Roland Gutierrez Files Bill To Send 1500 Dollar Checks To Every Texas Household

AUSTIN, Texas – State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, a San Antonio Democrat, has filed a bill that would send a one-time $1,500 payment to every qualified household in Texas, putting into writing a key campaign promise from Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa.

Senate Bill 297 was filed Monday, Nov. 9, the first day lawmakers could prefile bills for the 90th Texas Legislature, according to the bill history on Texas Legislature Online. The bill would pull $17 billion from the state’s Economic Stabilization Fund, better known as the Rainy Day Fund, to pay for the checks, according to the bill text.

What The Bill Would Do

Under the bill, the Texas Comptroller would make a single $1,500 payment to each qualified household. A qualified household is one whose usual place of residence was in Texas on Jan. 1, 2027, represented by someone who is at least 18 years old on that date or an emancipated minor.

• One payment per household. The amount does not go up for larger households.
• No income limit. Eligibility could not depend on income, owning a home, paying property taxes, having a job, receiving public benefits or filing a tax return.
• The money would not be a loan and would not have to be paid back, except in cases of fraud or duplicate payments.
• Payments could be sent by direct deposit, check or another secure method chosen by the household.
• Up to 1% of the $17 billion could be used to run the program.

The bill text does not mention citizenship or immigration status as a requirement.

How Households Would Prove They Qualify

The Comptroller could use information already available to state agencies to find eligible households, but could not deny a payment just because a household is missing from a government database, according to the bill. Households could also apply online, by mail or in person.

A household could prove where it lives with a lease, utility record, school record, government mail, a sworn statement or other reliable evidence. The Comptroller would have to write rules for people experiencing homelessness, people living in group quarters and households without a regular street address.

When The Money Could Arrive

The bill calls for the Comptroller to make reasonable efforts to pay verified households by Dec. 31, 2027. Applications would be accepted through Dec. 31, 2028. The Comptroller would also have to publish a report every three months showing how many households have been paid and how much has been spent.

If the $17 billion is not enough to pay every qualified household, the Comptroller would have to report the shortfall to the governor, lieutenant governor, House speaker and the Legislative Budget Board, according to the bill. After the 1% set aside for running the program, the money would cover about 11.2 million payments of $1,500.

Why Lawmakers Call It A Public Calamity

The Texas Constitution generally bars lawmakers from giving public money to individuals, but Article III, Section 51 makes an exception for aid in cases of public calamity. The bill declares that rising costs for housing, electricity, food, transportation and insurance have created a statewide household affordability emergency that counts as a public calamity.

Spending Rainy Day Fund money requires a two-thirds vote of the members present in both the House and the Senate, and the bill’s appropriation depends on that vote. Democrats won control of the Texas House in last week’s election, but Republicans still hold the Senate, so the bill would need Republican support to pass, according to other local news sources. If it passes with a two-thirds vote of all members in each chamber, it would take effect right away. Otherwise it would take effect Sept. 1, 2027.

A Hinojosa Campaign Promise

Hinojosa rolled out the $1,500 checks in July as part of her Money in Your Pocket economic plan. Her campaign said the $17 billion would come from the Rainy Day Fund while keeping about $10 billion in reserve, and that on her first day in office she would declare the affordability crisis an emergency and call on the Legislature to send her a bill.

“This proposal is about restoring that trust by putting money back in people’s pockets, especially at a time when Texans are hurting,” Hinojosa said in the July announcement. “We can come together in a bipartisan way to do this for Texans.”

Hinojosa takes office Jan. 19, 2027. The Legislature begins its regular session Jan. 12, 2027, and Senate Bill 297 will be referred to a committee after the session starts.

What It Could Mean For Maverick County

Maverick County has about 18,080 households, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates. At $1,500 each, that would add up to about $27 million for local families if the bill becomes law.

For now, the payments are only a proposal. There is no sign-up, and residents should be careful with anyone asking for personal or bank information to claim a payment.

Read more: Governor Elect Gina Hinojosa Wants To Send Texas Households 1500 Dollar Refund Checks

Also read: Roland Gutierrez Files Constitutional Amendments To Allow Kickapoo Tribe Gaming In Texas

Sources: Senate Bill 297 introduced text | Texas Legislature Online history for Senate Bill 297 | Hinojosa campaign announcement, July 7, 2026 | Hinojosa campaign platform

Photo: Gina Hinojosa announces her $1,500 refund plan in Houston in July. Photo from the Gina Hinojosa campaign.

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