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HB5138 • 2025

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.

Elections
Passed Legislature

This bill passed both chambers and reached final enrollment, even if later executive action is not shown here.

Sponsor
Shaheen | Metcalf | Leach | Noble | Hull
Last action
2025-05-29
Official status
05/29/2025 H Senate appoints conferees-reported
Effective date
Not listed

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 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.

What This Bill Does

  • Relating to the duty of the attorney general to prosecute criminal offenses prescribed by the election laws of this state.

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. 2025-05-29 Texas Legislature Online

    House refuses to concur in Senate amendments

  2. 2025-05-29 Texas Legislature Online

    House requests conference committee

  3. 2025-05-29 Texas Legislature Online

    House appoints conferees

  4. 2025-05-29 Texas Legislature Online

    House refuses to concur-reported

  5. 2025-05-29 Texas Legislature Online

    House requests conference committee-reported

  6. 2025-05-29 Texas Legislature Online

    House appoints conferees-reported

  7. 2025-05-29 Texas Legislature Online

    Senate grants request for conference comm.

  8. 2025-05-29 Texas Legislature Online

    Senate appoints conferees

  9. 2025-05-29 Texas Legislature Online

    Senate grants request for conf comm-reported

  10. 2025-05-29 Texas Legislature Online

    Senate appoints conferees-reported

  11. 2025-05-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Not again placed on intent calendar

  12. 2025-05-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Rules suspended-Regular order of business

  13. 2025-05-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote

  14. 2025-05-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Read 3rd time

  15. 2025-05-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Passed

  16. 2025-05-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote

  17. 2025-05-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Senate passage as amended reported

  18. 2025-05-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Senate Amendments distributed

  19. 2025-05-28 Texas Legislature Online

    Senate Amendments Analysis distributed

  20. 2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online

    Co-sponsor authorized

  21. 2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online

    Rules suspended-Regular order of business

  22. 2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote

  23. 2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online

    Read 2nd time

  24. 2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online

    Amendment(s) offered. FA1 Eckhardt

  25. 2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online

    Amendment fails of adoption

  26. 2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote

  27. 2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online

    Passed to 3rd reading

  28. 2025-05-27 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote

  29. 2025-05-26 Texas Legislature Online

    Co-sponsor authorized

  30. 2025-05-26 Texas Legislature Online

    Placed on intent calendar

  31. 2025-05-25 Texas Legislature Online

    Reported favorably as substituted

  32. 2025-05-25 Texas Legislature Online

    Committee report printed and distributed

  33. 2025-05-22 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in public hearing

  34. 2025-05-22 Texas Legislature Online

    Vote taken in committee

  35. 2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online

    Scheduled for public hearing on . . .

  36. 2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in public hearing

  37. 2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online

    Testimony taken in committee

  38. 2025-05-15 Texas Legislature Online

    Left pending in committee

  39. 2025-05-13 Texas Legislature Online

    Read first time

  40. 2025-05-13 Texas Legislature Online

    Referred to State Affairs

  41. 2025-05-12 Texas Legislature Online

    Received from the House

  42. 2025-05-09 Texas Legislature Online

    Read 3rd time

  43. 2025-05-09 Texas Legislature Online

    Passed

  44. 2025-05-09 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote. RV#1877

  45. 2025-05-09 Texas Legislature Online

    Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal

  46. 2025-05-09 Texas Legislature Online

    Reported engrossed

  47. 2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online

    Placed on Major State Calendar

  48. 2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online

    Read 2nd time

  49. 2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online

    Amended. 1-Moody

  50. 2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online

    Passed to engrossment as amended

  51. 2025-05-08 Texas Legislature Online

    Record vote. RV#1875

  52. 2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online

    Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator

  53. 2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online

    Committee report distributed

  54. 2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online

    Committee report sent to Calendars

  55. 2025-05-06 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in Calendars

  56. 2025-04-30 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in public hearing

  57. 2025-04-30 Texas Legislature Online

    Committee substitute considered in committee

  58. 2025-04-30 Texas Legislature Online

    Reported favorably as substituted

  59. 2025-04-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Scheduled for public hearing on . . .

  60. 2025-04-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Considered in public hearing

  61. 2025-04-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee

  62. 2025-04-23 Texas Legislature Online

    Left pending in committee

  63. 2025-04-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Read first time

  64. 2025-04-07 Texas Legislature Online

    Referred to State Affairs

  65. 2025-03-13 Texas Legislature Online

    Filed

Official Summary Text

Relating to the duty of the attorney general to prosecute criminal offenses prescribed by the election laws of this state.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text 
89(R) HB 5138 - Senate Committee Report version - Bill Text

By: Shaheen, et al. (Senate Sponsor - Hughes)

H.B. No. 5138

(In the Senate - Received from the House May 12, 2025;

May 13, 2025, read first time and referred to Committee on State

Affairs; May 25, 2025, reported adversely, with favorable

Committee Substitute by the following vote: Yeas 8, Nays 1;

May 25, 2025, sent to printer.)
Click here to see the committee vote

COMMITTEE SUBSTITUTE FOR H.B. No. 5138

By: Hughes

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the duty of the attorney general to prosecute criminal

offenses prescribed by the election laws of this state.

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

SECTION 1. Chapter 402, Government Code, is amended by

adding Subchapter D to read as follows:

SUBCHAPTER D. PROSECUTION OF CRIMINAL OFFENSES PRESCRIBED BY STATE

ELECTION LAWS

Sec.

402.101.

APPLICABILITY. This subchapter applies to a

criminal offense under the Election Code.

Sec.

402.102.

PROVISION OF INFORMATION TO ATTORNEY GENERAL.

(a)

A law enforcement agency shall submit to the attorney general

any report stating there is probable cause to believe an identified

person has committed a criminal offense described by Section

402.101.

(b)

A local prosecuting attorney or law enforcement agency

shall provide any information requested by the attorney general

regarding investigations of criminal offenses described by Section

402.101 to assist the attorney general in performing duties

required under this subchapter.

Sec.

402.103.

PROSECUTION.

Notwithstanding any other law,

the attorney general has jurisdiction to prosecute and shall

represent the state in the prosecution of a criminal offense

described by Section 402.101.

SECTION 2. Sections 273.021(a) and (b), Election Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) The attorney general
has jurisdiction to
[
may
]

prosecute
and shall represent the state in the prosecution of
a

criminal offense prescribed by the election laws of this state
as

provided by Subchapter D, Chapter 402, Government Code
.

(b) The attorney general may appear before a grand jury in

connection with
a criminal
[
an
] offense the attorney general is

authorized to prosecute under Subsection (a).

SECTION 3. Section 273.022, Election Code, is amended to

read as follows:

Sec. 273.022. COOPERATION WITH LOCAL PROSECUTOR. The

attorney general may direct the county or district attorney serving

the county in which the offense is to be prosecuted to prosecute
a

criminal
[
an
] offense that the attorney general is authorized to

prosecute under Section 273.021 or to assist the attorney general

in the prosecution.

SECTION 4. The changes in law made by this Act apply 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 5. This Act takes effect September 1, 2026.

* * * * *