No indictment? Presumed immune. Found immune, you recover attorney’s fees and lost income.
The bill shields a person from civil lawsuits over injury or death when the person used or threatened force or deadly force that is justified under the Penal Code's self-defense rules. A person is presumed justified and immune if a grand jury declined to indict, or if a related criminal charge ended in acquittal or was dismissed. A person found immune can recover attorney's fees, court costs, lost income and other expenses from the lawsuit, for claims that arise on or after September 1, 2025.
Labels
Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 12, 2025. Died in the House: voted out of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee 6-5, no floor vote.
relating to civil liability arising out of justified uses of or
threats to use force or deadly force.
WHAT IT DOES
No indictment? Presumed immune. Found immune, you recover attorney’s fees and lost income.
The bill shields a person from civil lawsuits over injury or death when the person used or threatened force or deadly force that is justified under the Penal Code's self-defense rules. A person is presumed justified and immune if a grand jury declined to indict, or if a related criminal charge ended in acquittal or was dismissed. A person found immune can recover attorney's fees, court costs, lost income and other expenses from the lawsuit, for claims that arise on or after September 1, 2025.
CHARGES
[ ] NONE FOUND
TOTAL
No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.
…“is entitled to recover reasonable attorney's fees, court costs, lost income, and other expenses incurred by the defendant in connection with the action”
The bill creates a lawsuit shield and fee-shifting for people whose use or threat of force is justified or presumed justified, including when a criminal charge was dismissed.
SIGNED FOR BY
Senate · 25 yea · 4 nay
Sources
Senate: Final passage · May 12, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Senator Hall moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 1730 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 25, Nays 4, Present-not voting 1.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 25 (published)
Nay: 4 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Senator Hall moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 1730 at this time on its second reading: SB 1730, Relating to the recovery of damages for injuries arising out of certain uses of force or deadly force. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 25, Nays 4, Present-not voting 1.
Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.
Yea: 25 (published)
Nay: 4 (published)
Present, not voting: 1 (published)
Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
Excused: 1 (derived from named list)
Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.
Witnesses15
For
14
Against
1
On
0
Names
For
Combined Law Enforcement Associations of Texas (CLEAT)2 registrations
Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP #391 registration
89R12259 AJA-F
By: Hall
S.B. No. 1730
A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT
relating to the recovery of damages for injuries arising out of
certain uses of force or deadly force.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:
SECTION 1. Chapter 83, Civil Practice and Remedies Code, is
amended by adding Sections 83.002 and 83.003 to read as follows:
Sec. 83.002. EFFECT OF CRIMINAL PROCEEDINGS ON LIABILITY.
A claimant may not recover damages for personal injury or death that
results from a defendant's act constituting the use of force or
deadly force if:
(1) a grand jury finds no bill of indictment for
criminal charges based on the act;
(2) a court in a criminal proceeding orders a
dismissal of criminal charges based on the act; or
(3) the defendant is acquitted of criminal charges
based on the act.
Sec. 83.003. CLAIMANT'S LIABILITY FOR COURT COSTS AND
ATTORNEY'S FEES. A claimant who is barred from recovery under this
chapter is liable to the defendant for court costs and reasonable
attorney's fees incurred in defending against the barred claim.
SECTION 2. The changes in law made by this Act apply only to
a cause of action that accrues on or after the effective date of
this Act. A cause of action that accrued before the effective date
of this Act is governed by the law applicable to the cause of action
immediately before the effective date of this Act and that law is
continued in effect for that purpose.
SECTION 3. 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.
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