Monitoring the Session

SB 2417

King Antitrust Bill Shields Attorney General Interview Notes From Discovery

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Phil KingRSenate 10

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 investigations conducted and actions brought by the attorney general under the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act of 1983.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The attorney general alone counts as the state for discovery, so agency records stay out of reach.

The bill makes the attorney general's notes from antitrust investigation interviews confidential work product and shields them from discovery if the office later sues. It also says that in antitrust suits the attorney general alone counts as the state party for discovery and does not control documents held by lawmakers, other state officers, or state agencies. Companies sued by the attorney general under the state antitrust law lose access to those interview notes and cannot use the attorney general's case to reach records held elsewhere in state government.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 12, 2025. Died in the House: never got out of the Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2417 · 2025-03-12

SOLD BY

ITEM

relating to investigations conducted and actions brought by the attorney general under the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act of 1983.

WHAT IT DOES

The attorney general alone counts as the state for discovery, so agency records stay out of reach.

The bill makes the attorney general's notes from antitrust investigation interviews confidential work product and shields them from discovery if the office later sues. It also says that in antitrust suits the attorney general alone counts as the state party for discovery and does not control documents held by lawmakers, other state officers, or state agencies. Companies sued by the attorney general under the state antitrust law lose access to those interview notes and cannot use the attorney general's case to reach records held elsewhere in state government.

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 30, 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 State Affairs
  5. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  6. Considered in public hearing
  7. Left pending in committee
  8. Considered in public hearing
  9. Vote taken in committee
  10. Reported favorably w/o amendments
  11. Recommended for local & uncontested calendar
  12. Committee report printed and distributed
  13. Placed on intent calendar
  14. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  15. Record vote
  16. Read 2nd time & passed to engrossment
  17. Record vote
  18. Three day rule suspended
  19. Record vote
  20. Read 3rd time
  21. Passed
  22. Record vote
  23. Reported engrossed
  24. Received from the Senate
  25. Read first time
  26. Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence
FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

…“this section, the attorney general is the sole party for discovery”…

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill gives the attorney general discovery shields in antitrust lawsuits, limiting what the other side can demand from the state.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 27 yea · 3 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · May 12, 2025. Journal. Published stock for this vote. Snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

All floor motions and other positions below.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donors

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$30KErle Nye, Jr.$20,000Gideon Powell$20,000

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 · Oct 27, 2024 to 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.

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC$30,300.00

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$30,300.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$300.00
Total
$30,300.00
fundraiser $300.00

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 Sep 26, 2025. 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: 100982783, 101007450, 101026985.

Erle Nye, Jr.$20,000.00
Gideon Powell$20,000.00
Money

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

×

Texans for Lawsuit Reform PAC

$30,300.00

Cash
$30,000.00
Paid by others
$300.00
Total
$30,300.00
fundraiser $300.00

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 Sep 26, 2025. 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: 100982783, 101007450, 101026985.

Votes4

Senate May 12, 2025

Yea
27
Nay
3
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read third time and was passed by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 3. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 27 (published)
  • Nay: 3 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate May 12, 2025

Yea
27
Nay
3
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator King moved that Senate Rule 7.18 and the Constitutional Rule requiring bills to be read on three several days be suspended and that SB 2417 be placed on its third reading and final passage. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 3.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 27 (published)
  • Nay: 3 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate May 12, 2025

Yea
27
Nay
3
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

The bill was read second time and was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 3. (Same as previous roll call)

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 27 (published)
  • Nay: 3 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Senate May 12, 2025

Yea
27
Nay
3
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
1
Names

Named positions matched to lawmakers. See the journal for unmatched names.

Senate journal

Sources

Senator King moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration SB 2417 at this time on its second reading: SB 2417, Relating to investigations conducted and actions brought by the attorney general under the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act of 1983. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 27, Nays 3.

Published stock of positions for this vote, except where marked derived.

  • Yea: 27 (published)
  • Nay: 3 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 1 (derived from named list)

Senate journal. Source snapshot 2026-10-19, Central time.

Witnesses1
For
0
Against
0
On
1
Names

On

  • Office of the Attorney General1 registration
Sources

1 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 I · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version I · April 30, 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 Senate · Filed Mar 12, 2025

05/14/2025 H Referred to Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence: May 14 2025 12:07AM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced · Senate Committee Report · Engrossed

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

House committee · Judiciary & Civil Jurisprudence · Final status: Died in committee

Senate committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 11 aye, 0 nay · Out of committee

Subjects

Business & Commerce--General

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

Consumer Protection

ATTORNEY GENERAL

Text

The text as introduced · 295 words

89R12639 BCH-F

By: King
S.B. No. 2417

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to investigations conducted and actions brought by the

attorney general under the Texas Free Enterprise and Antitrust Act

of 1983.

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

SECTION 1. Section 15.10, Business & Commerce Code, is

amended by adding Subsection (l) to read as follows:

(l) Interview notes.

(1) In the course of an antitrust investigation, the

attorney general may conduct an interview with one or more persons

who may have relevant information about the subject of the

investigation. Written notes or typed memoranda developed from

interviews conducted under this subdivision constitute attorney

work product memorializing the mental impressions of the attorney

general. The written notes or typed memoranda are confidential and

not subject to disclosure under Chapter 551, Government Code.

(2) If, as a result of the investigation, the attorney

general files suit for a violation of this chapter, the written

notes and typed memoranda described by Subdivision (1) and the

information contained in the written notes and typed memoranda

reflect the mental impressions of the attorney general and are:

(A) entitled to all protections afforded by law

to material subject to the attorney work product doctrine; and

(B) protected from disclosure in response to any

discovery request.

SECTION 2. Section 15.20, Business & Commerce Code, is

amended by adding Subsection (b-1) to read as follows:

(b-1) In an action brought by the attorney general under

this section, the attorney general is the sole party for discovery

purposes and is considered to lack possession, custody, or control

over documents in the possession of members of the legislature,

other state officers, or any state agencies or institutions.

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