Bill Would Let Texas Cities Invest in Crypto
Texas Rep. Ron Reynolds filed House Bill 815 on the first day of prefiling for the 90th Texas Legislature.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in City Hall
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Texas Rep. Ron Reynolds, a Missouri City Democrat, filed House Bill 815, which would allow each Texas city and county to invest up to $10 million of public money in bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. The bill sets no rules for how the cryptocurrency would be held.
Why it matters
If enacted, the measure would expand the investment options available to Texas local governments beyond those permitted under current state law. Because it contains no custody or holding rules, the bill leaves those details unaddressed.
House Bill 815 would cap each Texas city's and county's cryptocurrency investment at $10 million and amend Chapter 2256 of the Texas Government Code. The bill's introduced text is two sections long and does not address custody or holding requirements.
The players
Ron Reynolds
Ron Reynolds is a Democrat from Missouri City, Texas, who serves in the Texas House of Representatives and sponsored House Bill 815.
The details
The bill, captioned 'Relating to the authority of a municipality or county to invest money in cryptocurrencies,' would add a new section to the Public Funds Investment Act. It was filed on November 10, 2026, the first day of prefiling for the 90th Texas Legislature.
Timeline
November 10, 2026: Reynolds files House Bill 815 on the first day of prefiling for the 90th Texas Legislature.
Legal Context
House Bill 815 would amend the Public Funds Investment Act, Chapter 2256 of the Texas Government Code, to extend local investment authority to cryptocurrency. It would be the first such expansion of that statute's permitted investments in the bill's proposed form.
If passed, the bill would allow Texas city and county governments to put up to $10 million of public funds into bitcoin or other cryptocurrencies. Residents of those jurisdictions would see that public money exposed to crypto price swings.
The takeaway
Whether local governments should hold volatile digital assets with public money is the central question the bill raises. Readers can track HB 815 through the Texas Legislature as the 90th session proceeds.
Further reading
For more on how local governments handle public money, see City Hall coverage in Texas.
Live Poll
Should your city or county be allowed to invest public money in bitcoin?
