Monitoring the Session

SB 2713

Middleton Bill Bars Trade Groups From Rejecting Members Over Speech

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11

Initial review · graded Oct 22, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to preventing discrimination in membership in a professional or trade association.

Caption from analyzed text · version S.

Summary

Covers race, religion and sex, plus free speech and assembly, whatever the bylaws say.

The bill bars professional and trade associations in Texas from denying anyone access, membership or participation because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, or the person's exercise of free speech or assembly, regardless of what the group's bylaws say. It touches every professional or trade association, along with the members and would-be members who use their services. A person who is shut out can sue the association for a court order or money damages, and the winner of the suit can recover court costs and attorney's fees, starting September 1, 2025.

Labels

Labels: GOT HALFWAY. Passed the Senate on May 8, 2025. Died in the House: left pending in the Trade, Workforce & Economic Development committee.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2713 · 2025-03-13

SOLD BY

Sen. Mayes MiddletonRSenate 11

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to preventing discrimination in membership in a professional or trade association.

WHAT IT DOES

Covers race, religion and sex, plus free speech and assembly, whatever the bylaws say.

The bill bars professional and trade associations in Texas from denying anyone access, membership or participation because of race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, or the person's exercise of free speech or assembly, regardless of what the group's bylaws say. It touches every professional or trade association, along with the members and would-be members who use their services. A person who is shut out can sue the association for a court order or money damages, and the winner of the suit can recover court costs and attorney's fees, starting September 1, 2025.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No significant fiscal implication to the State is anticipated.

LBB estimate · fiscal note version E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 19, 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. 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. Committee report printed and distributed
  13. Co-author authorized
  14. Placed on intent calendar
  15. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  16. Record vote
  17. Read 2nd time
  18. Amendment(s) offered FA1 Middleton
  19. Amended
  20. Vote recorded in Journal
  21. Amendment(s) offered FA2 Blanco
  22. Amended
  23. Vote recorded in Journal
  24. Passed to engrossment as amended
  25. Record vote
  26. Rules suspended-Regular order of business
  27. Record vote
  28. Read 3rd time
  29. Passed
  30. Record vote
  31. Reported engrossed
  32. Received from the Senate
  33. Read first time
  34. Referred to Trade, Workforce & Economic Development
  35. Scheduled for public hearing on . . .
  36. Considered in public hearing
  37. Testimony taken/registration(s) recorded in committee
  38. Left pending in committee
FILED UNDER

SPEECH AND LAWFARE

THE TEXT

“A person aggrieved by a violation of Section 121.001 may bring an action against the professional or trade association for injunctive relief or damages.”

Bill text, Senate committee report version (S)

The bill creates a new private lawsuit against associations that exclude people over their speech or assembly, so courts become the enforcement tool for speech protection in private groups.

SIGNED FOR BY

Senate · 22 yea · 9 nay

Sources

Senate: Final passage · May 8, 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

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.

Votes4

Senate May 8, 2025

Yea
22
Nay
9
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
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 22, Nays 9. (Same as previous roll call)

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

  • Yea: 22 (published)
  • Nay: 9 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate May 8, 2025

Yea
22
Nay
9
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2713 at this time on its third reading and final passage: CSSB 2713, Relating to preventing discrimination in membership in a professional or trade association. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 9.

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

  • Yea: 22 (published)
  • Nay: 9 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate May 8, 2025

Yea
22
Nay
9
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

CSSB 2713 as amended was passed to engrossment by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 9.

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

  • Yea: 22 (published)
  • Nay: 9 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Senate May 8, 2025

Yea
22
Nay
9
Present, not voting
Not printed
Absent
0
Excused
0
Names

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

Senate journal

Sources

Senator Middleton moved to suspend the regular order of business to take up for consideration CSSB 2713 at this time on its second reading: CSSB 2713, Relating to preventing discrimination in membership in a professional or trade association. The motion prevailed by the following vote: Yeas 22, Nays 9.

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

  • Yea: 22 (published)
  • Nay: 9 (published)
  • Present, not voting: Not printed
  • Absent: 0 (derived from named list)
  • Excused: 0 (derived from named list)

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

Witnesses35
For
19
Against
13
On
3
Names

For

  • Self13 registrations
  • Self; Brian Talley Abor1 registration
  • Self; Capital Area Conservative Republicans Club1 registration
  • Self; Texans Wake Up1 registration
  • Self; Texas Eagle Forum1 registration
  • Self; Texas Right To Know1 registration
  • Texas Values1 registration

Against

  • American Civil Liberties Union of Texas1 registration
  • Harris County Deputies' Organization FOP #391 registration
  • Self5 registrations
  • Self; Austin Justice Coalition1 registration
  • Self; Equality Texas1 registration
  • Self; Equity Action1 registration
  • Self; Texas Unitarian Universalist Justice Ministry2 registrations
  • Texas Civil Rights Project1 registration

On

  • Self1 registration
  • Texas Realtors2 registrations
Sources

35 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 E · source

Sources

Fiscal note · version E · May 19, 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 S by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 22, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Mar 13, 2025

05/21/2025 H Left pending in committee

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.

Coauthors
Adam HinojosaRSenate 27

House committee · Trade, Workforce & Economic Development · Final status: Died in committee

Senate committee · State Affairs · Committee vote 9 aye, 1 nay, 1 absent · Out of committee

Subjects

Business & Commerce--General

Civil Remedies & Liabilities

DISCRIMINATION

Text

The text as introduced · 199 words

89R12402 MLH-D

By: Middleton
S.B. No. 2713

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to preventing discrimination in membership in a

professional or trade association or organization.

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

SECTION 1. Subtitle C, Title 5, Business & Commerce Code, is

amended by adding Chapter 121 to read as follows:

CHAPTER 121. DISCRIMINATION BY PROFESSIONAL OR TRADE ASSOCIATION

OR ORGANIZATION PROHIBITED

Sec. 121.001. DENIAL OF MEMBERSHIP OR SERVICES. A

professional or trade association or organization may not deny a

person access to or membership or participation in the association

or organization because of race, color, religion, sex, disability,

familial status, or national origin or because of the person's

exercise of the person's freedom of speech or assembly,

notwithstanding any provision of the association's or

organization's bylaws.

Sec. 121.002. PRIVATE CAUSE OF ACTION. (a) A person

aggrieved by a violation of Section 121.001 may bring an action

against the professional or trade association or organization for

injunctive relief or damages.

(b) The court may award court costs and reasonable

attorney's fees to the prevailing party in an action brought under

this section.

SECTION 2. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.