Barbara Gervin-Hawkins is a Democratic state representative from Texas who has represented District 120 since 2017 and is seeking re-election in the November 3, 2026 general election.[1][2]
Barbara Gervin-Hawkins assumed office in the Texas House in 2017.[1]In 2023 and 2024 she was assigned to the Ways & Means Committee and the Appropriations Committee.[1]
Their recorded votes on bills that divided the chamber (unanimous votes left out), grouped by topic. A bill can sit under more than one topic. "With" and "against" compare each vote with how most Democrats voted. How topics are assigned
›Rights & public safety510 with · 55 against565 votes
On the version voted May 30, 2025: Bars governments, companies and certain individuals tied to countries named as national security threats in recent federal intelligence assessments, or designated by the governor, from buying Texas real estate, with exceptions for U.S. citizens, permanent residents and some homes; violations can bring felony charges, fines and forced sale.
On the version voted May 23, 2025: Requires police to send the attorney general a copy of any probable-cause report on a human trafficking offense they give local prosecutors, and requires the attorney general to take over prosecution if the local prosecutor takes no action within 180 days.
On the version voted May 10, 2025: Bars city public libraries from keeping sexually explicit material in children's sections, requires parental consent and age checks before minors can borrow such material, and allows civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation.
On the version voted May 31, 2025: Sets the state budget for the two fiscal years ending August 2026 and August 2027, appropriating about $176 billion for fiscal 2026 and $162 billion for fiscal 2027 from all fund sources to state agencies, courts, schools and universities.
Bars school boards from giving a departing superintendent a severance payment larger than six months' salary and benefits, down from the one-year level that now triggers a cut in state school funding, and requires boards to report severance terms to the state.
May 7, 2025 · Failed 76–68 (two-thirds needed) · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Requires school districts and other local taxing units to mail notice of proposed property tax rates to each property owner, and requires those notices and appraisal district databases to compare proposed tax collections with inflation and population or enrollment growth.
On the version voted Apr 24, 2025: Creates a state-run education savings account program letting families use public money for private school and other approved education costs, generally about 85% of average per-student school funding, up to $30,000 for students with disabilities and $2,000 for homeschoolers, capped at $1 billion for 2025–2027.
Bars school boards from giving a departing superintendent a severance payment larger than six months' salary and benefits, down from the one-year level that now triggers a cut in state school funding, and requires boards to report severance terms to the state.
May 7, 2025 · Failed 76–68 (two-thirds needed) · with most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Requires public colleges, for Public Service Loan Forgiveness certification only, to count adjunct faculty as working 3.35 hours per credit hour taught and as full-time at 30 average weekly hours, and to certify within 60 days.
On the version voted May 28, 2025: Requires a health care provider who diagnoses an unborn child with a life-threatening or life-limiting condition to give the pregnant woman state information on perinatal palliative care and a provider list; repeat violations carry a $1,000 administrative penalty.
May 26, 2025 · Failed 65–80 · against most DemocratsOfficial record ↗
Requires the Health and Human Services Commission to hire a language access coordinator to assess non-English speakers' access to its programs and 2-1-1 services and report findings within one year; the provisions expire June 1, 2027.
Requires health plans, including Medicaid and CHIP, that cover or have covered gender transition procedures to cover their adverse consequences, annual follow-up testing, and treatment to manage, reverse or recover from the procedure, for plans issued or renewed from January 1, 2026.
Requires the Commission on Environmental Quality to create, by January 1, 2027, a county grant program, funded from a new account, for prosecuting illegal scrap tire dumping, public information, and removing illegally dumped tires.
Exempts alternative fueling facilities run by certain transit authorities in counties over one million, in emission nonattainment areas, from the rule that grants go first to facilities agreeing to be open to the public.
Requires metropolitan planning organizations to consider the transportation needs of people who receive services from the Health and Human Services Commission or Workforce Commission in 10-year plans, and to show providers considered meeting those needs when requesting state funding.
Allows the Texas Facilities Commission to authorize electric vehicle charging stations in state-owned parking lots and garages built on or after September 1, 2025, considering EV registrations, state employee EVs and lot usage, under guidelines requiring installation at no cost to the state.
Creates a comptroller-run grant program, funded by appropriation, for counties that help indigent litigants with transportation to and from court proceedings.
As reported by the House committee, requires cities and counties to set up complaint processes for public camping ban violations and act on complaints within 90 days, and lets the attorney general and state police enforce the ban and recover costs from local governments that fail to act.
Requires registrars and county clerks to issue a homeless individual a certified birth record free on request, under verification and documentation rules set by the health commission, without requiring a physical address.
Bars cities and counties from treating a condominium as a land subdivision or requiring a subdivision plat to create or change a condominium, for condominium declarations filed on or after September 1, 2025.
On the version voted May 28, 2025: Requires electronic health records of Texans to be stored in the United States, gives parents full access to their minor children's records, requires records to note biological sex as observed at birth, and lets doctors use artificial intelligence if they review results and tell patients.
Exempts certain items from the ban on posting appraisal records online: street-level exterior photos, aerial photos showing more than one separately owned building, and outline sketches. Bars reappraisal plans from preventing appraisals needed to meet market-value requirements.
Requires the Health and Human Services Commission to create a grant program helping hospitals and health facilities use artificial intelligence to scan medical images for cancer, with applicants providing at least 10 percent matching funds.
Requires the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement, with the Texas Veterans Commission, to develop a training program for county jailers on interacting with veterans, and requires currently licensed jailers to complete it by August 31, 2027.
Requires the comptroller to list restricted Chinese-affiliated entities and bars state retirement systems and the permanent school fund from holding them, with at least half divested within 180 days of notice and all within 360, subject to fiduciary-duty exceptions.
Exempts from the franchise tax a corporation that operates an FAA-authorized spaceport and has a contract with the U.S. Department of Defense for spaceflight or launch services.
Voted against most of their party on 69 of 708 party-divided votes on file.
Most often on: Rights & public safety (24), Jobs & cost of living (20), Education & families (18)
Relating to the business court
What it does: On the version voted May 12, 2025: Changes Business Court jurisdiction and procedure: lowers a $10 million amount-in-controversy threshold to $5 million, adds intellectual-property and trade-secret actions, removes th…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 11–39, Republicans 84–0
Relating to the registration as a lobbyist of persons who engage in certain lobbying activities on behalf of a foreign adversary and to prohibitions on the receipt of compensation related to those lobbying activities; providing a civil penalty
Conference report: Requires people who lobby state officials for a foreign adversary, its clients or its political parties to register as lobbyists and bars them from taking compensation from those parties. Lets the attorney general seek injunctions and civil penalties up to $10,000 per violation. (AI-written)
What it does: Requires anyone who lobbies Texas officials for a government, party, company or official of a federally designated foreign adversary to register as a lobbyist, bars them from being paid by those clients, and lets the…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 17–36, Republicans 84–0
Relating to increasing the criminal penalty and changing the eligibility for community supervision, mandatory supervision, and parole for certain persons convicted of intoxication manslaughter
What it does: Makes intoxication manslaughter a first-degree felony when the person has a prior intoxicated-driving conviction and was violating the state's illegal-entry law, bars probation for it, and requires 10 years served bef…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 12–38, Republicans 84–0
Relating to the strong families credit against certain taxes for entities that contribute to certain organizations
What it does: On the version voted May 26, 2025: Creates a franchise tax credit, capped at $5 million a year in total, for contributions to nonprofits certified by the OneStar Foundation that serve at-risk families and do not provi…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 23–27, Republicans 74–0
Relating to requiring notice to the attorney general in an action under the Election Code seeking a temporary restraining order
What it does: Requires courts to notify the attorney general by email before a hearing on a temporary restraining order sought under the Election Code, wait at least one hour unless the attorney general waives it, and allow remote…
Voted yes · most Democrats voted no · Democrats 16–36, Republicans 81–1
Substantive votes concern legislation or nominations; procedural votes concern how the chamber considers them. A Yes vote applies to the motion shown, which may not be final passage.
HB 1 · TX HOUSE
Relating to youth camp emergency plans and preparedness; authorizing penalties
YesVOTED
Motion: Motion: At 11:23 p.m., Representative Geren moved that, at the conclusion of the receipt of messages, the signing of bills and resolutions, and administrative
Requires licensed youth camps to adopt written emergency plans filed with the state health department, notify parents if any part of a camp is in a floodplain, give campers a safety orientation, and meet state-set minimum camper-to-counselor ratios for overnight stays.
Relating to youth camp emergency plans and preparedness; authorizing penalties
YesVOTED
Motion: Concur in Senate amendments
Requires licensed youth camps to adopt written emergency plans filed with the state health department, notify parents if any part of a camp is in a floodplain, give campers a safety orientation, and meet state-set minimum camper-to-counselor ratios for overnight stays.
Bars licensing youth camps with floodplain cabins, with exceptions; requires campgrounds to put roof-access ladders in floodplain cabins and keep evacuation plans; requires youth camps to follow campground rules plus emergency plans, weather radios and warning systems.
Amending the House Rules of Procedure to authorize additional constitutionally compliant, proportional penalties for members absent without leave for purpose of impeding the action of the House that do not unfairly impair members' representative functions
NoVOTED
Motion: Adopt HR 128
Raises the daily fine for members absent without leave to impede the House from $500 to three times the legislative per diem; adds operating-budget forfeiture, loss of chair posts after two days and seniority cuts after three, unless the House excuses.
Suspending limitations on conference committee jurisdiction, S.B. No. 5
YesVOTED
Motion: Adopt HR 174
Suspends House rules so the conference committee on Senate Bill 5 can add camp-safety funding for the Department of State Health Services, contingent on S.B. 1 ($2.59 million stabilization fund, $2.48 million general revenue), and an immediate effective date.
Bars licensing youth camps with floodplain cabins, with exceptions; requires campgrounds to put roof-access ladders in floodplain cabins and keep evacuation plans; requires youth camps to follow campground rules plus emergency plans, weather radios and warning systems.
Bars licensing youth camps with floodplain cabins, with exceptions; requires campgrounds to put roof-access ladders in floodplain cabins and keep evacuation plans; requires youth camps to follow campground rules plus emergency plans, weather radios and warning systems.
Relating to public school accountability and transparency, including the implementation of an instructionally supportive assessment program and the adoption and administration of assessment instruments in public schools, indicators of achievement, public school performance ratings, and interventions and sanctions under the public school accountability system, a grant program for school district local accountability plans, and actions challenging Texas Education Agency decisions related to public school accountability
NoVOTED
Motion: Concur in Senate amendments
Replaces STAAR testing with an instructionally supportive assessment program by 2027-2028, changes how school performance ratings are determined, and limits legal challenges to Texas Education Agency accountability decisions, including a nine-month deadline to sue over rules.
Relating to public school accountability and transparency, including the implementation of an instructionally supportive assessment program and the adoption and administration of assessment instruments in public schools, indicators of achievement, public school performance ratings, and interventions and sanctions under the public school accountability system, a grant program for school district local accountability plans, and actions challenging Texas Education Agency decisions related to public school accountability
YesVOTED
Motion: Extend speaking time for Rep. Hinojosa
Replaces STAAR testing with an instructionally supportive assessment program by 2027-2028, changes how school performance ratings are determined, and limits legal challenges to Texas Education Agency accountability decisions, including a nine-month deadline to sue over rules.
Relating to election procedures regarding accepting a voter with a residence address that is not current and the immediate effect of a voter's registration after the registrar's receipt of certain change of address notices
NoVOTED
Motion: Final passage (third reading)
Repeals the rule that an in-county change-of-address notice takes effect immediately, and lets voters who moved within their county vote in the precinct where they are registered without having to ask the registrar to update their registration address.
