2025 Texas sessionsRegular and both called sessions have ended. This index covers House and Senate bills, not resolutions. Statuses come from official reports.

2025 · Regular session · Senate bill

SB1062

SB1062 allows qualifying digital newspapers to carry governmental public notices in certain counties—not everywhere in Texas.

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Official caption: Relating to the type of newspaper required for publication of public notices.

Signed by governorSource-checked explanation published

Official report lists Senate author(s): Kolkhorst. This does not identify sponsors or amendment drafters.

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Bill explanation published · Version and amendment review scope is stated below · Individual amendment records may not be separately annotated.

Bill highlights

Selected points from the published explanation. Follow each point to its source-linked context; conditions and limits may matter.

SB1062 allows qualifying digital newspapers to carry governmental public notices in certain counties—not everywhere in Texas.
Within that scope, a governmental entity may choose a digital newspaper instead of the newspaper described by section 2051.0441(b), but the digital newspaper must meet all six conditions: an audited paid-subscriber base; at least three years in business; staff employed in the governmental entity’s jurisdiction; reporting on local events and government activities there; general-interest news for people there; and news updates at least weekly.
The existing nondigital alternative remains.
The relevant public-notice law covers matters such as proclamations or advertisements required or authorized by law to be published by governmental entities or their representatives.

Read the full explanation ↓

What does it do?

SB1062 allows qualifying digital newspapers to carry governmental public notices in certain counties—not everywhere in Texas. The new option is in Government Code 2051.0441, whose existing scope covers a county that either borders the Red River and has a population from 30,000 through 42,000, or lacks a newspaper published in the county that meets the ordinary requirements in section 2051.044. The act leaves that county limitation intact. Final law, section 1; Government Code 2051.0441, subsection (a); Government Code 2051.044.

Within that scope, a governmental entity may choose a digital newspaper instead of the newspaper described by section 2051.0441(b), but the digital newspaper must meet all six conditions: an audited paid-subscriber base; at least three years in business; staff employed in the governmental entity’s jurisdiction; reporting on local events and government activities there; general-interest news for people there; and news updates at least weekly. An ordinary website or social-media account does not qualify merely because it is online. Final law, new subsection (b-1).

The existing nondigital alternative remains. It requires at least 20% of column space for general-interest items, publication at least weekly, periodical postal status in the county or mailed/delivered circulation reaching at least 51% of county residences, and at least 12 months of regular continuous publication. These are not the new digital newspaper’s eligibility tests: the digital alternative has its own six requirements, including the longer three-year business history. Final law; Government Code 2051.0441, subsections (b)–(c).

The relevant public-notice law covers matters such as proclamations or advertisements required or authorized by law to be published by governmental entities or their representatives. SB1062 changes the permitted type of publisher in the specified counties; it does not abolish the underlying obligation to give notice or replace every other notice requirement. Signed May 19, 2025, it took effect immediately that day after receiving the required votes. Government Code 2051.041; Final law, section 2 and passage certifications; Official history.

What changed along the way?

The introduced bill would have placed the digital-newspaper option in section 2051.044, the general newspaper-qualification provision. The Senate committee substitute moved it to section 2051.0441, the provision limited to the specified counties. That relocation is a substantive scope limit, not just renumbering. The six digital-newspaper conditions stayed the same. The substitute, engrossed, House committee and enrolled operative texts match. No amendments are listed in the official amendment index. Introduced bill; Senate substitute; All versions; Amendment index; Final law.

For the full amendment record, open the official amendment index.

Official bill versions

Compare the published text versions in the official text index. A change is not attributed to a specific amendment here without a verified record.

Who could benefit—and who could bear the costs?

Governmental entities in covered counties gain an additional publication option, and established local digital newsrooms can compete for that work if they satisfy every condition. Residents may encounter notices through those digital publications. The law does not establish that any particular newsroom qualifies, guarantee wider readership, require a government to switch publishers, or authorize every county to replace newspaper notices with its own website. Final law; Government Code 2051.0441, subsection (a).

The March 16, March 20 and April 25 fiscal notes anticipate no significant state or local fiscal implication and assume state implementation costs can fit existing resources. They do not calculate savings from digital publication, new subscription costs or changes in public access. Those effects should not be presented as proven benefits or costs. Introduced fiscal note; Senate committee fiscal note; House committee fiscal note.

Official sources

Catalog report retrieved 2026-10-25. Check the official record for corrections or later changes.