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Thursday, April 24, 2025

SB 2151 presented by Paul Bettencourt on Monday, March 24 in the Texas Senate

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Paul Bettencourt Texas State Senator, District 7 | Official Website

Paul Bettencourt Texas State Senator, District 7 | Official Website

Sen. Paul Bettencourt introduced SB 2151, a bill on County Government and Elections, to the Texas Senate on Monday, March 24 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 countywide polling places’’.

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

This bill mandates the implementation of a program by the Texas Secretary of State to allow commissioners courts to establish countywide polling places at each county election precinct. These polling places can be used for any election required to be conducted by the county, elections held under joint election agreements, and primary and runoff elections if agreed upon by political parties involved. Countywide polling locations must have a poll list covering the entire county. Additionally, several existing subsections of the Election Code are repealed. The act is set to take effect on Sept. 1, 2025.

Paul Bettencourt, chair of the Senate Committee on Local Government and member of the Senate Committee on Transportation, proposed another 26 bills during the 89(R) legislative session.

Bettencourt graduated from Texas A&M University with a BS.

Paul Bettencourt is currently serving in the Texas State Senate, representing the state's 7th Senate district. He replaced previous state senator Dan Patrick in 2015.

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 Sen. Paul Bettencourt in Texas Senate During 89(R) Legislative Session

Bill NumberDate IntroducedShort Description
SB 215303/24/2025Relating to the membership of and qualifications for the Texas Lottery Commission
SB 215203/24/2025Relating to third-party software providers' ability to manage certain users' social media accounts
SB 215003/24/2025Relating to coordination between teaching hospitals and medical schools regarding student field-based experience placements and to preference in those placements
SB 214903/24/2025Relating to the implementation of diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives by providers of electric service
SB 211003/24/2025Relating to electric grid resiliency measures, including a study by the Public Utility Commission of Texas of the cost of burying overhead power lines
SB 207903/24/2025Relating to certain actions for personal injury that arise out of a sexual offense against a child or disabled individual and are brought against a non-perpetrator of the offense
SB 206703/24/2025Relating to an exemption from required disclosure of information related to the next of kin of deceased persons
SB 145203/24/2025Relating to continuation elections for municipal management districts
SB 148903/20/2025Relating to the governance of public institutions of higher education, including the establishment of a faculty council or senate and the decision-making authority of public institutions of higher education
SB 204803/17/2025Relating to the assumption of the powers and duties relating to driver's licenses, personal identification certificates, and other related programs, powers, and duties by the Texas Department of Motor Vehicles
SB 204703/17/2025Relating to liability of judges and magistrates for the improper release on personal bond of defendants accused of committing certain felony offenses
SB 204503/17/2025Relating to the prohibition of certain actions with respect to campaign contributions and expenditures by foreign persons; creating criminal offenses
SB 204403/17/2025Relating to the regulation of certain political communications, a prohibition on electioneering by school district and open-enrollment charter school officials and employees, and actions and other proceedings by a public school challenging the operations of the public school system; authorizing an administrative penalty; creating a criminal offense
SB 202903/17/2025Relating to authorizing a statewide referendum allowing voters to indicate a preference for observing year-round standard time or daylight saving time
SB 201703/17/2025Relating to the creation of a criminal offense for operating a vehicle under certain circumstances causing a tire of the vehicle to spin, lose traction, or leave the surface of a highway
SB 201503/17/2025Relating to the relocation or adjustment of certain facilities for certain municipal projects
SB 154203/06/2025Relating to maintaining the accuracy of information contained within the statewide voter registration system; creating a criminal offense
SB 150903/06/2025Relating to the authority of a municipality to regulate within its extraterritorial jurisdiction
SB 150303/06/2025Relating to the expansion of the territory of an emergency services district into the territory of a municipality
SB 150103/06/2025Relating to the allocation of proceeds from the issuance of general obligation bonds by political subdivisions
SB 144103/06/2025Relating to state agency employment openings and aptitude assessments
SB 144003/06/2025Relating to required reporting of certain discretionary prosecutorial decisions of prosecuting attorneys
SB 143903/06/2025Relating to automatic recounts of certain elections
SB 143803/06/2025Relating to the procedure for a periodic rate adjustment by an electric utility
SB 143503/06/2025Relating to notice provided to certain state and local officials regarding an appeal of a municipal order filed by a transmission and distribution utility in a ratemaking proceeding
SB 81802/07/2025Relating to the establishment of the Health Impact, Cost, and Coverage Analysis Program; authorizing a fee

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