HB 738 — Civil Detention Standards and Death Reporting
Texas would set minimum standards for civil detention facilities, with inspections and death and serious injury reporting.
Filed 11/09/2026, HB 738 would would set minimum standards for civil detention facilities, with inspections and death and serious injury reporting.
Most of the writing here is about county jails, where people are held before conviction. That is the room a jail bill changes, and the record it either creates or withholds.
What the report shows
The House report for 11/09/2026 lists HB 738 under author Perez, Vincent, with this caption: “Relating to minimum standards for civil detention facilities in this state, inspection of those facilities on the request of a county or municipality, and reporting of deaths and serious injuries occurring at those facilities.” Nothing in the report lists a committee, a vote, or a hearing, so this summary does not add any.
What it would mean
Read simply, the caption covers one subject: the jail and custody question named in it. The report does not list money amounts, dates other than the filing date, or any agency findings, and this summary does not supply them. The caption itself: “Relating to minimum standards for civil detention facilities in this state, inspection of those facilities on the request of a county or municipality, and reporting of deaths and serious injuries occurring at those facilities.”
Author: Perez, Vincent. Filed: 11/09/2026.
What to watch next
This bill is at the filing stage. The history page linked below is the place to check for committee action, and until there is action there, no one can say what the law will be.
Sources: Texas Legislature, Today's Filed Bills in the House (11/09/2026), HB 738 caption and author; Bill history for HB 738.