Texas Senate bill by Sen. Flores increases penalties for organized retail theft

Passed bill authored by State Sen. Peter P. Flores seeks to enhance criminal penalties and clarify prosecution standards for organized retail theft, aiming to strengthen legal responses to such offenses, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the Senate, nine Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while two Democrats opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the House, 26 Democrats and 84 Republicans voted in favor, while 31 Democrats voted against it.

Peter P. Flores introduced the bill in the Texas Senate on Friday, Feb. 14, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Flores graduated from Texas A&M University in 1983 with a BS.

Flores, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State Senate in 2023 to represent the state’s 24th Senate district, replacing previous state senator Dawn Buckingham.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the prosecution and punishment of the criminal offense of organized retail theft; increasing criminal penalties’.

The following is our breakdown, based on the actual bill text, and may include interpretation to clarify its provisions.

In essence, this bill addresses the prosecution and punishment of organized retail theft, increasing criminal penalties for such offenses. It simplifies indictment requirements by allowing the naming of the merchant and the aggregate value range of the stolen goods instead of listing each item. Evidence rules are expanded to include prior theft offenses and price tag markings as prima facie evidence of merchandise value and ownership. The bill defines retail merchandise and merchant, establishes value criteria based on sales or rental prices at the time of theft, and clarifies that certain defenses, like entrapment, do not apply. Penalties range from a Class B misdemeanor to a first-degree felony, with enhancement considerations for repeat offenders. The act takes effect Sept. 1, 2025.

The bill was co-authored by Sen. Donna Campbell (Republican – District 25), Sen. Brandon Creighton (Republican – District 4), and Sen. Charles Perry (Republican – District 28), along with 13 other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Friday, May 30, and was signed into law by Gov. Greg Abbott on Friday, June 20.

Bills in Texas go through a multi-step legislative process, including committee review, debates, and votes in both chambers before reaching a final decision. Each session, there are typically thousands of bills introduced, but only a portion successfully navigate the process to become law.

You can read more about the bills and other measures here.