HB 5144

bill barring VA claims businesses from lying

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 prohibiting certain deceptive trade practices by businesses assisting veterans with Department of Veterans Affairs claims.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

No lying about costs, services or any tie to the VA.

The bill bars businesses that advertise help with Department of Veterans Affairs claims from lying about their costs, their services, or any tie to the VA. It also bars those businesses from giving a veteran personal advice on a disability claim unless the advice comes from VA-accredited people, and from getting into a veteran's VA benefit information through the eBenefits portal. A business that breaks these rules owes the state a civil penalty of up to $25,000 per violation, starting immediately or on September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: ACROSS THE AISLE. Joint authors: 2 Republicans, 3 Democrats. Party as the Legislative Reference Library lists it for the 89th Legislature.PENDING FOREVER. Heard by the House Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee on May 7, 2025 and left pending. Never voted out. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB5144 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Rep. AJ LouderbackRHouse 30

Rep. Stan KitzmanRHouse 85

Rep. Richard Peña RaymondDHouse 42

+ 2 more authors, 16 coauthors

ITEM

relating to prohibiting certain deceptive trade practices by businesses assisting veterans with Department of Veterans Affairs claims.

WHAT IT DOES

No lying about costs, services or any tie to the VA.

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 · May 6, 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 13, 2025Filed
Apr 7, 2025Read first time
Apr 7, 2025Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
May 7, 2025Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
May 7, 2025Considered in public hearing
May 7, 2025Committee substitute considered in committee
May 7, 2025Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
May 7, 2025Left pending in committee

FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

AJ Louderback

Donors

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC$50K Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$28K Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25K

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 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 Truth and Liberty PAC$50,000.00

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$50,000.00

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $50,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 26, 2025 to Oct 6, 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: 101009033, 101071885.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$27,500.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$27,500.00

Cash: $27,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $27,500.00

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 · Dec 9, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 100988974, 101009033, 101059497, 101071885.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$25,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

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 · Sep 30, 2026 to Oct 7, 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: 101071885.

Money

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

Texans for Truth and Liberty PAC

$50,000.00

Cash: $50,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $50,000.00

Also funds 44 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 24, 2025 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 26, 2025 to Oct 6, 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: 101009033, 101071885.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$27,500.00

Cash: $27,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $27,500.00

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 · Dec 9, 2024 to Oct 5, 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: 100988974, 101009033, 101059497, 101071885.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$25,000.00

Cash: $25,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $25,000.00

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 · Sep 30, 2026 to Oct 7, 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: 101071885.

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 · May 6, 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 Mar 13, 2025

05/07/2025 H Left pending in committee

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Coauthors

Salman BhojaniDHouse 92

John H. Bucy IIIDHouse 136

Benjamin BumgarnerRHouse 63

Charles CunninghamRHouse 127

Pat CurryRHouse 56

R.D. "Bobby" GuerraDHouse 41

Carrie IsaacRHouse 73

Ray LopezDHouse 125

J. M. LozanoRHouse 43

Claudia OrdazDHouse 79

Angelia OrrRHouse 13

Katrina PiersonRHouse 33

Mihaela PlesaDHouse 70

David SpillerRHouse 68

Chris TurnerDHouse 101

Terry M. WilsonRHouse 20

House committee · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

SB 2968 by Parker (identical)

Subjects

Business & Commerce--Trade Practices

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

Military & Veterans

Text

The text as introduced · 306 words

By: Louderback
H.B. No. 5144

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to prohibiting certain deceptive trade practices by

businesses assisting veterans with Department of Veterans Affairs

claims.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter E, Chapter 17, Business and Commerce

Code, is amended by adding Sections 17.465 and 17.466 to read as

follows:

Sec. 17.465. PROHIBITED PRACTICES FOR BUSINESSES ASSISTING

VETERANS. (a) A business operating in this state which advertises

its services to veterans with regard to claims preparation,

presentation, and prosecution with the Department of Veterans

Affairs is prohibited from engaging in false, misleading, or

deceptive acts or practices, including:

(1) causing confusion or misrepresenting directly or

by implication the actual costs of participation in the business's

programs or membership programs;

(2) causing confusion directly or by implication about

the types of services offered and provided by the business or the

benefits of such services;

(3) offering to provide or providing a veteran with

individualized, personal advice while preparing, prosecuting, or

presenting a veteran's specific disability claims unless offering

such advice through individuals accredited by the Department of

Veterans Affairs;

(4) causing confusion regarding its affiliation with

the Department of Veterans Affairs; or

(5) accessing or seeking to access the Department of

Veterans Affairs benefit information of a veteran through the

Department of Veterans Affairs' eBenefits portal.

(b) A business that violates this section is liable to this

state for a civil penalty. A civil penalty assessed under this

subsection may not exceed $25,000 per violation.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives

a vote of two-thirds of all the 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.