Rep. Matt Shaheen introduced HB 5115, a bill on Crimes and Elections, to the Texas House on Thursday, March 13 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 the penalty for the crime of election fraud; increasing a criminal penalty’’.
The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.
This bill seeks to address election fraud by amending the Election Code to increase criminal penalties for certain offenses related to voting. It defines offenses such as influencing or altering another’s vote, registering or voting under false pretenses, providing false information to election officials, and discarding a voter’s ballot without consent. The bill elevates the offense to a second-degree felony, with a first-degree felony applied if committed by an elected official, and a third-degree felony for attempted offenses. It repeals certain sections of the Election Code to streamline these provisions. The changes apply to offenses committed on or after Sept. 1, 2025.
Matt Shaheen, the chair of the House Committee on Elections, proposed another 62 bills during the 89(R) legislative session. He is also a member of the House Committee on Higher Education.
Shaheen graduated from Randolph-Macon College with a BS.
Matt Shaheen is currently serving in the Texas State House, representing the state’s 66th House district. He replaced previous state representative Van Taylor 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.
| Bill Number | Date Introduced | Short Description |
|---|---|---|
| HB 5138 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the duty of the attorney general to prosecute criminal offenses prescribed by the election laws of this state |
| HB 5116 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to requirements and procedures in the contest of an election on a proposed constitutional amendment |
| HB 5112 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to a policy prohibiting antisemitism at public institutions of higher education |
| HB 5049 | 03/13/2025 | Relating to the composition and authority of certain subregional boards of regional transportation authorities |
| HB 4500 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to unconscionable prices charged by health care providers for health care services |
| HB 4499 | 03/12/2025 | Relating to the governance of public institutions of higher education, including review of curriculum and certain degree and certificate programs, the powers and duties of a faculty council or senate, training for members of the governing board, and the establishment of the Office of Excellence in Higher Education |
| HB 4300 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to the exemption of certain motor vehicle sales, gifts, and exchanges from motor vehicle sales and use taxes |
| HB 4299 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to the unauthorized occupancy of real property, including the removal of certain unauthorized occupants; creating a criminal offense |
| HB 4298 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to parental controls and filters for certain explicit material on electronic devices; providing a civil penalty |
| HB 4297 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to prohibiting the advertisement of illegal goods or services |
| HB 4296 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to interests of certain foreign governments in real property |
| HB 4295 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to the authority of a political subdivision to issue a public security if the debt-to-asset ratio of the political subdivision exceeds a certain percentage |
| HB 4294 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to the regulation of platforms for the sale and distribution of software applications for mobile devices; authorizing a civil penalty |
| HB 4292 | 03/11/2025 | Relating to appeals regarding school laws and a school district’s grievance procedure regarding complaints concerning violation of state education law or school district board of trustees policy |
| HB 4133 | 03/10/2025 | Relating to the offense of criminal mischief involving the damage or destruction of a monument or memorial |
| HB 4132 | 03/10/2025 | Relating to the definition of a bet for gambling criminal offenses purposes |
| HB 4128 | 03/10/2025 | Relating to accelerated instruction for public school students who fail to achieve satisfactory performance on certain assessment instruments |
| HB 3871 | 03/05/2025 | Relating to the audit of the financial records of certain property owners’ associations |
| HB 3187 | 02/21/2025 | Relating to powers of regional transportation authorities |
| HB 2918 | 02/18/2025 | Relating to the abolishment of the state lottery |
| HB 2915 | 02/18/2025 | Relating to the criminal penalty for rigging a publicly exhibited contest; increasing a criminal penalty |
| HB 2846 | 02/14/2025 | Relating to parental rights in public education and prohibiting instruction regarding sexual orientation or gender identity for public school students |
| HB 2845 | 02/14/2025 | Relating to the designation of controlled substance overdose for purposes of the death certificate |
| HB 2575 | 02/07/2025 | Relating to the elimination of certain tax proceeds deposited to and the allocation of the horse industry escrowed purse account |
| HB 2354 | 02/03/2025 | Relating to charter schools, including the admission, enrollment, and employment policies of and the applicability of certain laws to open-enrollment charter schools |
| HB 2323 | 02/03/2025 | Relating to the cessation of tolls by toll project entities in certain circumstances |
| HB 2181 | 01/28/2025 | Relating to increasing the criminal penalty for certain conduct constituting the offense of solicitation of prostitution |
| HB 2173 | 01/28/2025 | Relating to a warning label on social media platforms concerning the association between a minor’s social media usage and significant mental health issues |
| HB 2162 | 01/28/2025 | Relating to the classification of certain sales of firearms as occasional sales for purposes of sales and use taxes |
| HB 2155 | 01/28/2025 | Relating to a prohibition on the sale, transfer, or delivery of consumable hemp products; creating a criminal offense |
| HB 2154 | 01/28/2025 | Relating to the definition of private place for gambling criminal offense purposes |
| HB 2144 | 01/28/2025 | Relating to access to certain information in the adoption process |
| HB 2079 | 01/24/2025 | Relating to repeal of provisions requiring a school district to reduce its local revenue level in excess of entitlement |
| HB 1830 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to tenure and employment status at public institutions of higher education in this state |
| HB 1829 | 01/13/2025 | Relating to the establishment of a limitation on the total amount of ad valorem taxes that certain taxing units may impose on the residence homesteads of individuals who are disabled or elderly and their surviving spouses |
| HB 997 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the provision of telehealth and telemedicine medical services by certain health professionals located outside of this state; requiring registration to engage in an occupation; authorizing fees |
| HB 906 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to a temporary teaching certificate for certain military service members and first responders |
| HB 758 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the requirement that an armed security officer be present at a school district campus |
| HB 725 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the permissible uses of the bilingual education allotment provided under the Foundation School Program |
| HB 671 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the use by a political subdivision of public funds for lobbying and certain other activities |
| HB 612 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the establishment of an education savings account program, an insurance premium tax credit for contributions made for purposes of that program, and the award of attorney’s fees in actions challenging certain educational choice laws |
| HB 576 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the persons authorized or appointed to exercise the power of sale under the terms of a contract lien on real property |
| HB 541 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the provision of direct patient care by physicians and health care practitioners |
| HB 493 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to ineligibility to serve as a poll watcher |
| HB 389 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to a lottery game played or facilitated for play by telephone or through an Internet or mobile Internet application; creating criminal offenses |
| HB 340 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to a provision in a school district’s student code of conduct prohibiting the wearing of clothing or displaying of items indicating membership in or support of certain organizations |
| HB 295 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to including antisemitism in the definition of bullying for the purpose of school discipline policies |
| HB 1224 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to required instruction in the Success Sequence for students in public schools |
| HB 1162 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to the eligibility of certain production companies for a grant award under the moving image industry incentive program |
| HB 1148 | 11/12/2024 | Relating to repealing the requirement for certain public school teachers and principals to attend a teacher literacy achievement academy |
