Monitoring the Session

HB 946

bill banning oral settlements of auto insurance claims

Did not pass

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Rep. Cassandra Garcia HernandezDHouse 115

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 oral releases for automobile insurance claims.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Spoken releases out, for property damage or injury.

The bill bans oral (spoken, unwritten) settlements of auto insurance claims for property damage or injury. It covers people making claims against their own insurer or another party, and every kind of insurer writing personal or commercial auto policies in Texas. After January 1, 2026, a release traded for money on such a claim cannot be enforced unless it is a separate written agreement.

Labels

Labels: ZOMBIE BILL. Died 2 times: 88R HB 150 by Rep. Julie Johnson (Did not pass) and this bill (Did not pass). Checked against 88R only.BACK FROM THE DEAD. Same text as a bill filed before that died: 88R HB 150 by Rep. Julie Johnson (Did not pass). Filed in 2 sessions, counting this one. Checked against 88R only.TRY NO. 2. Filed in 2 sessions: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the House Insurance committee 6-3 on Apr 16, 2025. Never placed on a calendar. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB946 · 2024-11-12

SOLD BY

Rep. Cassandra Garcia HernandezDHouse 115

ITEM

relating to prohibiting oral releases for automobile insurance claims.

WHAT IT DOES

Spoken releases out, for property damage or injury.

The bill bans oral (spoken, unwritten) settlements of auto insurance claims for property damage or injury. It covers people making claims against their own insurer or another party, and every kind of insurer writing personal or commercial auto policies in Texas. After January 1, 2026, a release traded for money on such a claim cannot be enforced unless it is a separate written agreement.

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 7, 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 Insurance
  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
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Cassandra Garcia Hernandez

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$23KHernandez Law Group$11KTexas Healthcare Neck & Back Clinics PA$10K

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.

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 · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 8, 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: 100988470, 101011363, 101033777, 101073006.

Hernandez Law Group$11,000.00

Hernandez Law Group

$11,000.00

Cash
$11,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$11,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 29, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 29, 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: 101062154, 101073006.

Texas Healthcare Neck & Back Clinics PA$10,000.00

Texas Healthcare Neck & Back Clinics PA

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jun 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jun 30, 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: 101062154.

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 · Oct 29, 2024 to Oct 8, 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: 100988470, 101011363, 101033777, 101073006.

×

Hernandez Law Group

$11,000.00

Cash
$11,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$11,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jun 29, 2026 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jun 29, 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: 101062154, 101073006.

×

Texas Healthcare Neck & Back Clinics PA

$10,000.00

Cash
$10,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$10,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Jun 30, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

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

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Jun 30, 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: 101062154.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Witnesses16
For
8
Against
7
On
1
Names

For

  • AARP Texas1 registration
  • Self3 registrations
  • Self; Texas trial lawyers association1 registration
  • Texas Appleseed1 registration
  • Texas independent automobile Dealers Association1 registration
  • Texas Watch1 registration

Against

  • Al Boenker Insurance Agency, Inc.1 registration
  • American Property Casualty Insurance Association1 registration
  • GEICO1 registration
  • Independent Insurance Agents of Texas1 registration
  • Insurance Council of Texas1 registration
  • National Association of Mutual Insurance Companies1 registration
  • Texas Coalition for Affordable Insurance Solutions1 registration

On

  • Texas Department of Insurance1 registration
Sources

16 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 7, 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.

FILED BEFORE

Filed 2 times: 88R and 89R. Checked against 88R only.

88R HB 150

by Rep. Julie Johnson, different lead author · Did not pass · same text

Introduced text

Last action, Apr 20, 2023: Considered in Calendars

Relating to prohibiting oral releases for automobile insurance claims.

Caption, 88R bill history

Sources

Texas House · Filed Nov 12, 2024

04/28/2025 H Committee report sent to Calendars

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 · Insurance · Committee vote 6 aye, 3 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Insurance--Property & Casualty

Vehicles & Traffic--Insurance/Financial Responsibility

Text

The text as introduced · 360 words

By: Garcia Hernandez
H.B. No. 946

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to prohibiting oral releases for automobile insurance

claims.

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

SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 10, Insurance Code, is amended

by adding Chapter 1955 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 1955. ORAL RELEASES FOR AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE CLAIMS

Sec. 1955.001. DEFINITIONS. In this chapter:

(1) "Claimant" means:

(A) an insured making a first-party claim; or

(B) an individual who has a claim for property

damage or an injury against another individual or an entity.

(2) "Injury" means a bodily or psychological injury.

(3) "Oral release" means an oral contract under which

a claimant releases, wholly or partly, one or more of the claimant's

claims arising out of property damage or an injury for which an

insurer may be liable under an automobile insurance policy in

exchange for money or other consideration paid.

Sec. 1955.002. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. This chapter

applies to an insurer writing personal or commercial automobile

insurance in this state, including an insurance company,

corporation, reciprocal or interinsurance exchange, mutual

insurance company, county mutual insurance company, association,

Lloyd's plan, or other insurer.

Sec. 1955.003. ORAL RELEASE OF CLAIMS PROHIBITED.

Notwithstanding Section 26.01, Business & Commerce Code, a claimant

and an insurer or another individual or entity may not enter into an

oral release for claims arising out of property damage or an injury

for which an insurer may be liable under an automobile insurance

policy. A release made in exchange for money or other consideration

paid for the claimant's claim arising out of property damage or an

injury for which an insurer may be liable under an automobile

insurance policy is not enforceable unless the contract is a

separate written agreement.

SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to

a contract entered into on or after January 1, 2026. A contract

entered into before January 1, 2026, 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.