A new bill authored by State Rep. Hefner in the Texas House seeks to update governance and operational rules for domestic business entities under Texas law, according to the Texas Legislature website.
The bill on Occupational Regulation category, introduced as HB 15 during the 89(2) legislative session on Friday, Aug. 15, was formally listed with the short title: ’Relating to certain files maintained by a law enforcement agency regarding certain employees of the agency’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
In essence, this bill amends various sections of the Texas Business Organizations Code to address governance and operational matters for domestic business entities. It defines national securities exchanges and establishes that the plain text of the code governs domestic entities without being overridden by external laws or decisions. The bill allows domestic entities to require internal claims be litigated within Texas courts and permits entities to include jury trial waivers in their governing documents. It revises requirements for filing instruments with the secretary of state, adjusting the protocols for acceptance and naming. Corporate record examination rights are modified, particularly limiting demands linked to certain legal proceedings. The legislation also outlines conditions for forming independent director committees and defines presumptions and liability protections for directors and officers. It specifies that certain amendments apply only to filings and derivative proceedings initiated after the bill’s effective date, which is immediate with a two-thirds legislative vote or on Sept. 1, 2025, if not.
Cole Hefner, the chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans’ Affairs, proposed no other bills during the 89(2) legislative session. He is also a member of the House Committee on Redistricting, a member of the House Committee on Transportation, and a member of the House Committee on S/C on Transportation Funding.
Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.
You can read more about the bills and other measures here.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB 5664 | 04/01/2025 | Relating to the operation of Wood County Central Hospital District of Wood County, Texas |
| HB 5663 | 04/01/2025 | Relating to the authority of the Wood County Central Hospital District of Wood County, Texas, to provide brain and memory care services to residents of the hospital district through the creation and operation of brain and memory health care services districts |
| HB 4865 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to identification of and sanctions against certain foreign actors |
| HB 4804 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the revocation of a driver’s license or personal identification certificate and to disqualification from operating a commercial motor vehicle |
| HB 4789 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to creation and maintenance of an electronic database to provide information to certain members of the United States armed forces regarding the resources and benefits provided to veterans |
| HB 41 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the acquisition or use of certain foreign equipment or services by a governmental entity |
| HB 17 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the purchase of or acquisition of title to real property by certain aliens or foreign entities; creating a criminal offense |
| HB 118 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the establishment and powers and duties of the Texas Advisory Committee on Geopolitical Conflict |
| HB 4675 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the unlawful possession of a firearm by a person not lawfully present in the United States |
| HB 4662 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to financial assistance for rail facilities |
| HB 4529 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the regulation of child-care facilities that maintain a certificate to operate issued by the United States Department of Defense |
| HB 4483 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the funding mechanism for the regulation of workers’ compensation and workers’ compensation insurance; authorizing surcharges |
| HB 4381 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to parental rights and required notification in public education; authorizing an administrative penalty |
| HB 4375 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to broadcast coverage agreements for postseason activity of students representing a University Interscholastic League member school |
| HB 4264 | 03/10/2025 | Relating to creation of a grant program for certain peace officers who hold a master proficiency certificate |
| HB 4257 | 03/10/2025 | Relating to United States citizenship requirements for the licensing and employment of peace officers |
| HB 4053 | 03/07/2025 | Relating to the location of and the amount of certain revenue that may be used for state veterans cemeteries |
| HB 3789 | 03/05/2025 | Relating to the issuance of a license to carry a handgun to certain active and retired judicial officers |
| HB 3722 | 03/04/2025 | Relating to the height of a structure near certain airspace designated for use by Department of Defense contractors |
| HB 3642 | 03/03/2025 | Relating to the designation of portions of the state highway system as memorial highways, to certain memorial markers on certain highways, and to the installation of highway signs for certain cultural attractions |
| HB 3552 | 02/28/2025 | Relating to criminal conduct involving the theft, damage, destruction, or unlawful possession of copper or brass, to criminal conduct committed in, around, or in relation to critical infrastructure facilities or equipment or interrupting or impairing the operation of those facilities or equipment, and to the sale of regulated materials, including copper or brass material, to metal recycling entities and training on identifying those materials; creating criminal offenses; increasing criminal penalties; providing an administrative penalty |
| HB 3404 | 02/26/2025 | Relating to certain municipal and county regulation of certain multifamily and mixed-use residential development projects and conversion of certain commercial buildings to mixed-use and multifamily residential occupancy |
| HB 3327 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to repealing the affirmative defense to prosecution for the criminal offense of sale, distribution, or display of harmful material to a minor |
| HB 3324 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to the designation of Farm-to-Market Road 3535 in Camp County as the Camp County Vietnam Veterans Memorial Highway |
| HB 3317 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to the relationship between pharmacists or pharmacies and health benefit plan issuers or pharmacy benefit managers |
| HB 3302 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to the designation of a portion of Farm-to-Market Road 852 in Upshur County as the Petty Officer Billy Machen Bridge |
| HB 3291 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to the public purpose designation and taxation of certain projects of Type A economic development corporations |
| HB 3285 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to requiring operators of smart devices to provide information to users about the collection of personal data |
| HB 3274 | 02/25/2025 | Relating to the unauthorized entry, occupancy, sale, rental, lease, advertisement for sale, rental, or lease, or conveyance of real property, including the removal of certain unauthorized occupants of a dwelling; creating criminal offenses; increasing a criminal penalty; authorizing a fee |
| HB 2486 | 02/05/2025 | Relating to certain files maintained by a law enforcement agency regarding certain employees of the agency |
| HB 2464 | 02/05/2025 | Relating to the authority of a municipality to regulate a home-based business |
| HB 2436 | 02/05/2025 | Relating to the prosecution of the offense of deadly conduct |
| HB 2416 | 02/04/2025 | Relating to an unauthorized vote by a delegate or alternate delegate to a federal Article V convention; creating a criminal offense |
| HB 1951 | 01/17/2025 | Relating to certain agreements with collective bargaining organizations related to certain publicly funded public work contracts |
| HB 1849 | 01/15/2025 | Relating to the purchase of or acquisition of title to real property by certain aliens or foreign entities; creating a criminal offense |
