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Bill

HB 20

Relating to certain measures to prevent and reduce fraudulent charitable solicitations during disasters, including establishing a voluntary certification program for disaster relief organizations.

89th Legislature, 1st Called Session (2025) Introduced by Trent Ashby and 22 co-sponsors

Texas bill creates voluntary certification program for disaster relief charities to help donors identify legitimate organizations and reduce fraud during emergencies.

Placed on Major State Calendar
#attorneygeneral(v2811) #charitable&nonprofitorganizations(i0055) #consumerprotection(i0080) #disasterpreparedness&relief(i0211) #emergencymanagement #texasdivisionof(vp6fw) #electronicinformationsystems(i0311) #gifts&donations(s0122)
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Bill Summary · HB 20

Legislative bill overview

HB 20 establishes a voluntary certification program for disaster relief organizations in Texas and implements measures to prevent fraudulent charitable solicitations during disasters. The bill aims to create a standardized way for legitimate charities to demonstrate their credibility and trustworthiness to donors during disaster response periods.

Why is this important

Disasters create urgency that fraudsters exploit—scammers often impersonate legitimate charities to collect donations meant for relief efforts. A certification program could help donors quickly identify legitimate organizations, reducing money diverted from genuine relief work and protecting vulnerable disaster victims when they're most in need of aid.

Potential points of contention

  • Voluntary vs. mandatory approach: Critics may argue a voluntary program won't prevent sophisticated fraud schemes, while supporters may contend mandatory certification creates unnecessary regulatory burden on smaller nonprofits
  • Certification standards and administration: Disputes could arise over who sets standards, how rigorous vetting should be, and whether the program adequately distinguishes legitimate organizations from bad actors
  • Donor reliance and liability: Questions may emerge about whether the state certification creates false security, potentially exposing the state to liability if certified organizations later engage in fraud

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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