Texas House Rep. Dyson authors bill raising attempted capital murder of peace officer to first-degree felony

Passed bill authored by State Rep. Paul Dyson seeks to amend the Texas Penal and Government Codes to elevate attempted capital murder of a peace officer to a first-degree felony and adjust parole eligibility accordingly, according to the Texas Legislature website.

In the House, 23 Democrats and 85 Republicans voted in favor of the bill, while 34 Democrats and one Republican opposed it.

Meanwhile, in the Senate, seven Democrats and 20 Republicans voted in favor, while four Democrats voted against it.

Paul Dyson introduced the bill in the Texas House on Wednesday, Jan. 15, during the 89th regular legislative session.

Dyson graduated from Texas A&M University in 2002 with a BS and again in 2007 from South Texas College of Law – Houston with a JD.

He also graduated from Texas A&M University in 2006.

Dyson, a Republican, was elected to the Texas State House in 2025 to represent the state’s 14th House district, replacing previous state representative John N. Raney.

According to the Texas Legislature, the bill’s official text was summarized as follows: ‘Relating to the punishment for the criminal offense of attempted capital murder of a peace officer; increasing a criminal penalty; changing eligibility for parole and mandatory supervision’.

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

In essence, this bill amends the Texas Penal Code and Government Code concerning the offense of attempted capital murder of a peace officer. It elevates the offense to a first-degree felony, carrying a punishment of life imprisonment or a term between 25 and 99 years. Additionally, it modifies parole and mandatory supervision eligibility, ensuring those convicted under the new provision are ineligible for both. The bill clarifies that its provisions apply only to offenses committed on or after its effective date, Sept. 1, 2025, using the law in effect at the time of the crime for offenses committed prior.

The bill was co-authored by Rep. Terry Wilson (Republican – District 20), Rep. David Cook (Republican – District 96), and Rep. Eddie Morales Jr. (Democrat – District 74), along with five other authors.

The bill received its final legislative approval on Tuesday, May 27, 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.