SB 30 Texas Senate · 89th Legislature (2025)

Relating to recovery of health care-related damages in certain civil actions.

SB 30 modifies Texas law governing health care damage claims in civil lawsuits. It requires parties challenging the reasonableness or necessity of health care charges to serve written notice on opponents by specific deadlines (120 days after a defendant's answer, or by expert witness designation dates). The bill specifies that standard affidavits stating charges were reasonable or services necessary lose evidentiary weight if notice is served, though they may still verify record authenticity. It also clarifies such affidavits cannot support claims about the cause of injury. This directly affects plaintiffs and defendants in medical malpractice or billing disputes.
Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Mar 2025
Committee Review
May 2025
Senate Passage
Apr 2025
House Passage
May 2025
Governor
Introduced Mar 13, 2025 Last action May 30, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

Introduced Engrossed · 7 edits · Apr 16, 2025
MODERATE
This bill significantly overhauls Texas civil law regarding health care expense recovery and exemplary damages. It establishes strict caps on medical damages tied to Medicare rates, requires detailed disclosure of medical billing and referrals, and restructures how punitive damages are awarded in court.
Scope change
The bill expands the scope of health care expense limitations to include future damages and adds new definitions for 'health care expenses' and 'letter of protection' to clarify what costs are recoverable.
REQUIREMENT

Medical expense recoverability is now capped at 300% of the Medicare fee schedule, adjusted for inflation from May 1, 2025, rather than allowing full billed amounts.

Claimants must now disclose all medical invoices, letters of protection, and any agreements where providers might refund money to payors or attorneys.

New requirement for claimants to identify all health care providers and provide authorization for other parties to access medical records.

Claimants must disclose who referred them to a provider and the relationship between the referrer and the injured person or their attorney.

Health care providers who submit affidavits stating they will not appear at trial are now barred from testifying about the reasonableness of their charges unless specific exceptions apply.

DEFINITION

Added new definitions for 'health care expenses,' 'health care services,' 'injured individual,' 'letter of protection,' 'physician,' 'provider,' and 'third-party payor' to standardize terminology.

ENFORCEMENT

Restructured exemplary (punitive) damages rules to require unanimous jury findings and added specific instructions on when punitive damages may be awarded.

Floor votes · Senate Apr 16, 2025 · House May 28, 2025

How they voted

2010
Passed
Total votes 30
Apr 16, 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
72
Key actions
19
Committee
15
Amendments
13
May 30, 2025
Lower · Passed
House grants request for conference committee
lower
May 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
Senate requests conference committee-reported
lower
May 29, 2025
Upper · Passed
Senate requests conference committee
upper
May 29, 2025
Introduced
House amendment(s) laid before the Senate
upper
May 28, 2025
Upper · Passed
House passage as amended reported
upper
May 28, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed
lower
May 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Passed to 3rd reading as amended
lower
May 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amended
lower
May 26, 2025
Lower · Passed
Amendment adopted as amended
lower
May 26, 2025
Introduced
Amendment to amendment offered
lower
May 26, 2025
Introduced
Amendment to amendment tabled
lower
May 26, 2025
Amended
Amendment amended
lower
May 26, 2025
Introduced
Amendment(s) offered
lower
May 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report sent to Calendars
lower
May 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
Committee report distributed
lower
May 21, 2025
Lower · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
lower
Apr 22, 2025
Committee
Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
lower
Apr 22, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
lower
Apr 17, 2025
Introduced
Received from the Senate
lower
Apr 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Passed to engrossment as amended
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Amended
Amendment fails of adoption
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Upper · Passed
Amended
upper
Apr 16, 2025
Introduced
Amendment(s) offered
upper
Apr 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
Committee report printed and distributed
upper
Apr 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
Reported favorably as substituted
upper
Apr 14, 2025
Upper · Passed
Vote taken in committee
upper
Mar 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Left pending in committee
upper
Mar 31, 2025
Upper · Passed
Testimony taken in committee
upper
Mar 20, 2025
Committee
Referred to State Affairs
upper
Mar 20, 2025
Committee
Rereferred to committee
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Committee
Referred to Business & Commerce
upper
Mar 17, 2025
Introduced
Read first time
upper
2 primary · 1 co-sponsor

Sponsors