SB 2043 Texas Senate · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to prohibited retaliation against a physician or health care provider for reporting certain violations or taking certain actions with respect to the provision of health care services; providing a civil remedy.

SB 2043 prohibits health care facilities and others from retaliating against physicians or health care providers who report violations related to patient safety, unsafe treatment practices, or public health risks. It directly affects nurses, pharmacists, technicians, and other health care workers who report concerns about care quality or safety. The law creates a civil remedy, allowing affected providers to sue for damages if retaliated against (e.g., through termination or demotion). This establishes a legal pathway for health care professionals to report safety issues without fear of workplace punishment.
Bill status passed 3 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Senate Passage
May 2025
House Passage
Governor
Introduced Mar 7, 2025 Last action May 16, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 3 edits · May 15, 2025
MINOR
The bill text was reformatted from a draft version to an official engrossed version, with minor text corrections and the addition of a new subsection (b) regarding governmental immunity. The substantive policy content regarding prohibited retaliation against healthcare providers remains unchanged.
Scope change
No change to the bill's scope or applicability; only formatting and a new immunity provision were added.
ENFORCEMENT

Added a new subsection (b) to Section 332.003 that waives and abolishes governmental immunity to the extent of liability under the chapter.

TECHNICAL

Corrected formatting inconsistencies, removed draft markers, and standardized spacing and line breaks throughout the document.

TIMELINE

Added Section 2 specifying that the Act takes effect on September 1, 2025.

Floor votes · Senate May 14, 2025

How they voted

2010
Passed
Total votes 30
May 14, 2025
D Democratic10
10 Nay
100% Nay
R Republican20
20 Yea
100% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
27
Key actions
7
Committee
7
May 16, 2025
Committee
Referred to Public Health
lower
May 16, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
May 15, 2025
Introduced
Received from the Senate
lower
May 15, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
May 14, 2025
Senate · Passed
Senate Vote: pass (20-10)
senate
May 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
May 5, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably w/o amendments
upper
Apr 30, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Left pending in committee
upper
Apr 3, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Committee
Referred to State Affairs
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
1 primary · 5 co-sponsors

Sponsors