Did Texas Democrats file at least 20 new bills restricting firearms after midterms?

Snopes also identified Republicans among those seeking to tighten gun laws in Texas. Published Nov. 12, 2026 Claim: After winning the majority in the Texas House of Representatives, Democrats in the state prefiled approximately 20 bills affecting gun ownership and rights. Rating: ContextSnopes found not 20, but 25 bills related to the regulation of firearms had been prefiled for 2027 legislative session as of this writing. Of the state representatives and senators who'd introduced the bills, 11 were Democrats and three were Republicans. Of those bills, 20 were introduced in the House and five of them in the Senate. Soon after Democrats swept the Texas House of Representatives in November's midterm election, a rumor spread that they had already filed approximately 20 bills related to gun control. The claim circulated on social media, including on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook. Meanwhile, on X, posts like the one below enumerated the 20 supposed bills, alleging that "Texas Democrats are filing a FLOOD of proposed bills that would TAKE AWAY gun rights for Americans" (archived): Snopes readers searched the website seeking to confirm the veracity of the claim. The claim was true, though Snopes found not 20, but 25 bills related to the regulation of firearms had been prefiled for the 2027 legislative session as of this writing. Of those bills, 20 were House bills and five were Senate bills. Of the state representatives and senators who'd introduced the bills, 11 were Democrats and three were Republicans. List of prefiled bills related to gun control in the Texas legislature On Nov. 9, prefiling began at the Texas legislature — a period when the state's lawmakers can begin to file bills for consideration for the upcoming session. Sitting lawmakers reportedly filed "more than 1,000 bills" before midday that day. (It's worth noting that while Democrats won the majority of the Texas House, Republicans kept theirs in the state Senate. Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa is a Democrat. She is set to replace Republican Greg Abbott.) Among the bills Snopes identified, five would prohibit the transfer or sale of semiautomatic firearms to people younger than 21. Two of them would increase the criminal penalty for allowing children to access firearms. The bills are as follows: HB 103 - Author: Rep. Mando Martinez (Democrat). This bill would make it possible to prosecute "the criminal offense of reckless discharge of a firearm" in larger swaths of the territory in Texas. HB 659 - Author: Rep. Joe Moody (Democrat). This bill would require "a licensed firearms dealer to report certain sales or transfers of multiple firearms or firearm magazines to law enforcement," creating a new criminal offense. SB 80 - Author: Sen. Judith Zaffirini (Democrat). This bill would ban "certain transfers, purchases, and possession of assault weapons," creating new criminal offenses. HB 613 - Author: Rep. Suleman Lalani (Democrat). This bill would require "a national instant criminal background check in connection with private firearm transfers" and create a new criminal offense. HB 712 - Author: Rep. Erin Gámez (Democrat). This bill would allow cities and counties "to regulate or prohibit the carrying of a firearm on the premises of certain libraries." SB 308 - Author: Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat (and others). This bill would ban the making and possession of 3D-printed "firearms and major components of firearms," but also "the distribution or publication" of the digital files that serve to print these firearms and their components. It would create new criminal offenses. HB 606 - Author: Lalani. This bill would ban "the transfer of firearms to or the purchase or possession of firearms by persons younger than 21 years of age." It would create a new criminal offense. HB 218 - Author: Rep. Ann Johnson (Democrat). This bill would allow members of a family or household and law enforcement officers to ask a court to curtail someone's ability to access firearms if they think the person poses an immediate danger due to mental illness. It would allow for the "creation, issuance, and enforcement" of "extreme risk protective orders." HB 618 - Author: Moody. This bill would ban the "transfer of firearm magazines to recipients who are prohibited from possessing the type of firearm for which the magazine is designed or made" and create a new criminal offense. HB 610 - Author: Lalani. This bill would ban "the transfer of firearms to certain recipients who are younger than 21 years of age." HB 660 -Author: Moody. This bill would require "certain persons prohibited by law from owning, possessing, or controlling a firearm" to give up the firearms they own, possess or control. HB 173 - Author: Moody. This bill would ban "the transfer of certain semiautomatic rifles" people younger than 21 and it would both create a criminal offense and increase a criminal penalty. It would also create some exceptions when a person younger than 21 may access such weapons. HB 857 - Author: Rep. Rafael Anchía (Democrat). Similarly to HB 173, this bill would ban "the transfer of certain semiautomatic rifles to certain recipients younger than 21 years of age," creating some exceptions. SB 327 - Author: Gutierrez (and others). Similarly to HB 173 and HB 857, the bill would ban "the transfer of certain semiautomatic rifles to certain recipients younger than 21 years of age." HB 806 - Author: Rep. Ron Reynolds (Democrat). Similarly to HB 173, HB 857 and SB 327, the bill would ban "the transfer of semiautomatic rifles to certain recipients" younger than 21 years old. HB 771 - Author: Pooja Sethi (Democrat). Similarly to HB 173, HB 857, SB 327 and HB 806, the bill would ban "the transfer of semiautomatic rifles to certain recipients" younger than 21 years old. HB 533 - Author: Rep. Carl Tepper (Republican). This bill would ban "the carrying of concealed handguns by handgun license holders on the premises of certain polling places on the day of an election or while early voting is in progress." HB 658 - Author: Moody. This bill would make it possible to prosecute and punish "the offense of making a firearm accessible to a child" and it would increase a criminal penalty. HB 612 - Author: Lalani. This bill would ban "a sex offender from possessing a firearm." HB 576 - Author: Lalani. This bill would ban "sex offenders from purchasing firearms." SB 170 - Author: Sen. Brent Hagenbuch (Republican). This bill would increase the criminal penalty for burglarizing a vehicle to steal a firearm. HB 773 - Author: Rep. A.J. Louderback (Republican). This bill would make it an aggravating factor to use or show a firearm during the commission of certain felony offenses, raising "the minimum term of imprisonment" and changing parole rules. SB 234 - Author: Sen. Carol Alvarado, a Democrat (and others).This would ban people convicted of "certain family violence misdemeanors" from owning a firearm. HB 609 - Author: Lalani. Similarly to HB 658, this bill would increase "the criminal penalty for the offense of making a firearm accessible to a child." HB 859 - Author: Anchía. This bill would increase "the criminal penalty" for "discharging a firearm in certain municipalities." For further reading, Snopes examined many claims regarding gun control in the U.S., including the rumor that former U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, who was the first person to hold the post during the second administration of President Donald Trump, was creating a gun owner registry. Sources Christensen, Laerke. 'Inspecting Claims Pam Bondi Is Creating Gun Owner Registry'. Snopes, Snopes.com, 16 Oct. 2025, www.snopes.com/news/2025/10/16/bondi-gun-registry/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.Express, Dallas. 'Texas Gun Bills Would Reverse Red Flag Ban, Add New Restrictions'. Dallas Express, 10 Nov. 2026, dallasexpress.com/state/texas-gun-bills-would-reverse-red-flag-ban-add-new-restrictions/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.Kapustka, Stephan. 'Texas Democrats Introduce Deluge of Gun Control Legislation on First Day of Pre-Filing'. The Texan, 10 Nov. 2026, thetexan.news/issues/second-amendment/texas-democrats-introduce-deluge-of-gun-control-legislation-on-first-day-of-pre-filing/article_4f0486a1-2ff9-41dd-b7ec-8fb13c8a5183.html. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.Texas' 90th Legislature (2027): Search for Bills Related to Gun Control. capitol.texas.gov/Search/TextSearchResults.aspx?CP=1&shCaption=True&shExcerpt=True&billSort=False&shLinks=True&LegSess=90R&House=True&Senate=True&TypeB=True&TypeR=False&TypeJR=True&TypeCR=False&VerInt=True&VerHCR=True&VerEng=True&VerSCR=True&VerEnr=True&DocTypeB=True&DocTypeFN=False&DocTypeBA=False&DocTypeAM=False&Srch=simple&All=&Any=guns%2c+weapons%2c+firearms%2c+gun%2c+weapon%2c+firearm%2c+assault&Exact=&Exclude=&Custom=. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026.Waltens, Brandon. 'Texas Democrats Push Gun Confiscation After Election Sweep'. Texas Scorecard, 9 Nov. 2026, texasscorecard.com/state/texas-democrats-push-gun-confiscation-after-election-sweep/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2026. By Anna Rascouët-Paz Anna Rascouët-Paz is based in Brooklyn, fluent in numerous languages and specializes in science and economic topics. Got tips? Reach out to her on Signal at rascouetsnopes.41 or via email at anna@snopes.com. 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