Criminalizing wearing face masks

If passed, this bill will toughen punishments for certain crimes when folks are wearing masks.

• In this bill, “disguised or masked" means making it harder to tell who someone is by wearing a mask.

• This bill adds a part to the Texas Penal Code, which is a rulebook for laws in Texas that says what crimes are and what punishments people can get if they break the law.

• The harsher punishment kicks in if the person was:

  • Disguised or masked to hide who they are.

  • Hanging out with others who were also disguised or masked.

• If this bill passes, the lowest amount of jail time jumps to 180 days for small crimes called “Class A misdemeanors”

  • There won’t be more jail time added for slightly more serious crimes called “first-degree felonies”

• People can say their disguise or mask was just for Halloween or something similar. if they prove it, the bigger punishment doesn’t happen.

• These changes only apply to crimes that happen on or after the start date.

• If this bill passes, these changes start on September 1, 2025.