Relating to the repeal of the offense of homosexual conduct.
Bill overview
Relating to the repeal of the offense of homosexual conduct.
Reference notes
HB 1738 sources, status methodology and verification
Sources
- HB 1738 official legislative recordPrimary bill-status record.
- Current official bill textOfficial bill text or printing.
Methodology
KeepTXRed treats the official legislative record and latest official action as the factual status layer for HB 1738. Status labels are normalized for browsing, while the legislative timeline and documents preserve official action text and source links. Any KeepTXRed explanation below is editorial context and remains separate from the official record.
Last verified
Legislative record synchronized September 1, 2026 at 5:25 AM UTC; latest recorded official action May 19, 2025.
Bill → law → agency context
This relationship layer distinguishes what the normalized official record can prove from what it cannot. Enactment and effective dates come from the bill record. Agency names below are shown only when an official fiscal document supplies a verified agency reference; being cited in a fiscal note does not by itself prove that the agency administers the resulting law.
Official fiscal-note agency context
No verified agency references are available from the latest parsed official fiscal material. KeepTXRed does not infer an administering agency from the bill topic or title.
KeepTXRed explanation
This reviewed explanation is separate from the official bill record and is provided for general information, not legal advice.
KeepTXRed summary
HB 1738 was a House-passed proposal to repeal Texas Penal Code Section 21.06, the statute criminalizing so-called homosexual conduct that the U.S. Supreme Court held unconstitutional in Lawrence v. Texas in 2003. The Senate did not pass the bill, so the obsolete statute was not repealed through HB 1738.
What would change
The proposal would have removed Penal Code Section 21.06 and made conforming changes in other statutes that still referenced the provision.
Who may be affected
LGBTQ Texans, attorneys and courts, public-health programs, state agencies, and anyone relying on an accurate Texas statutory code.
When it would take effect
HB 1738 did not take effect. The House passed the bill and sent it to the Senate, but the Senate did not pass it before adjournment.
Limits and uncertainty
The U.S. Supreme Court already made Section 21.06 unenforceable as a criminal prohibition in Lawrence v. Texas. HB 1738 concerned removal of the obsolete language from state statute; its failure did not restore constitutional enforceability.
Editorial sources and review notes
Official House text, TLO analysis, and stages reviewed. House passed; Senate received but did not pass.
Editorial explanation reviewed 9/6/2026.
Current status
Passed
Received from the House
Latest official action
Received from the House
May 19, 2025 · house
Who this bill may affect
A verified audience or subject classification has not been attached to this bill yet.
Use the bill overview and official documents to determine whether the proposal may apply to you, your business, or a public agency.
Sponsors
coauthor
Committee history
- Criminal Jurisprudence
Out of committee
Legislative timeline
Received from the House
house · latest_action
Official recordReported engrossed
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Official recordStatement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
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Official recordRecord vote
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Official recordPassed
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Official recordRead 3rd time
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Official recordStatement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
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Official recordRecord vote
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Official recordPassed to engrossment
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Official recordRead 2nd time
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Official recordPlaced on General State Calendar
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Official recordConsidered in Calendars
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Official recordCommittee report sent to Calendars
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Official recordCommittee report distributed
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Official recordComte report filed with Committee Coordinator
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Official recordReported favorably w/o amendment(s)
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Official recordConsidered in formal meeting
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Official recordLeft pending in committee
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Official recordTestimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
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Official recordConsidered in public hearing
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Official recordScheduled for public hearing on . . .
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Official recordReferred to Criminal Jurisprudence
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Official recordRead first time
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Official recordFiled
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Official record
Official bill text
Read source text published by the Texas Legislature. KeepTXRed fetches it only when you request it, converts the official HTML to inert text for display, and does not rewrite it with AI.
Related articles
KeepTXRed has not linked a related article to this bill yet. The legislative record above remains available independently of news coverage.
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