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Upper East Texas News

Wednesday, April 23, 2025

Texas House to review HB 4865 introduced by Cole Hefner on Thursday, April 3

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Cole Hefner, Texas State Representative from the 5th district | Facebook

Cole Hefner, Texas State Representative from the 5th district | Facebook

Rep. Cole Hefner introduced HB 4865, a bill on Education, to the Texas House on Thursday, April 3 during the 89(R) legislative session, according to the Texas Legislature website.

More specifically, the official text was summarized by the state legislature as ’’Relating to identification of and sanctions against certain foreign actors’’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

The bill establishes a framework for identifying and sanctioning foreign actors who engage in activities undermining Texas's security or sovereignty, or in corruption or obstruction of corruption investigations. By September 1 annually, the Texas Secretary of State must compile a report listing these actors based on various corrupt activities and post it on the state’s website. Sanctions include barring individuals and entities from state contracts, denying registrations for affiliated foreign entities, and applying civil penalties. Additionally, higher education institutions must deny admission to, or expel, individuals named in the report. The bill is effective Sept. 1, 2025.

Cole Hefner, chair of the House Committee on Homeland Security, Public Safety & Veterans' Affairs and member of the House Committee on S/C on Transportation Funding, proposed another 10 bills during the 89(R) legislative session.

Cole Hefner is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state's 5th House district. He replaced previous state representative Bryan Hughes in 2017.

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.

Other Recent Bills Introduced by Rep. Cole Hefner in Texas House During 89(R) Legislative Session

Bill NumberDate IntroducedShort Description
HB 448304/03/2025Relating to the funding mechanism for the regulation of workers' compensation and workers' compensation insurance; authorizing surcharges
HB 1704/02/2025Relating to the purchase of or acquisition of title to real property by certain aliens or foreign entities; creating a criminal offense
HB 438104/01/2025Relating to parental rights and required notification in public education; authorizing an administrative penalty
HB 437504/01/2025Relating to broadcast coverage agreements for postseason activity of students representing a University Interscholastic League member school
HB 364203/25/2025Relating to the designation of portions of the state highway system as memorial highways and bridges
HB 332703/21/2025Relating to repealing the affirmative defense to prosecution for the criminal offense of sale, distribution, or display of harmful material to a minor
HB 329103/20/2025Relating to the public purpose designation and taxation of certain projects of Type A economic development corporations
HB 328503/20/2025Relating to requiring operators of smart devices to provide information to users about the collection of personal data
HB 327403/20/2025Relating 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 184903/14/2025Relating to the purchase of or acquisition of title to real property by certain aliens or foreign entities; creating a criminal offense

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