House members who continue skipping the Texas Legislature in protest could face nearly $400,000 in fines under current chamber rules, with penalties potentially exceeding $3.2 million if absences persist through additional special sessions later this year, according to Politico.

In 2023, the Texas House implemented stricter consequences for breaking quorum, including a $500 fine per day for each absent member. These penalties specifically target lawmakers who are “absent without leave for the purpose of impeding the action of the House,” as reported by The Texas Tribune. The fines were introduced after the 2021 walkout by Democratic lawmakers, who fled the state to protest Republican-backed voting restrictions.

Now, dozens of Texas House Democrats are again scattered across blue states, attempting to block GOP-drawn U.S. House maps that former President Donald Trump supports for the 2026 midterms. By leaving Texas, these lawmakers evade state law enforcement and halt legislative business by denying the 150-member chamber the quorum needed to operate.

Politico calculated the fines based on the $500 daily fine, the minimum quorum-breaking number of 51 lawmakers, and the expected duration of their absence. This totals $25,500 per day, but on Monday, 57 Democrats skipped the session, raising that day’s penalty to $28,500. With the special session ending August 19, fines could reach at least $382,500. If additional sessions occur and the boycott continues through the December 8 candidate filing deadline, total fines could surpass $3.2 million.

Texas Democrat Rep. John Bucy, who fled to Illinois, said, “We’ll deal with the consequences later. The priority is stopping Donald Trump from stealing the congressional map and winning the midterms through cheating.”