Zaffirini Files Bills on Ticket Bots, SNAP Pricing
Texas Sen. Judith Zaffirini filed two bills on the first day lawmakers could file ahead of the 2027 legislative session.
Updated on Nov. 10, 2026 in Legislative Policy
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Sen. Judith Zaffirini filed Senate Bill 42, which would empower the Texas Attorney General to investigate ticket scalpers using bots and allow civil penalties of up to $10,000 per violation. She also filed Senate Bill 41, which bans personalized dynamic pricing models for SNAP-eligible food purchases.
Why it matters
SB 42 is nearly identical to a ticket-bot law Zaffirini introduced in 2023, which Gov. Greg Abbott signed, and several companion bills have been filed in the Texas House. Texas residents who buy concert tickets or SNAP-eligible groceries could see the rules that govern those purchases change if the bills pass.
SB 42 would allow civil penalties of up to $10,000 for each violation, and the bill is nearly identical to a 2023 law Zaffirini introduced. Both bills remain at the filing stage, and the Legislature has not scheduled hearings on either measure.
The players
Judith Zaffirini
Judith Zaffirini is a Democratic member of the Texas Senate representing a district based in Laredo, and she has sponsored earlier legislation on ticketing.
Greg Abbott
Greg Abbott is the Governor of Texas, who signed the 2023 ticket bot law into effect.
The details
SB 42 would classify the use of bots to buy tickets as subject to investigation by the Texas Attorney General. SB 41 would classify dynamic pricing for SNAP foods as a deceptive trade practice and applies to companies with brick-and-mortar locations that sell SNAP-eligible foods.
Timeline
2016: Congress passed the Better Online Ticket Sales Act.
2023: Zaffirini introduced the original ticket bot law, which Abbott signed.
Monday, Nov. 9, 2026: Zaffirini filed SB 41 and SB 42 on the first filing day.
January 12, 2027: The Texas 90th legislative session begins.
May 31, 2027: The Texas 90th legislative session ends.
Political Context
Texas joins at least 15 other states that have enacted similar ticket resale laws, following the federal framework set by Congress in 2016. The proposed SNAP pricing bill is a separate measure, and New York and Maryland have each taken their own steps on dynamic pricing.
If passed, SB 42 would give the Attorney General power to pursue bot-using ticket scalpers, which could affect how Texans buy concert and event tickets. SB 41 would affect how grocery stores with physical locations price SNAP-eligible foods for shoppers using those benefits.
The takeaway
Texas shoppers buying tickets or groceries with SNAP benefits should watch the 2027 session, since both bills would change the rules governing those purchases if they become law.
What happens next
The Texas 90th legislative session begins January 12, 2027, when committees can take up SB 41 and SB 42.
Further reading
For related coverage, see Legislative Policy in Texas politics.
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