HJR 161 Texas House · 89th Legislature (2025)

Proposing a constitutional amendment adding individuals who are not United States citizens to the classes of persons not allowed to vote in this state.

HJR 161 proposes amending the Texas Constitution to explicitly prohibit non-citizen residents from voting in Texas elections. The bill would add "persons who are not citizens of the United States" as a new category barred from voting, alongside existing restrictions for minors, those declared mentally incompetent, and convicted felons. If approved by voters in November 2025, this constitutional change would formally enshrine the current legal standard - non-citizens already cannot vote in Texas - into the state constitution. The amendment requires voter approval at the 2025 general election, with ballot language specifying the change. This is a procedural constitutional amendment, not a new voting law.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Mar 26, 2025 Last action May 9, 2025
Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
15
Key actions
5
Committee
6
Amendments
1
May 8, 2025
Introduced
Placed on Constitutional Amendments Calendar
lower
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
May 5, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Apr 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
lower
Apr 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Left pending in committee
lower
Apr 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Committee
Referred to Elections
lower
Mar 26, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
5 primary · 35 co-sponsors

Sponsors