Monitoring the Session

SB 1276

Middleton’s bill on local government risk pools

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11

Initial review · graded Oct 19, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the regulation of risk pools primarily consisting of political subdivisions.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Risk pools get a whole new chapter of state law.

This bill creates a new chapter of state law for risk pools, which are groups mostly made up of local governments that share the cost of health, property and liability coverage. It applies key insurance laws to these pools and requires them to give members a yearly packet with a not-insurance disclosure, a coverage summary, last year's budget, a financial report and an explanation of every claim denial. The state insurance commissioner and Department of Insurance can enforce these rules. People can sue a pool under the private-action insurance laws, with the pool's governmental immunity waived for those suits, starting September 1, 2025, and the insurance laws reach contracts signed on or after January 1, 2026.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Feb 13, 2025 and referred to the Senate Business & Commerce committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1276 · 2025-02-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11 Sen. Lois KolkhorstRSenate 18

ITEM

relating to the regulation of risk pools primarily consisting of political subdivisions.

WHAT IT DOES

Risk pools get a whole new chapter of state law.

This bill creates a new chapter of state law for risk pools, which are groups mostly made up of local governments that share the cost of health, property and liability coverage. It applies key insurance laws to these pools and requires them to give members a yearly packet with a not-insurance disclosure, a coverage summary, last year's budget, a financial report and an explanation of every claim denial. The state insurance commissioner and Department of Insurance can enforce these rules. People can sue a pool under the private-action insurance laws, with the pool's governmental immunity waived for those suits, starting September 1, 2025, and the insurance laws reach contracts signed on or after January 1, 2026.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

  1. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Business & Commerce
FILED UNDER

Beats not yet reviewed.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Mayes Middleton

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1.14MRussell Gordy$300,000Kenneth Fisher$215,000

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 6, 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$1,140,000.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,140,000.00

Cash
$1,140,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$1,140,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 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: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.

Russell Gordy$300,000.00
Kenneth Fisher$215,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$1,140,000.00

Cash
$1,140,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$1,140,000.00

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 · Dec 12, 2024 to Oct 21, 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: 101009502, 101012383, 101061137, 101072395, 101072779.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 19, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Feb 13, 2025

02/28/2025 S Referred to Business & Commerce

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

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

Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Final status: Died in committee

Companion

HB 3983 by Morgan (identical)

Subjects

Insurance--General

Insurance--Health & Accident

Political Subdivisions

INSURANCE, COMMISSIONER OF

INSURANCE, TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF

Text

The text as introduced · 427 words

89R9569 DNC-D

By: Middleton, Kolkhorst
S.B. No. 1276

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the regulation of risk pools primarily consisting of

political subdivisions.

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

SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Local Government Code, is

amended by adding Chapter 172A to read as follows:

CHAPTER 172A. GENERAL PROVISIONS FOR RISK POOLS PRIMARILY

CONSISTING OF POLITICAL SUBDIVISIONS

Sec. 172A.001. APPLICABILITY OF CHAPTER. This chapter

applies only to a risk pool that primarily consists of political

subdivisions.

Sec. 172A.002. CONFLICT OF LAWS. To the extent of a

conflict between this chapter and other law, this chapter controls.

Sec. 172A.003. RULES. The commissioner of insurance may

adopt rules to implement this chapter.

Sec. 172A.004. APPLICABILITY OF INSURANCE LAWS. The

following insurance laws apply to coverage provided by a risk pool

subject to this chapter:

(1) Title 4, Insurance Code;

(2) Subtitle C, Title 5, Insurance Code; and

(3) Chapter 830, Insurance Code.

Sec. 172A.005. REQUIRED DISCLOSURES. A risk pool that

provides health or property and casualty coverage to the members of

the pool must annually provide to risk pool members:

(1) a written disclosure that the risk pool is not

insurance and is not regulated in the same manner as insurers

providing similar coverage;

(2) a copy of the declarations page of the coverage

provided under the risk pool that:

(A) lists and identifies each type of coverage

provided under the risk pool; and

(B) describes the process for filing claims and

appeals;

(3) a copy of the risk pool's budget for the preceding

risk pool year;

(4) a report stating the financial status of the risk

pool; and

(5) a report with a written explanation of each claim

denial made by the risk pool in the preceding risk pool year.

Sec. 172A.006. ENFORCEMENT. (a) The commissioner of

insurance and the Texas Department of Insurance may enforce this

chapter against a risk pool in the same manner as the department

enforces an insurance law against an insurer under Subtitle B,

Title 2, Insurance Code.

(b) A person may bring an action against a risk pool in

accordance with a law authorizing a private action under Subtitle

C, Title 5, Insurance Code. Governmental immunity of a risk pool to

suit and from liability is waived to the extent of liability created

by this subsection.

SECTION 2. Section 172A.004, Local Government Code, as

added by this Act, applies only to a contract entered into on or

after January 1, 2026.

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