HB 4318
Injury statute would exclude liability for specified personal objections
Died in committee
Verdict: No flags
Editor's call: No flags. On Nov 1, 2026 the editor checked this charge against the bill's caption and removed it.
Corrected Nov 1, 2026
Corrected Nov 1, 2026 · We checked this summary against the bill text and fixed it.
Reviewed · Nov 1, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade
Caption
relating to protecting parents and other individuals from criminal investigations or prosecution for refusing to affirm a child's homosexual or transgender inclinations or efforts to obtain an abortion.
Caption from analyzed text · version I.
Summary
Covers objections to homosexuality, transgender behavior or abortion, including refusal to affirm.
The bill adds a rule to the Texas injury-to-a-child statute saying it cannot be read to make anyone liable for criticizing, opposing, trying to change, or refusing to affirm another person's homosexual or transgender inclinations or behavior, or their effort to get an abortion. It touches parents, relatives, and anyone else who might face a charge under that section for those reactions. On the ground, prosecutors cannot rely on that section for this conduct starting September 1, 2025, but the text never limits investigations themselves, and both bill sections amend the same Section 22.04 with identical language, which looks like a drafting slip.
Labels
Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 11, 2025 and referred to the House State Affairs committee. No public hearing. The bill died.
Receipt
The receipt
89R-HB4318 · 2025-03-11
SOLD BY
ITEM
relating to protecting parents and other individuals from criminal investigations or prosecution for refusing to affirm a child's homosexual or transgender inclinations or efforts to obtain an abortion.
WHAT IT DOES
Covers objections to homosexuality, transgender behavior or abortion, including refusal to affirm.
The bill adds a rule to the Texas injury-to-a-child statute saying it cannot be read to make anyone liable for criticizing, opposing, trying to change, or refusing to affirm another person's homosexual or transgender inclinations or behavior, or their effort to get an abortion. It touches parents, relatives, and anyone else who might face a charge under that section for those reactions. On the ground, prosecutors cannot rely on that section for this conduct starting September 1, 2025, but the text never limits investigations themselves, and both bill sections amend the same Section 22.04 with identical language, which looks like a drafting slip.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
HISTORY
- Filed
- Read first time
- Referred to State Affairs
FILED UNDER
The bill shields people who criticize or refuse to affirm another person's sexuality, gender identity, or abortion decision from liability under the injury-to-a-child statute.
THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY
Donors
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 1, 2024 to Mar 25, 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$32,500.00
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$32,500.00
- Cash
- $32,500.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $32,500.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Jul 10, 2024 to Jun 27, 2025. 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: 101005773, 101012329.
Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.
Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC
$32,500.00
- Cash
- $32,500.00
- Paid by others
- $0.00
- Total
- $32,500.00
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.
TeamSources
Derived itemized flow · Jul 10, 2024 to Jun 27, 2025. 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: 101005773, 101012329.
Votes
No floor vote loaded for this bill.
Fiscal
No fiscal note in the loaded record.
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 Mar 11, 2025
04/01/2025 H Referred to State Affairs: Apr 1 2025 12:28PM
Texas Legislature Online · Introduced
Data snapshot Nov 1, 2026 at 10:30 AM CST. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.
House committee · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee
Subjects
Abortion
Crimes--Against Persons--General
Family--Parent & Child
Minors--Health & Safety
GENDER IDENTITY & EXPRESSION
SEXUAL ORIENTATION
Text
The text as introduced · 256 words
By: Toth H.B. No. 4318 A BILL TO BE ENTITLED AN ACT relating to protecting parents and other individuals from criminal investigations or prosecution for refusing to affirm a child's homosexual or transgender inclinations or efforts to obtain an abortion. BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: SECTION 1. Section 22.04, Penal Code, is amended by adding Subsection (n) to read as follows: (n) This section may not be construed to impose criminal liability on any person for criticizing, opposing, attempting to change, or refusing to affirm, accept, accommodate, or express approval of another person's: (1) homosexual inclinations or behavior; (2) transgender or gender non-conforming inclinations or behavior; or (3) efforts or decision to obtain an abortion. SECTION 2. Section 22.04, Penal Code, is amended by adding Subsection (i) to read as follows: (i) This section may not be construed to impose criminal liability on any person for criticizing, opposing, attempting to change, or refusing to affirm, accept, accommodate, or express approval of another person's: (1) homosexual inclinations or behavior; (2) transgender or gender non-conforming inclinations or behavior; or (3) efforts or decision to obtain an abortion. SECTION 3. If any provision of this Act or its application to any person or circumstance is held invalid, the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this Act that can be given effect without the invalid provision or application, and to this end the provisions of this Act are declared to be severable. SECTION 4. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.