HB 16 Texas House · 89th Legislature, 2nd Called Session (2025)

Relating to the operation and administration of and practices and procedures related to proceedings in the judicial branch of state government, including court security, court documents and arrest warrants, document delivery, juvenile boards, constitutional amendment election challenges, record retention, youth diversion, court-ordered mental health services, the powers of the Texas Supreme Court, jurors, and the special prosecution unit; increasing a criminal penalty; authorizing fees.

HB 16 reconfigures several Texas judicial districts, renaming the 522nd District to the "Second 25th" and adjusting boundaries for districts in Gonzales, Guadalupe, Lavaca, and Hays counties. It establishes concurrent jurisdiction in Callahan County between the 42nd District Court and county court for criminal matters, allowing cases to be filed or transferred between them. The bill also directs the 173rd District Court (Henderson County) to prioritize civil and family law cases, and the 392nd District Court to prioritize criminal cases. Additionally, it modifies court clerk responsibilities and authorizes certain fees, though specific fee structures are not detailed in the provided text. The changes take effect between 2026 and 2027.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Aug 2025
Committee Review
Aug 2025
House Passage
Aug 2025
Senate Passage
Aug 2025
Signed into Law
Sep 2025
Introduced Aug 18, 2025 Signed Sep 17, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Engrossed Enrolled · 6 edits · Sep 17, 2025
MODERATE
This bill updates Texas judicial districts and court procedures to reflect new court structures, jurisdictional changes, and updated fee amounts. It creates new judicial districts, modifies existing ones, and adjusts the monetary thresholds for civil cases in county courts from $250,000 to $325,000. The changes also update district attorney salaries and clarify clerk responsibilities across various courts.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of the Texas judicial system by creating multiple new judicial districts and modifying jurisdictional boundaries for existing courts, particularly in Harris, Comal, and other counties.
SCOPE

Created new judicial districts including the 503rd (Rockwall County), 504th (Ellis County), 511th (Comal County), 512th (Williamson County), 513th-517th (Harris County), and 523rd (Montgomery County).

Repealed several sections of the Government Code related to judicial districts and court administration.

TIMELINE

Updated effective dates for various judicial district changes, with most taking effect on September 1, 2026, or December 1, 2025, depending on legislative approval.

REQUIREMENT

Increased the civil case jurisdiction threshold for county courts at law from $250,000 to $325,000 in several sections.

Added provisions requiring district clerks to maintain separate dockets for specific types of cases in concurrent jurisdiction situations.

FISCAL

Adjusted statutory county court judge salary calculations to ensure they are not less than $1,000 less than comparable district judge salaries.

Floor votes · House Aug 25, 2025

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
48
Key actions
14
Committee
8
Amendments
3
Sep 17, 2025
Signed into law
Signed by the Governor
executive
Aug 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
Signed in the Senate
upper
Aug 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Signed in the House
lower
Aug 27, 2025
Lower · Passed
Senate passage reported
lower
Aug 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Aug 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendments
upper
Aug 26, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Aug 26, 2025
Committee
Referred to State Affairs
upper
Aug 26, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
Aug 26, 2025
Introduced
Received from the House
upper
Aug 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
Aug 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
lower
Aug 25, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
Aug 25, 2025
Amended
Amendment withdrawn
lower
Aug 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
Aug 24, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
Aug 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
lower
Aug 20, 2025
Lower · Passed
Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
lower
Aug 18, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
lower
Aug 18, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
6 primary · 13 co-sponsors

Sponsors