Texans for Lawsuit Reform (TLR) released the following statement upon the announcement of Senate- and House-appointed conferees for Senate Bill (SB) 30, critical legislation designed to curb the frequency of meritless lawsuits and restore fairness and transparency to Texas’s courts:

“TLR urges the newly appointed Conference Committee to remove the amendment added in the House that destroys the effectiveness of SB 30, and to send the bill back to the two chambers for a vote.

“Republicans and Democrats in the House and the Senate must take a stand and show their support for the businesses that help make Texas the best place in the nation to live and work.

“The amendment was adopted by a vote of 72-70 on May 26, but two House members changed their affirmative votes in the House Journal, meaning the amendment should have failed if their votes had been cast as they intended. If the amendment is not removed, lawyers collaborating with doctors and chiropractors will continue to engage in a fraud on the legal system, manufacturing medical bills to support meritless lawsuits.

“This abuse must stop.

“If the errant amendment remains intact, the abuse will continue, and the Legislature will have to address this pervasive issue again in 2027 during the 90th Texas Legislative Session.

“In the meantime, tens of thousands of businesses in Texas will struggle to pay insurance premiums that are driven in part by this unethical conduct. Many will face lawsuits that have the potential to bankrupt them if ransom is not paid. And Texas’s record of economic expansion and job growth—the strongest in the nation for decades—will be threatened.

“We can fix the problem today. Tomorrow will be too late. Texas legislators: Strip the amendment from SB 30 and help restore critically needed fairness and transparency to Texas’s courts.”