Monitoring the Session

SB 1791

bill on policyholders who go silent after a claim

Did not pass

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 effects of unresponsive insureds for a personal automobile insurance policy.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Every Texas auto policy needs a rule for the ghosting policyholder.

The bill requires every personal auto insurance policy in Texas to include a rule for what happens when the policyholder goes silent after someone else makes a liability claim against them. The insurer must try to reach the named insured at least five times, or until they respond, within 45 days of the claim; if it cannot reach them, it must pay the third party's claim under the policy and refuse to renew the policy. This touches all auto insurers and their customers, and it applies to policies issued or renewed starting January 1, 2026.

Labels

Labels: STALLED AFTER COMMITTEE. Voted out of the Senate Business & Commerce committee 11-0 on Apr 1, 2025. Placed on the intent calendar on Apr 10, 2025. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB1791 · 2025-03-03

SOLD BY

Sen. Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to the effects of unresponsive insureds for a personal automobile insurance policy.

WHAT IT DOES

Every Texas auto policy needs a rule for the ghosting policyholder.

The bill requires every personal auto insurance policy in Texas to include a rule for what happens when the policyholder goes silent after someone else makes a liability claim against them. The insurer must try to reach the named insured at least five times, or until they respond, within 45 days of the claim; if it cannot reach them, it must pay the third party's claim under the policy and refuse to renew the policy. This touches all auto insurers and their customers, and it applies to policies issued or renewed starting January 1, 2026.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 1, 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. Received by the Secretary of the Senate
  2. Filed
  3. Read first time
  4. Referred to Business & Commerce
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Testimony taken in committee
  8. Left pending in committee
  9. Considered in public hearing
  10. Vote taken in committee
  11. Reported favorably as substituted
  12. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  13. Committee report printed and distributed
  14. Placed on intent calendar
  15. Co-author authorized
  16. Not again placed on intent calendar
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.

Witnesses8
For
3
Against
3
On
2
Names

For

  • Independent Insurance Agents of Texas1 registration
  • Self; Texas Trial Lawyers Assn1 registration
  • Texas Watch1 registration

Against

  • American Property Casualty Insurance Association1 registration
  • Insurance Council of Texas1 registration
  • Texas Coalition for Affordable Insurance Solutions1 registration

On

  • Texas Department of Insurance2 registrations
Sources

8 parsed registrations across the loaded witness lists.

Derived stock of witness registrations. Repeated appearances count separately. Organizations and self-representation appear as printed.

Senate witness list. Source snapshot 2026-10-20, Central time.

Fiscal

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version S · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version S · April 1, 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 19, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Mar 3, 2025

04/23/2025 S Not again placed on intent calendar

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report

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

Coauthors
Royce WestDSenate 23

Senate committee · Business & Commerce · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Companion

HB 5017 by Morgan (identical)

Subjects

Insurance--Insurers & Agents

Insurance--Motor Vehicles

Text

The text as introduced · 224 words

89R12793 SCL-D

By: Middleton
S.B. No. 1791

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the effects of unresponsive insureds for a personal

automobile insurance policy.

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

SECTION 1. Subchapter B, Chapter 1952, Insurance Code, is

amended by adding Section 1952.061 to read as follows:

Sec. 1952.061. REQUIRED PROVISION: UNRESPONSIVE INSUREDS.

(a) This section applies to an insurer authorized to write

automobile insurance in this state, including an insurance company,

reciprocal or interinsurance exchange, mutual insurance company,

capital stock company, county mutual insurance company, Lloyd's

plan, or other entity.

(b) A personal automobile insurance policy must contain a

provision requiring the insurer to:

(1) attempt to communicate with the named insured at

least five times or until the insured responds during the 45-day

period following the date a liability claim is made against the

insured by a third party; and

(2) if the insurer is unable to communicate with the

named insured during that period:

(A) pay the claim to the third-party claimant in

accordance with the policy; and

(B) decline to renew the policy.

SECTION 2. Section 1952.061, Insurance Code, as added by

this Act, applies only to an insurance policy delivered, issued for

delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.

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