Texas Attorney General Gets Power to Prosecute Election Crimes

House Bill 12 is a proposed Texas law that would change how the state handles election crimes. Currently, county and local prosecutors handle most cases involving violations of Texas election laws. This bill would give the state attorney general new power to step in and take charge of these cases.

Under the bill, law enforcement agencies across Texas would be required to report any suspected election crimes to the attorney general's office. Local prosecutors and police would also have to share information with the attorney general whenever asked about these investigations. This centralized approach would let the state attorney general oversee election crime cases across all of Texas.

The bill would allow the attorney general to prosecute election crimes directly, or to work with local prosecutors on these cases. The attorney general could also appear before grand juries related to election crimes. The changes would apply only to crimes committed after the law takes effect, which would be 91 days after the legislative session ends.

House Bill 12 was introduced by Representative Matthew Shaheen and co-sponsored by 20 other legislators. As of August 2025, the bill has been laid on the table, which means it could be brought back for discussion later. This legislation reflects ongoing conversations in Texas about how to enforce election laws fairly and consistently across the state.

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