Allowed Greater Asset Seizure without a Criminal Conviction: House of Bad Cards

The Republican Party of Texas has expressed opposition to civil asset forfeiture without due process, calling for stronger protections against government seizure of private property.

Plank 151. Civil Asset Forfeiture: We call upon the Texas Legislature to abolish civil asset forfeiture, independently or in partnership with federal authorities, and to ensure that private property only be forfeited upon a criminal conviction.

SB 1498 proposes an expansion of civil asset forfeiture laws in Texas to include digital assets such as cryptocurrency, NFTs, and stablecoins. The bill aims to equip law enforcement agencies with new tools to seize, store, and forfeit digital assets suspected of being linked to criminal activity, such as fraud, money laundering, and organized crime. While its stated goal is to modernize existing laws in response to the evolving financial landscape, the bill significantly expands government seizure powers without adequate due process protections, creating serious concerns about individual liberty, private property rights, and free enterprise.

GOP Platform Conflict: Plank 11 protects property rights and due process; Principle 1 upholds constitutional protections.

20250401_SB1498_3R: Yea 26 (R 15, D 11) - Nay 5 (R 5, D 0)

Yea - A. Hinojosa; Alvarado; Bettencourt; Birdwell; Blanco; Campbell; Cook; Eckhardt; Flores; Gutierrez; Hagenbuch; Hancock; Huffman; J. Hinojosa; Johnson; King; Kolkhorst; Menendez; Miles; Nichols; Parker; Paxton; Perry; Schwertner; West; Zaffirini

Nay - Creighton; Hall; Hughes; Middleton; Sparks

RV#3338: Yea 74 (R 30, D 44) - Nay 65 (R 53, D 12)
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Yea - Alders; Allen; Anchia; Ashby; Barry; Bell, K.; Bernal; Bhojani; Bonnen; Buckley; Bucy; Button; Capriglione; Cortez; Craddick; Curry; Darby; Davis, A.; Davis, Y.; Dean; Dutton; Dyson; Flores; Frank; Gamez; Garcia Hernandez; Garcia, L.; Geren; Gervin-Hawkins; Gonzalez, M.; Goodwin; Guerra; Guillen; Harless; Hernandez; Howard; Hunter; Isaac; Jones, V.; King; Lalani; Lambert; Little; Longoria; Lopez, J.; Louderback; Lozano; Lujan; Manuel; Martinez; Moody; Morales Shaw; Morales, C.; Morales, E.; Noble; Ordaz; Perez, M.; Perez, V.; Plesa; Raymond; Rose; Rosenthal; Schofield; Shofner; Simmons; Talarico; Thompson; Turner; Villalobos; Vo; Walle; Ward Johnson; Wu; Zweiner

Nay - Bell, C.; Bowers; Bumgarner; Cain; Canales; Cole; Collier; Cook; Cunningham; DeAyala; Dorazio; Fairly; Gates; Gerdes; Gonzalez, J.; Harris Davila; Harrison; Hayes; Hefner; Hickland; Hinojosa; Holt; Hopper; Hull; Jones, J.; Kerwin; Kitzman; LaHood; Landgraf; Leach; Leo Wilson; Lowe; Luther; McLaughlin; McQueeney; Metcalf; Meyer; Meza; Money; Morgan; Munoz; Olcott; Oliverson; Orr; Patterson; Phelan; Pierson; Reynolds; Richardson; Rodriguez Ramos; Romero; Schatzline; Schoolcraft; Shaheen; Slawson; Spiller; Swanson; Tepper; Tinderholt; Toth; Troxclair; VanDeaver; Virdell; Wharton; Wilson

Absent - Lopez, R.; Martinez Fischer

Present, Not Voting - Burrows; Vasut

Please note: the following statements by legislators do not affect the vote count that was recorded.

Cody Vasut: "When Record No. 3338 was taken, I was presiding in the chair and was shown voting present, not voting. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Janie Lopez: "When Record No. 3338 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Todd Hunter: "When Record No. 3338 was taken, I was shown voting yes. I intended to vote no." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

Trey Martinez Fischer: "When Record No. 3338 was taken, I was in the house but away from my desk. I would have voted yes." (view other statements of vote for this Rep)

(Bill summary provided in part by Texas Policy Research)