Chem trails produced by planes blanket an afternoon sky. Credit: Wikimedia Commons / Rhetos
A committee in the Texas House will hear a bill this week that would criminalize using “chemtrails” to alter the weather.

A total of 17 House Republicans have signed on to sponsor the legislation, which invokes a repeatedly debunked conspiracy theory spread online by right-wing influencers.

Sigh.

Filed by freshman state Rep. Wesley Virdell, R-Brady, House Bill 1382 would criminalize weather modification, including “the injection, release, or dispersion” of chemicals to alter the weather or the intensity of sunlight. The House Licensing and Administrative Procedures Committee — which surely has other important business to oversee — will hold a hearing on the proposal Tuesday.

Discussion of HB 1382 comes as conspiracy theorists push erroneous claims the government or other nefarious entities manipulate the weather to cause natural disasters, including Hurricane Helene, flooding in North Carolina and fires in Southern California and Hawaii. Some, including far-right U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, suggest “the Jews” are behind the purported scheme.

The same conspiracists often claim condensation trails left in the sky by high-flying aircraft are actually “chemtrails” of dangerous substances responsible for the weather changes.

Texas isn’t the only state with right-wing lawmakers looking to criminalize the mythical manipulations, though. The Florida Senate passed a similar bill earlier this month.

If HB 1382 passes, those found guilty of controlling the Texas weather will be charged with a Class A misdemeanor.

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This article appears in Apr 16-29, 2025.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...