---
type: "Bill"
title: "Relating to the creation of DNA records for certain defendants for inclusion in the DNA database system."
description: "Relating to the creation of DNA records for certain defendants for inclusion in the DNA database system."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tx"
legislature: "Texas Legislature"
session: "86"
identifier: "HB 979"
citation: "Texas HB 979 (86)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Criminal Procedure--General (I0208)", "Electronic Information Systems (I0311)", "DNA (S0100)"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Hernandez", "Perry", "Smith"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 48
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2019-01-23"
last_action: "2019-05-25"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/be688031-e94c-4659-a4df-a77677716759"
source_url: "ftp://ftp.legis.state.tx.us/bills/86R/billhistory/house_bills/HB00900_HB00999/HB 979.xml"
source_hash: "54e512d5a67aa6dccf72aea59abdf189170644750435549922106297dbc941c4"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-tx"]
---

# Texas HB 979 (86) — Relating to the creation of DNA records for certain defendants for inclusion in the DNA database system.

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](http://www.legis.state.tx.us/tlodocs/86R/billtext/html/HB00979I.HTM)

## Votes

- passage — **123–19** (pass) · lower
- passage — **118–25** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Hernandez — primary (person)
- Perry — primary (person)
- Smith — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2019-01-23** Filed `filing`
- **2019-02-25** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2019-02-25** Referred to Homeland Security & Public Safety `referral-committee`
- **2019-03-06** Considered in public hearing
- **2019-03-06** Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
- **2019-03-06** Left pending in committee
- **2019-03-20** Considered in public hearing
- **2019-03-20** Reported favorably w/o amendment(s) `committee-passage`
- **2019-03-25** Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
- **2019-03-25** Committee report distributed
- **2019-03-25** Committee report sent to Calendars
- **2019-03-27** Considered in Calendars
- **2019-04-12** Considered in Calendars
- **2019-04-16** Placed on General State Calendar
- **2019-04-16** Read 2nd time `reading-2`
- **2019-04-16** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2019-04-16** Passed to engrossment as amended
- **2019-04-16** Record vote
- **2019-04-16** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2019-04-17** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2019-04-17** Passed `passage`
- **2019-04-17** Record vote
- **2019-04-17** Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
- **2019-04-17** Reported engrossed
- **2019-04-23** Received from the House `introduction`
- **2019-04-24** Read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2019-04-24** Referred to Criminal Justice `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-08** Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
- **2019-05-08** Considered in public hearing
- **2019-05-09** Reported favorably w/o amendments `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-05-09** Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
- **2019-05-09** Committee report printed and distributed
- **2019-05-15** Placed on local & uncontested calendar
- **2019-05-15** Laid before the Senate
- **2019-05-15** Read 2nd time & passed to 3rd reading
- **2019-05-15** Vote recorded in Journal
- **2019-05-15** Three day rule suspended
- **2019-05-15** Record vote
- **2019-05-15** Read 3rd time `reading-3`
- **2019-05-15** Passed `passage`
- **2019-05-15** Record vote
- **2019-05-15** Senate passage reported
- **2019-05-15** Reported enrolled
- **2019-05-16** Signed in the House
- **2019-05-16** Signed in the Senate
- **2019-05-16** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2019-05-25** Signed by the Governor `executive-signature`
- **2019-05-25** Effective on 9/1/19 `became-law`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/be688031-e94c-4659-a4df-a77677716759`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Texas legislature records).