Relating to the award of attorney's fees in an action involving the exercise of certain constitutional rights.

HB 2966 requires courts to automatically award attorney fees and court costs to defendants when a lawsuit challenging constitutional rights is dismissed. It directly affects plaintiffs who file such cases, as they may face these costs if their lawsuit is dismissed. The bill mandates these fees upon dismissal (Section 27.009(a)) and allows courts to impose additional sanctions on the plaintiff to deter future similar lawsuits. This change applies only to cases filed on or after September 1, 2025.