not

voting.

______________________________

Chief Clerk of the House

I certify that H.B. No. 4996 was passed by the Senate on May

23, 2025, by the following vote: Yeas 30, Nays 1.

______________________________

Secretary of the Senate

APPROVED: _____________________

Date

_____________________

Governor