Monitoring the Session

HB 5076

Leach Bill Ends Employer Liability For Health Organizations’ Doctors

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Jeff LeachRHouse 67

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 vicarious liability of certain health organizations for medical care provided by a physician the organization employs.

Caption from analyzed text · version H.

Summary

Hurt by an employed physician? Sue the doctor, unless you prove the organization interfered.

The bill says a health organization that follows the existing rules in Section 162.0022(a) cannot be held vicariously liable for care given by a physician it employs, as long as it does not interfere with, control, or direct the physician's independent medical judgment. It touches the health organizations covered by that section, the physicians they employ, and patients who might sue over that care. On the ground, a patient harmed by an employed physician could no longer sue the organization just because it is the employer, and would have to sue the physician or prove the organization interfered.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee 6-3 on May 1, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5076 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Rep. Jeff LeachRHouse 67 Rep. Lacey HullRHouse 138 Rep. Joanne ShofnerRHouse 11

ITEM

relating to vicarious liability of certain health organizations for medical care provided by a physician the organization employs.

WHAT IT DOES

Hurt by an employed physician? Sue the doctor, unless you prove the organization interfered.

The bill says a health organization that follows the existing rules in Section 162.0022(a) cannot be held vicariously liable for care given by a physician it employs, as long as it does not interfere with, control, or direct the physician's independent medical judgment. It touches the health organizations covered by that section, the physicians they employ, and patients who might sue over that care. On the ground, a patient harmed by an employed physician could no longer sue the organization just because it is the employer, and would have to sue the physician or prove the organization interfered.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 5, 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. No action taken in committee
  6. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  7. Considered in public hearing
  8. Committee substitute considered in committee
  9. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  10. Left pending in committee
  11. Considered in formal meeting
  12. Committee substitute considered in committee
  13. Reported favorably as substituted
  14. Comte report filed with Committee Coordinator
  15. Committee report distributed
  16. Committee report sent to Calendars
FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

“may not be held vicariously liable”…

Bill text, House committee report version (H)

The bill gives covered health organizations a lawsuit shield against employer liability for care given by the physicians they employ.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Jeff Leach

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1.14MTexas Conservative Majority PAC$273KRepublican Party of Texas$182K

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 28, 2024 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1,141,482.69

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,141,482.69

Cash
$555,000.00
Paid by others
$586,482.69
Total
$1,141,482.69
digital $316,766.74mail $154,662.95advertising $89,953.00polling $25,100.00

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.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 13, 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: 101004498, 101024562, 101039760, 101044787, 101067510, 101072948.

Texas Conservative Majority PAC$273,017.05

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$273,017.05

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$238,017.05
Total
$273,017.05
canvassing $150,000.00digital $70,627.07Other filed descriptions $16,666.67texting $723.31

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 · Feb 9, 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: 101039760, 101044787, 101067510, 101072948.

Republican Party of Texas$182,117.94

Republican Party of Texas

$182,117.94

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$182,117.94
Total
$182,117.94
mail $182,117.94

Also funds 12 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 30, 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: 101072948.

Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,141,482.69

Cash
$555,000.00
Paid by others
$586,482.69
Total
$1,141,482.69
digital $316,766.74mail $154,662.95advertising $89,953.00polling $25,100.00

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.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 25, 2025 to Oct 13, 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: 101004498, 101024562, 101039760, 101044787, 101067510, 101072948.

×

Texas Conservative Majority PAC

$273,017.05

Cash
$35,000.00
Paid by others
$238,017.05
Total
$273,017.05
canvassing $150,000.00digital $70,627.07Other filed descriptions $16,666.67texting $723.31

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 · Feb 9, 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: 101039760, 101044787, 101067510, 101072948.

×

Republican Party of Texas

$182,117.94

Cash
$0.00
Paid by others
$182,117.94
Total
$182,117.94
mail $182,117.94

Also funds 12 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Oct 31, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · Sep 30, 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: 101072948.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses13
For
10
Against
3
On
0
Names

For

  • Children's Hospital Association of Texas1 registration
  • Community Health Systems1 registration
  • Doctors Hospital at Renaissance, Ltd. (DHR Health) and Renaissance Medical Foundation (RMF).1 registration
  • HCA Healthcare1 registration
  • Teaching Hospitals of Texas1 registration
  • Texans for Lawsuit Reform1 registration
  • Texas Health Resources (THR)1 registration
  • Texas Hospital Association1 registration
  • University Health1 registration
  • University Medical Center of El Paso1 registration

Against

  • Self1 registration
  • Self; Texas Trial Lawyers Association1 registration
  • Texas Watch1 registration
Sources

13 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 H · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version H · May 5, 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 13, 2025

05/10/2025 H Committee report sent to Calendars

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · House Committee Report

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

House committee · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Committee vote 6 aye, 3 nay, 2 absent · Out of committee

Companion

SB 2509 by Hinojosa, Adam (identical)

Subjects

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

Health Care Providers

PHYSICIANS

Text

The text as introduced · 170 words

By: Leach
H.B. No. 5076

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to vicarious liability for certain medical care.

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

SECTION 1. Section 162.0022(a), Occupations Code, is

amended to read as follows:

(a) A health organization certified under Section

162.001(b) shall adopt, maintain, and enforce policies to ensure

that a physician employed by the health organization exercises

independent medical judgment when providing care to patients. A

health organization that complies with this subsection is not

vicariously liable for medical care provided by an employed

physician if the health organization does not interfere with,

control, or otherwise direct the independent medical judgment of

the physician when providing medical care to patients.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all members elected to each house, as

provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this

Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this

Act takes effect September 1, 2025.