HB 4415

bill letting public employees sue over workers’ comp retaliation

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 22, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to waiver of immunity in certain employment discrimination actions in connection with a workers' compensation claim.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Only first responders have that right today. Every public employee gets it.

The bill lets any public employee sue the state or local government that employs them if that employer retaliates against them for filing or pursuing a workers' compensation claim. Today only first responders have that right, so the bill extends it to state and local public employees generally. Government immunity from these suits is waived to the extent of the liability the chapter already sets, for claims arising on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee 10-0 on May 7, 2025. Placed on the General State Calendar on May 14, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4415 · 2025-03-11

SOLD BY

Rep. Erin GámezDHouse 38

ITEM

relating to waiver of immunity in certain employment discrimination actions in connection with a workers' compensation claim.

WHAT IT DOES

Only first responders have that right today. Every public employee gets it.

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 25, 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

Mar 11, 2025Filed
Apr 2, 2025Read first time
Apr 2, 2025Referred to s/c on Workforce by Speaker
Apr 29, 2025Scheduled for public hearing in s/c on . . .
Apr 29, 2025Considered by s/c in public hearing
Apr 29, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in subcommittee
Apr 29, 2025Left pending in subcommittee
May 7, 2025Recalled from subcommittee
May 7, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 7, 2025Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
May 10, 2025Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
May 10, 2025Committee report distributed
May 10, 2025Committee report sent to Calendars
May 12, 2025Considered in Calendars
May 14, 2025Placed on General State Calendar

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Erin Gámez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$23K AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND$18K Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$15K

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 24, 2024 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.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$22,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash: $22,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $22,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 24, 2024 to Sep 28, 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101060219, 101072494.

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND$18,375.00

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND

$18,375.00

Cash: $18,000.00
Paid by others: $375.00
Total: $18,375.00

consulting $375.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 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: 100987285, 101029258.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee$15,250.00

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$15,250.00

Cash: $15,000.00
Paid by others: $250.00
Total: $15,250.00

advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 19, 2024 to Sep 17, 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101069662.

Money

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

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$22,500.00

Cash: $22,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $22,500.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 24, 2024 to Sep 28, 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101060219, 101072494.

AGAVE DEMOCRATIC INFRASRUCTURE FUND

$18,375.00

Cash: $18,000.00
Paid by others: $375.00
Total: $18,375.00

consulting $375.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 2025. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Nov 22, 2024 to Jul 7, 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: 100987285, 101029258.

Texas REALTORS Political Action Committee

$15,250.00

Cash: $15,000.00
Paid by others: $250.00
Total: $15,250.00

advertising $250.00

Also funds 140 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 2, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 19, 2024 to Sep 17, 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: 100987285, 101012324, 101029258, 101069662.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses8

For: 8
Against: 0
On: 0

Names

For

Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)1 registration
Dallas Police Association1 registration
Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP #391 registration
Self1 registration
Self; Texas Employment Lawyers Asso1 registration
Self; Texas employment lawyers association1 registration
Texas Municipal Police Association1 registration
Texas Municipal Police Association (TMPA)1 registration

Sources

8 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

House witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 25, 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 H by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 11, 2025

05/14/2025 H Placed on General State Calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:20 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Committee vote 10 aye, 0 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

City Government--Employees/Officers

County Government--Employees/Officers

Labor--Management Relations

Labor--Workers' Compensation

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions

State Employees

DISCRIMINATION

Text

The text as introduced · 220 words

89R8455 KKR-D

By: Gámez
H.B. No. 4415

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to waiver of immunity in certain employment discrimination

actions in connection with a workers' compensation claim.

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

SECTION 1. The heading to Section 451.0025, Labor Code, is

amended to read as follows:

Sec. 451.0025. WAIVER OF IMMUNITY; PERMISSION [ FOR FIRST

RESPONDER ] TO SUE.

SECTION 2. Sections 451.0025(a) and (b), Labor Code, are

amended to read as follows:

(a) In this section :

(1) "First [ , "first ] responder" has the meaning

assigned by Section 421.095, Government Code.

(2) "Local governmental entity," "public employee,"

and "state governmental entity" have the meanings assigned by

Section 554.001, Government Code.

(b) A first responder or public employee who alleges a

violation of Section 451.001 by a state or local governmental

entity that employs the first responder or employee may sue the

governmental entity for the relief provided by this chapter.

Sovereign or governmental immunity from suit is waived and

abolished to the extent of liability created by this chapter.

SECTION 3. The change in law made by this Act applies only

to a cause of action that accrues on or after the effective date of

this Act.

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