HB 2988

DeAyala Bill Makes Fee Awards The Judge’s Call

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

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

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Sections 27.007 and 27.009 out. A judge may award fees as equitable and just.

This bill rewrites how legal fees are handled in lawsuits covered by Chapter 27 of the Civil Practice and Remedies Code, the chapter for cases involving the exercise of certain constitutional rights. It repeals two existing sections, 27.007 and 27.009, and replaces them with one line saying a judge may award costs and reasonable attorney's fees as are equitable and just. Fee awards in these cases become a judge's choice rather than following the rules in the repealed sections, for lawsuits filed on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee on Apr 23, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2988 · 2025-02-18

SOLD BY

Rep. Mano DeAyalaRHouse 133

ITEM

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

WHAT IT DOES

Sections 27.007 and 27.009 out. A judge may award fees as equitable and just.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 21, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

HISTORY

Feb 18, 2025Filed
Mar 20, 2025Read first time
Mar 20, 2025Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
Apr 23, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
Apr 23, 2025Considered in public hearing
Apr 23, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
Apr 23, 2025Left pending in committee

FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

“In any legal action subject to this chapter, the court may award costs and reasonable and necessary attorney's fees as are equitable and just.”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill changes who pays legal fees in lawsuits tied to constitutional rights such as speech, making fee awards discretionary and changing the cost of filing or fighting those suits.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Mano DeAyala

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$866K Texas Conservative Majority PAC$306K Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$271K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Jul 17, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$865,510.35

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$865,510.35

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $815,510.35
Total: $865,510.35

advertising $805,200.00polling $10,310.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101009776, 101017937, 101062872, 101069959, 101072290.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$305,800.00

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$305,800.00

Cash: $75,000.00
Paid by others: $230,800.00
Total: $305,800.00

canvassing $175,000.00advertising $50,000.00polling $5,800.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 8, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069959, 101072290.

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund$271,400.04

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$271,400.04

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $271,400.04
Total: $271,400.04

advertising $136,000.00mailers $70,417.04television $30,000.00polling $16,400.00Other filed descriptions $10,583.00digital $8,000.00

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 4, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101009776, 101069959, 101072290.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$865,510.35

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $815,510.35
Total: $865,510.35

advertising $805,200.00polling $10,310.35

Also funds 124 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 10, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 23, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101009776, 101017937, 101062872, 101069959, 101072290.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$305,800.00

Cash: $75,000.00
Paid by others: $230,800.00
Total: $305,800.00

canvassing $175,000.00advertising $50,000.00polling $5,800.00

Also funds 42 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jan 23, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 8, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101069959, 101072290.

Associated Republicans of Texas Campaign Fund

$271,400.04

Cash: $0.00
Paid by others: $271,400.04
Total: $271,400.04

advertising $136,000.00mailers $70,417.04television $30,000.00polling $16,400.00Other filed descriptions $10,583.00digital $8,000.00

Also funds 20 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 4, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 22, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101009776, 101069959, 101072290.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 21, 2025

No first-year general revenue figure available here.

LBB published estimates · flow over the stated periods.

Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Feb 18, 2025

04/23/2025 H Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

ATTORNEY'S FEES

Text

The text as introduced · 169 words

89R13353 MZM-D

By: DeAyala
H.B. No. 2988

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the award of costs and attorney's fees in an action

involving the exercise of certain constitutional rights.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Chapter 27, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is

amended by adding Section 27.0091 to read as follows:

Sec. 27.0091. COSTS. In any legal action subject to this

chapter, the court may award costs and reasonable and necessary

attorney's fees as are equitable and just.

SECTION 2. Sections 27.007 and 27.009, Civil Practice and

Remedies Code, are repealed.

SECTION 3. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

an action filed on or after the effective date of this Act. An

action filed before the effective date of this Act is governed by

the law as it existed immediately before that date, and that law is

continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.