Monitoring the Session

SB 2861

bill making negotiated rulemaking required at the insurance department

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review
Sen. Bryan HughesRSenate 1

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 negotiated rulemaking by the commissioner of insurance.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

The commissioner goes from encouraging it to requiring it.

The bill changes the insurance commissioner's duty from encouraging negotiated rulemaking to requiring it when the Texas Department of Insurance adopts its rules. Negotiated rulemaking is the existing state process under Chapter 2008 of the Government Code, and the change touches the department and the insurers, agents and others its rules govern. The commissioner must set rules carrying out the new requirement by January 1, 2026, while use of alternative dispute resolution stays only encouraged.

Labels

Labels: QUICK READ: 146 WORDS. The bill as filed runs 146 words, counting the existing law it amends and the text it strikes. The median 89R bill as filed runs 441 words (derived, 8,702 graded bills, snapshot Oct 19, 2026).NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Mar 14, 2025 and referred to the Senate Business & Commerce committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-SB2861 · 2025-03-14

SOLD BY

+ 1 coauthor

ITEM

relating to negotiated rulemaking by the commissioner of insurance.

WHAT IT DOES

The commissioner goes from encouraging it to requiring it.

The bill changes the insurance commissioner's duty from encouraging negotiated rulemaking to requiring it when the Texas Department of Insurance adopts its rules. Negotiated rulemaking is the existing state process under Chapter 2008 of the Government Code, and the change touches the department and the insurers, agents and others its rules govern. The commissioner must set rules carrying out the new requirement by January 1, 2026, while use of alternative dispute resolution stays only encouraged.

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
  5. Co-author authorized
FILED UNDER

No verified beat found.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donors

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 1, 2024 to Oct 23, 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.

GOPAC Election Fund$250,000.00

GOPAC Election Fund

$250,000.00

Cash
$250,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$250,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101028838, 101071548.

CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)$100,000.00

CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Sep 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 4, 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: 101067724.

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC$100,000.00

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 13, 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: 101071548.

Money

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

×

GOPAC Election Fund

$250,000.00

Cash
$250,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$250,000.00

Also funds 2 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Jul 17, 2025 to Oct 15, 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: 101028838, 101071548.

×

CRAFTPAC (Court Reform Action for Texas Families)

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

Also funds 0 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · on Sep 4, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Name match, not a verified identity: normalized filed name and state.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Sep 4, 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: 101067724.

×

Court Reform Action for Families Texas PAC

$100,000.00

Cash
$100,000.00
Paid by others
$0.00
Total
$100,000.00

Also funds 32 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Feb 20, 2026 to Oct 14, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team
Sources

Derived itemized flow · on Oct 13, 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: 101071548.

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 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas Senate · Filed Mar 14, 2025

04/07/2025 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.

Coauthors

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

Companion

SB 2433 by Parker (duplicate)

Subjects

Insurance--General

State Agencies, Boards & Commissions--Admin. Procedure

MEDIATION, DISPUTE RESOLUTION, & ARBITRATION

INSURANCE, COMMISSIONER OF

Text

The text as introduced · 146 words

89R15224 SCR-F

By: Hughes
S.B. No. 2861

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to negotiated rulemaking by the commissioner of insurance.

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

SECTION 1. Section 36.110(a), Insurance Code, is amended to

read as follows:

(a) The commissioner shall develop and implement a policy to

[ encourage the use of ]:

(1) require the use of negotiated rulemaking

procedures under Chapter 2008, Government Code, for the adoption of

department rules; and

(2) encourage the use of appropriate alternative

dispute resolution procedures under Chapter 2009, Government Code,

to assist in the resolution of internal and external disputes under

the department's jurisdiction.

SECTION 2. The commissioner of insurance shall adopt rules

required by Section 36.110, Insurance Code, as amended by this Act,

not later than January 1, 2026.

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