Monitoring the Session

HB 4546

bill on suing government-employed veterinarians

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Tom OliversonRHouse 130

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 the election of remedies in suits against certain veterinarians.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Plaintiffs pick: sue the government body or the vet personally.

The bill lets a person suing over the work of a veterinarian employed by a government body choose whether to sue the government body or the veterinarian personally. It touches veterinarians who work for state or local government units, such as public university vets, and the animal owners who sue them. Today, the Tort Claims Act usually forces such suits to proceed only against the government. Under this bill, a plaintiff can instead elect to sue the veterinarian in an individual capacity, for suits filed on or after September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the House on May 15, 2025. Died in the Senate: never got out of the State Affairs committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB4546 · 2025-03-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Tom OliversonRHouse 130

ITEM

relating to the election of remedies in suits against certain veterinarians.

WHAT IT DOES

Plaintiffs pick: sue the government body or the vet personally.

The bill lets a person suing over the work of a veterinarian employed by a government body choose whether to sue the government body or the veterinarian personally. It touches veterinarians who work for state or local government units, such as public university vets, and the animal owners who sue them. Today, the Tort Claims Act usually forces such suits to proceed only against the government. Under this bill, a plaintiff can instead elect to sue the veterinarian in an individual capacity, for suits filed on or after September 1, 2025.

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

  1. Filed
  2. Read first time
  3. Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
  4. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  5. Considered in public hearing
  6. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in formal meeting
  9. Reported favorably w/o amendment(s)
  10. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  11. Committee report distributed
  12. Committee report sent to Calendars
  13. Considered in Calendars
  14. Placed on General State Calendar
  15. Read 2nd time
  16. Passed to engrossment
  17. Record vote RV#2568
  18. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  19. Read 3rd time
  20. Amended 1-M. González and Oliverson
  21. Passed as amended
  22. Record vote RV#2675
  23. Statement(s) of vote recorded in Journal
  24. Reported engrossed
  25. Received from the House
  26. Read first time
  27. Referred to State Affairs
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

SIGNED FOR BY

House · 138 yea · 2 nay

Sources

House: Final passage · May 15, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Tom Oliverson

Donors

Donors report through Friends of Tom Oliverson.

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 · Oct 27, 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.

Money

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

Votes2

House May 15, 2025

Yea
138
Nay
2
Present, not voting
2
Absent
3
Excused
5
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2675

HB 4546, as amended, was passed by (Record 2675): 138 Yeas, 2 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 138 (published)
  • Nay: 2 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 3 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 5 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

House May 14, 2025

Yea
128
Nay
5
Present, not voting
2
Absent
9
Excused
6
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

House journal

Sources

Record 2568

HB 4546 was passed to engrossment by (Record 2568): 128 Yeas, 5 Nays, 2 Present, not voting.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 128 (published)
  • Nay: 5 (published)
  • Present, not voting: 2 (published)
  • Absent: 9 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 6 (derived from named list)

House journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses3
For
3
Against
0
On
0
Names

For

  • City of Houston1 registration
  • City of San Antonio1 registration
  • Self1 registration
Sources

3 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 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 H by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Mar 12, 2025

05/16/2025 S Referred to State Affairs

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report · Engrossed

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

House committee · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Committee vote 9 aye, 2 nay · Out of committee

Senate committee · State Affairs · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

Courts--Civil Procedure

Occupational Regulation--Health Occupations

VETERINARIANS

Text

The text as introduced · 337 words

89R15158 GP-F

By: Oliverson
H.B. No. 4546

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the election of remedies in suits against certain

veterinarians.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter H, Chapter 801, Occupations Code, is

amended by adding Section 801.365 to read as follows:

Sec. 801.365. ELECTION OF REMEDIES REQUIRED IN SUITS

AGAINST CERTAIN VETERINARIANS; PERSONAL LIABILITY FOR

VETERINARIANS. (a) This section applies only to a veterinarian

employed by a governmental unit, as that term is defined by Section

101.001, Civil Practice and Remedies Code.

(b) Notwithstanding Section 101.106(e), Civil Practice and

Remedies Code, if a plaintiff files suit under Chapter 101, Civil

Practice and Remedies Code, against both a governmental unit and an

employee of the governmental unit who is a veterinarian, the court

shall require the plaintiff to promptly amend the plaintiff's

pleadings to dismiss either:

(1) the governmental unit; or

(2) the employee of the governmental unit.

(c) If the plaintiff fails to amend the pleadings as

required by Subsection (b), the court shall dismiss the suit.

(d) Notwithstanding Section 101.106(f), Civil Practice and

Remedies Code, if a suit is filed against a veterinarian employed by

a governmental unit based on veterinary services provided by the

veterinarian within the general scope of the veterinarian's

employment, the court shall require the plaintiff to promptly amend

the plaintiff's pleadings to elect whether the suit is against the

employee in the employee's official capacity or individual

capacity. If the plaintiff fails to amend the pleadings as required

by this subsection, the court shall dismiss the suit.

SECTION 2. Section 801.365, Occupations Code, as added by

this Act, applies only to an action commenced on or after the

effective date of this Act. An action commenced before the

effective date of this Act is governed by the law as it existed

immediately before the effective date of this Act, and that law is

continued in effect for that purpose.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.