JD Key Consulting Logo
SB65

Regular Session

Relating to the adoption of uniform rules for hours of work for certain county employees.

Low
Low Cost
Effective:2025-09-01
SB65
Low
Relating to the adoption of uniform rules for hours of work for certain county employees.
Low Compliance Urgency
Requires routine attention
Cost Impact
Low
Effective
2025-09-01
Enforcing Agencies
County Commissioners Courts
Primary Author: Sen. Judith Zaffirini
89th Texas Legislature
jdkey.com
01

Compliance Analysis

Key implementation requirements and action items for compliance with this legislation

Implementation Timeline

  • Effective Date: September 1, 2025
  • Compliance Deadline: Variable. Changes take effect immediately upon a vote by the specific County Commissioners Court. Expect local adoption between September 1, 2025, and January 1, 2026.
  • Agency Rulemaking: Local Level Only. There is no state-level rulemaking. However, affected Commissioners Courts must draft and vote on local orders to define "uniform hours." Monitor local agendas closely during Q4 2025.

Immediate Action Plan

  • 1. Geographic Audit: Immediately identify if you have active operations in Texas counties with populations between 265,000 and 355,000 (likely candidates include Lubbock, Webb, and McLennan).
  • 2. Monitor Agendas: Assign government affairs staff to monitor Commissioners Court agendas in these specific counties starting August 2025 for "Adoption of Uniform Work Hours."
  • 3. Adjust Logistics: Prepare to shift inspection requests and filing drops to a strict 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM window effective September 1, 2025, to avoid disruption.
  • 4. Notify Clients: Issue a preemptive notice to clients in these jurisdictions that county processing times may fluctuate in Q4 2025 due to administrative restructuring.

Operational Changes Required

Contracts

  • Service Level Agreements (SLAs): Audit vendor agreements with affected counties. If your contract guarantees service delivery or support during specific windows (e.g., 7:00 AM start times), these may be voided by new county-wide mandates.
  • Force Majeure & Delay Clauses: Review client-facing contracts (construction, development, legal). Ensure "changes in government operating hours" is a qualifying event for excusable delays, particularly if inspections or permit processing times are compressed.

Hiring/Training

  • Logistics Coordination: Dispatchers and project managers operating in affected counties (e.g., Lubbock, Webb, McLennan) must be retrained on new, rigid county operating windows.
  • Courier/Filing Staff: Staff responsible for physical filings must be instructed that "courtesy" after-hours access often granted by individual County Clerks may be revoked to satisfy uniformity requirements.

Reporting & Record-Keeping

  • Delay Documentation: Implement strict logging for interaction attempts with county offices. If a filing deadline is missed because a previously accessible office adopted new 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM hours, you must possess a contemporaneous audit trail to defend against penalties or malpractice claims.

Fees & Costs

  • No Direct Fee Increases: The bill does not authorize new levies.
  • Operational Costs: Budget for potential overtime or expedited fees if reduced county windows force your teams to compress work into shorter timeframes.

Strategic Ambiguities & Considerations

  • Definition of "Uniform": The statute allows the Court to set "uniform rules," but does not define if this requires identical clock-hours (e.g., 8-5 for everyone) or simply consistent total hours. If Commissioners interpret this as identical clock-hours, expect severe bottlenecks in departments that traditionally operate early, such as Road & Bridge or Building Inspections.
  • Constitutional Conflicts: There is a high probability of conflict between Commissioners Courts and independent elected officials (Sheriffs, Tax Assessor-Collectors). If an elected official challenges the Court's authority to set their staff's hours, businesses may face inconsistent office availability during the resulting legal or political standoff.

Need Help Understanding Implementation?

Our government affairs experts can walk you through this bill's specific impact on your operations.

Schedule Consultation

Information presented is for general knowledge only and is provided without warranty, express or implied. Consult qualified government affairs professionals and legal counsel before making compliance decisions.

02

Legislative Timeline

This bill's path through the Texas Legislature

Filed
Nov 12, 2024
Passed Senate
Mar 24, 2025
Passed House
May 2, 2025
Signed
May 19, 2025
TopicsCounty GovernmentCounty Government--employees/officersLaborLabor--management Relations
03

Senate Authors

Sen. Judith ZaffiriniDemocrat · Primary Author
Coauthors (1)

House Sponsors

Rep. Terri Leo-WilsonRepublican · Primary Sponsor
Cosponsors (1)

Bill Text(with markup)

View bill text in multiple formats on Texas Legislature website

Fiscal NoteView Original

Related Legislation

Explore more bills from this author and on related topics

More from Sen. Judith Zaffirini

View all bills by Sen. Judith Zaffirini

Related by Topic

View more County Government legislation
Quick Reference

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about SB65

Q

What does Texas SB65 do?

SB 65 expands the statutory authority of County Commissioners Courts in mid-sized counties (populations 265,000+) to mandate uniform work hours for county employees, removing scheduling autonomy from individual department heads. While this is an internal government operations mandate, it poses immediate downstream risks to businesses relying on county inspections, filings, and administrative services by potentially eliminating flexible or after-hours access. Implementation Timeline Effective Date: September 1, 2025 Compliance Deadline: Variable.

Q

Who authored SB65?

SB65 was authored by Texas Senator Judith Zaffirini during the Regular Session.

Q

When was SB65 signed into law?

SB65 was signed into law by Governor Greg Abbott on May 19, 2025.

Q

Which agencies enforce SB65?

SB65 is enforced by County Commissioners Courts (in counties with populations of 265,000 or more).

Q

How urgent is compliance with SB65?

The compliance urgency for SB65 is rated as "low". Businesses and organizations should review the requirements and timeline to ensure timely compliance.

Q

What is the cost impact of SB65?

The cost impact of SB65 is estimated as "low". This may vary based on industry and implementation requirements.

Q

What topics does SB65 address?

SB65 addresses topics including county government, county government--employees/officers, labor and labor--management relations.

Legislative data provided by LegiScanLast updated: November 25, 2025

Need Strategic Guidance on This Bill?

Need help with Government Relations, Lobbying, or compliance? JD Key Consulting has the expertise you're looking for.